Alex Bowman Guarantees Ryan Blaney ‘Seven Million Beers’ For Saving His Season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One NASCAR Cup Collection driver celebrated Ryan Blaney’s victory Saturday within the regular-season finale at Daytona.

Alex Bowman.

Bowman, who crashed out about 2.5 hours earlier than the end of the race, needed to sit and watch and hope for a driver who had already received this season to win, which might preserve open the ultimate playoff spot for a winless driver.

So when Blaney earned his second victory of the season in a wild end with six of the seven drivers behind him not having received this yr, Bowman may rejoice making the playoffs.

What does he owe Blaney?

“Seven million beers,” Bowman mentioned.

Bowman might need been exaggerating a bit as he admitted his arms had been shaking all through the ultimate laps when winless drivers Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Ryan Preece and Cole Custer all led over the ultimate 10 laps.

After crashing out, Bowman spent the following two-plus hours in his hauler watching the race along with his crew members.

“It’s been sh–ty” Bowman mentioned. “It is not time to be me. I do not need to let my group down. They’ve labored actually laborious. They’ve finished plenty of actually good issues. And the scenario that we’re in coming right here, it is powerful and we crash, after which one thing that is outdoors of our management, and then you definately simply have to take a seat and watch.

“It is not enjoyable for any of those guys. So all of them work actually laborious, and so they should be in it. And I am glad that we’re in it.”

With 14 winners this yr having locked up spots within the 16-driver playoff subject coming into Daytona, the top-two winless drivers — Tyler Reddick and Bowman — got here into the race on the bubble. If no new winner, each would advance. If there was a brand new winner, Bowman would have needed to rally from a 29-point deficit to Reddick.

Bowman mentioned he and crew chief Blake Harris shouted on the tv in the course of the closing laps as Blaney made a monstrous run.

“We had been speaking about dumb stuff making an attempt to lighten the temper,” Bowman mentioned about being within the hauler. “After which that final restart occurred, and it was like, ‘Holy cow, we’re in a extremely horrible scenario proper now.’

“I’m actually glad it labored out the way it did.”

That appeared potential when Reddick spun and his nostril tapped the wall simply 18 laps into the race. He was in a position to proceed and 9 laps later, Bowman bought collected in an enormous crash that ended his race.

He spent the following couple hours in his group transporter watching the race along with his crew members.

The Hendrick driver had entered the race ninth within the collection standings and after the crash knew his playoff hopes had been on the brink. He had began second however bought shuffled to the again and felt that partly arrange him being within the place he was to get collected within the accident when Bubba Wallace bought turned.

“I actually don’t know what to assume till the race is over,” Bowman mentioned after the crash. “I do not get tremendous excessive and I do not get tremendous low, both. I am type of someplace within the center.

“I’m annoyed that we did not keep up entrance, preserve our observe place, that we began with, annoyed that we crashed.”

Afterward, Bowman admitted he was extra relieved than excited. He mentioned he has felt gassed within the final month.

“I’m relieved,” Bowman mentioned. “It has been such a tense string of races. I might say Indy on has been simply this unbelievable quantity of stress.

“I do not need to say strain, as a result of [team vice chairman] Jeff Gordon’s like, ‘Hey, man, you ready all you’ll be able to and no matter occurs goes to occur.’ However from my facet of issues, I am like, we have now to make the rattling playoffs. We’ve got to do that. Like we do not have a selection.”

As for Reddick, he didn’t know what to assume. He felt he made a mistake within the crash and he is aware of if these errors proceed, he received’t final lengthy within the playoffs.

“It’s not the way in which we need to cap off the common season,” mentioned Reddick, who received the regular-season title a yr in the past. “We’ve bought work to do. We’re all able to it. It’s been powerful. We simply proceed to make errors and never capitalize.

“Now we’ve bought to place all of it collectively when the strain is on for the playoffs. … We’ve bought to scrub it up.”

Whereas these two drivers had been the massive winners Sunday, there additionally was Blaney, who knew that there have been a number of drivers round him needing a win however didn’t really feel any made any overly daring strikes to attempt to make the playoffs.

Blaney didn’t know on the time that there was a driver cheering massive for him to win.

“Ryan’s dude, and I’m blissful to see him win,” Bowman mentioned. “He is had a ton of big hits right here. I do not know what to say aside from that. I’m simply grateful that he received.”

When Blaney came upon what Bowman mentioned about what he owes Blaney, Blaney mentioned Bowman didn’t owe him 7 million beers.

“I’ll save him some cash and take 5 million,” Blaney mentioned. “I’ll take that provide.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years masking motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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