Alex Bowman is no stranger to greatness in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he’s been the teammate of both Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson, not to mention reigning champion Chase Elliott.
But off the track, the Hendrick Motorsports driver of the No. 48 Ally Financial Chevrolet Camaro is putting is own spin on greatness, partnering with Best Friends Animal Society to support animal rescue efforts across the country.
Best Friends was on the car at Phoenix Raceway for the Instacart 500K, where Bowman rebounded from an early spin to cross the finish line in 13th out of 38 cars at the home race track for both himself and Best Friends.
Much like with Chase Briscoe a couple seasons ago, Dog O’Day recently did a brief email interview with Alex Bowman ahead of the Phoenix race to learn about his passion for animal rescue, more about his Finn and Roscoe and more.
Alex Bowman talks with us about his dogs and the racing life.
So far this season, Bowman has three top 10s in six races with a best finish of third at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which had COVID-sniffing dogs in attendance last weekend.
Dog O’Day – Have you always been a dog person?
Alex Bowman – “Yeah, I had dogs as a kid. I think it is different, though, when you get an animal that you are responsible for. So when I rescued Roscoe, I became more of a dog person.”
How did you get Finn and Roscoe, and how did they get their names? What are their personalities like?
“Roscoe was sitting in the shop at the team that I was running for at the time, and somebody said that he looked like a Roscoe and it just kind of stuck. Finn, I just kind of came up with it.
“Finn is a really good dog, super chill, especially for being a younger Labrador. He is just super chill and hangs out. Roscoe is super stubborn and has more Beagle tendencies.”
Why is animal rescue something you’re passionate about supporting?
“I am passionate about supporting animal rescue, because Roscoe is a rescue animal. There are tons of animals in general that are in need throughout the country, so it was something easy for me to get behind. I am very appreciate to Ally for getting behind this as well to support.”
What are some of your goals on the track this season, and then for the year off the track as a person?
“As a driver, I want to win a lot of races. Winning all the races and making the Round of 4 would be really good. Just trying to improve our consistency as a race team. Off the track, we want to raise as much money and awareness as we can.”
Which track are you looking forward most to racing again? (Doesn’t have to be NASCAR.)
“I’m looking forward to the Bristol Dirt Race. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see how that goes and see how it turns out.”
What are your thoughts on pet-care companies becoming more involved in NASCAR over the past few years? Do dogs ever come up as a conversation topic in the garage during rain delays or other slow times?
“I think there are a lot of different brands in every area that have come into the sport, so it is really cool that some of them are pet related. It is always good to see the sport growing and a lot of new people involved.
“Dogs only come up during rain delays and slow times when they do something bad back at home.”
Alex Bowman Racing is the dirt team Bowman owns that runs in the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series, a kind of miniature sprint car without roof wings, so with that dirt background and the momentum from his third-place finish last week, prospects are looking good for this weekend’s adventure at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first time the Cup Series has raced on something other than pavement in more than fifty years.
For more news, analysis and opinions on a wide variety of motorsports disciplines, be sure to check out our FanSided Network sister site Beyond the Flag for the latest info. The Food City Dirt Race will be this Sunday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on Fox.