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[h=2]Bowman reveals new-look Axalta 88 Chevy[/h] By Kelly Crandall / Image by Russell LaBounty/LAT, Crandall



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As the next driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports, Alex Bowman is providing fans with new looks for familiar sponsors.
Revealed Thursday, the Axalta paint scheme for 2018 has been completely redesigned.
This past season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove a bright yellow and red Axalta car. Bowman's car will match up similarly with teammate William Byron's, who will also have sponsorship support from Axalta. The difference will be that Byron has flames in his scheme, an iconic look for the No. 24.

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Bowman replaces 15-time most popular driver Earnhardt beginning next season.
"I think it looks great," Bowman said. "I think it came out great. Obviously, the new Camaros look awesome. But the Axalta colors definitely add to it and I think it looks great."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1n7g99xB14

In early October, next season's paint schemes for all four Hendrick drivers were revealed. During the event Bowman showed off his Nationwide car, which he helped designed and is also a departure from what Earnhardt ran.

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Surreal to see this paint scheme with my name on it today. Thanks to everyone for putting this together

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[h=2]Bowman set to begin 'dream come true'[/h] Sunday, 24 December 2017


By Kelly Crandall / Images by Kinrade & Jarrett/LAT



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Spend any amount of time with Alex Bowman these days and two words are bound to come up repeatedly in conversation.

Surreal and cool.

• Podcast: Alex Bowman's journey

It's hard for the 24-year-old to address his new reality in any other way. Bowman has been waiting in the wings since July to take over the No. 88 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports. It is the best full-time opportunity he's been given in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and it comes off an impressive tenure in the car last year while Dale Earnhardt Jr. recovered from a concussion.


There really are no truer words for what has become Bowman's life.
"Absolutely. I thought I was going to have to go to college and quit [racing]," Bowman told RACER. "There was plenty of times I wanted to quit and plenty of times after final practice like, man, I don't want to spend 500 miles in that thing tomorrow. I'm excited and it's just a dream come true.


"I probably won't believe it's real until we get to Daytona, it's kind of surreal until then. ... This is the happiest I could possibly be with where I'm at and the team I'm driving for. Nationwide, Axalta and everybody is going to keep me busy, I'm sure. We've got a bunch of stuff to do with them, I think my calendar is already booked into January with stuff. So, just really looking forward to working with everybody. The offseason is going to be fun."


This offseason is much different than any other Bowman has ever gone through. Not only will he be keeping busy, but knowing he has job security going into next season is a rare feeling. Life has also changed in other ways since Bowman was thrust into the spotlight late last year. He says it's gotten easier, and he looks at the parallel between him and Clint Bowyer.


Until Bowman was given an opportunity in Hendrick Motorsports equipment, many would claim he didn't know how to drive. It's an easy assumption, as he spent his first two years in the Cup Series running in the back with BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. But since his 10 races in the No. 88, the conversation has changed for some folks.


"After how we ran throughout most of last year and especially getting in the [Chip Ganassi] Xfinity car at Charlotte and running really well off the bat, I think there's just a little more respect from a lot of the drivers in the garage," said Bowman. "It's easy to be like, oh, he runs 35th every week and some of those guys I don't think understood how it really was because guys who have always been in good equipment, I don't think they get how it is back there sometimes.


"Then you have guys like Clint Bowyer who go from running up front to running in the very back and then, all of a sudden, back to running up front and all that changed was the car. There's a lot of guys that could win Cup races that will never get the opportunity and I think my situation was a little eye-opening."
Another way that life has changed brings laughs for Bowman whenever he explains it.


"From January to June 2016 I was selling seats to be able to pay rent, I was super broke, didn't know what I was going to do. Was stressing out," Bowman said. "Then in October I bought a house. Definitely life changing right there. That was cool."


Bowman can't answer the "why me?" question. Why Earnhardt went to bat for Bowman to be the interim driver when he didn't feel well last July still doesn't make sense to Bowman. He does know everything lined up right since he was already on the sidelines, was working in the simulator for Hendrick Motorsports and when he got behind the wheel, he fit into Earnhardt's seat.

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[h=2]Byron adjusting to Cup competition[/h] Saturday, 03 March 2018


By Kelly Crandall / Images by Kinrade & Thacker/LAT



William Byron admits his move to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has been a wake-up call, particularly given how close the competition is and the tools he needs to use.

"You may have your car handling well and you have 10 guys that are the same level as you," Byron said at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "There's increments in the Cup Series where there's five or 10 cars that are really equal, and it's a margin that is small [to try and capitalize]. It's a restart. It's getting on pit road.

"Knowing what things I can work on is going to be critical, and knowing what I need in the racecar to be better."
It has been a battle thus far. In Atlanta, the reigning Xfinity Series champion ran outside the top 25 early on, and had to fight for an 18th-place finish. It was the hardest, admittedly, that he's ever worked for a top 20.
"There's no doubt about it, it was a rough weekend," Byron said. "We were trying to get something out of the car [and] we couldn't get a lot of things to work. But I think you learn from those weekends and you learn what it really takes to be successful.
"The margin is so close in the Cup Series, like one adjustment and you're instantly 10 spots worse. So, it's important to know what those adjustments are."
And it's important to figure out how he can be better behind the wheel. Last weekend was the first time Byron experienced what a 500-mile race feels like. Graduating from the Camping World Truck and Xfinity Series means races at the Cup level are much longer and take a tougher toll on a driver.
Byron was prepared for these challenges, and mentally he knew coming into 2018 there were going to be difficult weekends. Before this season, he had never sat in a Cup Series car. Arriving in the premier series was fast-tracked after instant success in Trucks and Xfinity.
Seven poles. Eleven wins. Almost 1,000 laps led. An Xfinity championship. Two Rookie of the Year titles. It's worth noting that Byron accomplished all of this in just in 57 races between the two series.
Now after two weeks in Cup, Byron is 24th in points, having finished 23rd in the Daytona 500 before his 18th at Atlanta. While the struggle and competition level has given him a new appreciation for unloading off the hauler fast, Byron is confident that things are going to turn around sooner rather than later.
And when they do, the Cup Series will begin looking awfully familiar.
"Once it clicks, it's going to be the same as in the other series. When it clicks and you know what you need in a car, and you know how to produce that result, it [won't] matter whether there's 30 good cars or 20 good cars," Byron said. "I think once it does click for us and show up each week and we're very close to how we need to be, [we'll] rack off those successful finishes.
"There's a lot of stuff to work on – there's pit road, green flag stops, the length of the races, and then learning Darian [Grubb, crew chief] and my guys to know what to do. I think we're going to get there probably quicker than what people expect, but there's going to be some rough patches here and there. This weekend we might surprise ourselves, but there might be some races like Martinsville and Richmond that might be tougher."