Alex Bowman’s Dog Wrecks His Ride Way More Than the Driver of the No. 48 Chevy Does
Just because Alex Bowman and three dozen other NASCAR drivers have the week off doesn’t mean work grinds to a halt. The engineers and mechanics have cars to prep for when the Cup Series swings back into action in Nashville.
But enough about them. What about the rest of us whose paychecks depend on NASCAR? You think it’s easy writing mid-week stories when NASCAR didn’t bother impounding any cars at Sonoma as a prelude to yet another 60-point penalty.
My gosh, it’s been so bad this week that I watched a two-minute sponsor video, the highlight of which was Bowman explaining his first-world problems related to his dog’s gastrointestinal issues.
All I can say is I’m grateful he – Bowman, not the dog – has some personality.
Alex Bowman drives the No. 48 Chevy, sponsored by Ally
Jimmie Johnson’s departure from NASCAR after the 2020 season was a fortuitous development for Alex Bowman, who was already leading a charmed life at Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman was all of 23 when he filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevy in 2016. Two years later, he took over that ride on a full-time basis.
When “Seven Time” quit NASCAR to try IndyCar racing in 2021, Bowman took over the No. 48 Chevy, fully sponsored by Ally, a major financial firm. The relationship between driver, team, and sponsor is rock solid, and both Ally and Bowman signed extensions with Hendrick before the current season.
For its part, Ally uses Bowman extensively in marketing, including plenty of social media. Part of that promotion was this week’s video of Bowman discussing what he brings with him on the road during the season.
Bowman’s dog Roscoe creates issues for Bowman every year
One of Alex Bowman’s deals provides him with a Chevy Tahoe to drive when he’s home in North Carolina. He didn’t specify in the video, but we’re guessing it’s not the bare-bones LS model. More likely, it’s the RST or the High Country with the 6.2-liter V8 engine, which you’re not going to afford with your undergrad degree in Finnish literature. But we digress.
In going through items that he packs for the trip to race weekends, Bowman mentioned he usually brings along a picture of his dogs. Roscoe is a beagle mix, and Finn is a Labrador retriever.
That’s where Bowman, a seven-time winner in the Cup Series, made the connection between the SUV and his dogs.
“Finn loves the car,” the driver explained. “Roscoe farts in the car. My Tahoe straight-up smells like Roscoe farts. I get a new Tahoe every year from Chevrolet, and every year they pick that thing up and they’re like, ‘What did you do to this thing?’ It was Roscoe. I swear it wasn’t me.”
TMI, Alex. But thanks for clearing that up.
Got a question or observation about racing? Sportscasting’s John Moriello does a mailbag column each Friday. Write to him at [email protected].
