Despite a 63-point cushion for playoffs, Alex Bowman admits “it's not good enough” as he remains the only HMS star without a win

With just five races left before the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin, Alex Bowman finds himself in a relatively secure position, but not one he's satisfied with. Despite having a 63-point cushion above the playoff cut-off line, the #48 Hendrick Motorsports driver is still winless in 2025 and remains the only one of HMS’s four drivers without a trip to victory lane this season.

Bowman, who is competing in his eighth season with HMS, secured a podium finish in the recently concluded NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway. It marked his fifth top-five finish of the season. He sits 14th in the playoff points table with 547 points, above Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace.

Following a solid outing at Dover in the post-race interview, Bowman offered a candid reflection on his performance and mindset heading into the final stretch of the regular season before the playoffs.

“Yeah, it's big for sure. I don't think I've ever finished a race on the oval at Indianapolis, so at least we had a good day today. Hopefully next week we can have a solid day and just finish. I've kind of been dreading that one, but Blake's going to have a fast hot rod for me. Yeah, I mean, a big points buffer is good. It's not good enough, but definitely headed back the right direction.” Bowman told Motorsports Today’s co-host and lead reporter Tim Moore.

The 63-point cushion gives the #48 driver breathing room, but a win would not only lock his playoff berth but also serve as a morale boost and statement of readiness heading into the playoffs. His teammates Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron have all locked their postseason spots by the victory.

Alex Bowman’s last win came in 2024 at the Chicago Street Race. Though he's shown flashes of speed and resilience this year, converting that into a victory has proven elusive.

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Alex Bowman reflects on positive team performance at Dover

In the post-race interview at Dover, Alex Bowman reflected on his strong outing in his #48 Ally Chevrolet and expressed pride in the pit crew team. He admitted that even though he ended the day feeling extremely hot and tired, the overall race was a success and a solid P3 finish for the entire #48 team.

Here’s what Bowman said (via NBC Sports):

“Overall, we had a really good No. 48 Ally Chevrolet all day. Proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. I’ve been a little bit sick and my cool shirt decided it wanted a Sunday off, so I’m really hot and really tire, but certainly, it was a really good day for our team.”

With only a handful of regular-season races left, Alex Bowman knows that while the points margin helps, it’s not a guarantee. He will aim to secure a win in one of the last five regular season races.

Catch the 32-year-old Tucson, Arizona, in action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27.

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Edited by Yash Soni