Alex Bowman had the lead late in Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami however must fend off a hard-charging Kyle Larson for the win.
Larson, Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, could be the perfect driver within the sport, and proved it within the closing laps. Larson expertly rode the wall at Homestead, forcing Bowman to counter. Bowman made a race-losing error with 5 laps to go, making contact with the surface wall in Turns 3 and 4. Larson simply maneuvered previous him and raced his strategy to the checkered flag.
On Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin chimed in with what he would have achieved if he had been in Bowman’s place. Hamlin mentioned that as a frontrunner, you need to make the challenger earn it. Bowman tried to run the equivalent line of Larson, and it price him.
Denny Hamlin opines on Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson battle at Homestead
“I don’t need to give anybody the lead. I’m going to make them earn it,” Hamlin mentioned. “Now, it could be simpler for them to earn it as a result of I’m not gonna run a line that’s going to be on a razor’s fringe of it’s the quickest line, however I’m probably going to f*** up right here. I’m gonna come off the wall just a bit bit as a result of there’s no quantity of air that you just’re going to present the 5 automobile [Larson] when you run three inches off the wall. He’s not going to achieve on you adequate for it to matter.
“I might have come off the wall barely extra after which power the 5 to make the move solely in Flip 1 and a couple of. The counter to that’s you don’t need him getting so shut in 3 and 4 to the place he can then run a slider on you in 1 and a couple of. At the moment, Kyle was actually getting the highest line entering into 1 and a couple of. I don’t know. I simply really feel like there’s a chance there to make him earn it however once more, I’m not in that seat. It’s so exhausting to Monday morning quarterback since you noticed the results of what occurred.
“However Alex was doing every little thing he might to carry him off and I believe it will have been TBD on whether or not the 5 acquired round him. He was gonna be there, I simply didn’t know if he was truly going to get round him if the 48 didn’t make a mistake.”
Bowman certified on the pole and had a rocket in Stage 3. His No. 48 Chevrolet chased down Bubba Wallace and on Lap 235, Bowman made the move for the lead. However he didn’t end the deal. Larson put the strain on, and Bowman fell simply quick.
Alex Bowman displays on ‘choked’ lead at Homestead to Kyle Larson
“Yeah, I assume I choked that one away for positive,” Bowman mentioned after the race, a P2 end in tow. “Simply form of burnt my stuff up. Noticed the 5 coming so moved round a bit bit. Not when he handed me, however the time earlier than that I hit it fairly exhausting with the proper entrance and simply ended up bending one thing sufficient that I misplaced quite a lot of proper entrance really feel. Then I pulled it off the wall too far proper there and hung it within the fence fairly unhealthy.”
Hamlin discovered positives in Bowman’s general run. He chased down Wallace and made the move for the lead on a day and at a racetrack the place passing is difficult.
“I might simply ensure that the opposite automobile was going to should work me over. Not me work myself over. This isn’t criticism. The entire discipline is operating inches off the wall, [and] it’s so simple for us to get sucked in to the wall,” Hamlin mentioned. “… Actually, it’s extra take a look at the 48 [Bowman] and his capacity to take the lead there from Bubba [in Stage 3]. Observe him down, move him — that was all actually spectacular. It was extra velocity than I noticed from the 48 actually all weekend.
“Throughout apply, I assumed the 48 was not quick in any respect. However between qualifying on the pole and race day changes, they nailed it. Actually, on the finish of the race, I believe that was the perfect that they had been all day.”
