With an almost two-hour rain delay within the second stage, NASCAR had set 8:20 p.m. Native time onerous finish to Sunday’s initially scheduled 75-lap race.
Alex Bowman was amongst a handful of automobiles that elected to not pit earlier than the beginning of the ultimate stage and remained on moist climate tires.
After a a number of lap battle with sports activities automotive star Joey Hand, Bowman moved into the lead on lap 51, simply earlier than a warning was displayed for Josh Berry smashing into the tire obstacles.
When the race resumed on lap 54, about 4 minutes remained on the clock. Bowman acquired an excellent soar on the restart, then held off a fast-approaching Tyler Reddick – on new slick tires – by 2.863 seconds to earn his first win of the 2024 season and lock himself into the playoffs.
Watch: Alex Bowman on Chicago win: ‘I do know it means quite a bit to this staff’
Bowman’s most up-to-date win got here on March 6, 2022, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and now all 4 Hendrick Motorsports drivers have certified for the 16-driver playoff discipline.
“Anytime you go to the race monitor with Hendrick Motorsports, you have acquired a shot,” Bowman stated after the race. “However first off, I’ve to apologize once more to the No. 23 guys (and driver Bubba Wallace). Simply tousled, attempting to get my windshield wiper on, missed a nook and ruined their day. I hate that. I am nonetheless embarrassed about it, however now we have a trophy to take house, and realize it means quite a bit to this staff. They put me in place to win the race.
“Man, I broke my again, had a mind harm, and we have form of sucked ever since, and I did not – you begin to second-guess when you’re ever going to get an opportunity to win a race once more. Final one we received, we did not actually get to rejoice.
“We will drink a lot rattling bourbon tonight, it will be a nasty deal. I am most likely going to get up bare on the lavatory ground once more. That is simply a part of this deal generally.”
Ty Gibbs completed third, Hand – driving a 3rd entry for RFK Racing – was fourth and Michael McDowell rounded out the highest 5.
Finishing the top-10 have been Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Todd Gilliland, William Byron, Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney.
Two of the highest contenders for the win on Sunday noticed their days finish early.
Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen – who received this race a 12 months in the past – wrecked out on lap 25. Kyle Larson, who began on the pole, wrecked out on lap 34.
The beginning of Sunday’s race was briefly delayed by a protestor – holding a “Free Palestine” signal – climbing the fence in Flip 3 and handcuffing himself to the fence earlier than he was eliminated by police.
Through the maintain, mild rain moved into the realm and NASCAR allowed groups to decide on whether or not to start out the race on moist climate tires earlier than the beginning.
Stage 1
After a back-and-forth battle with Christopher Bell, van Gisbergen emerged the chief and clinched the Stage 1 win when a warning was displayed with three laps remaining for an accident involving Corey LaJoie. Bell ended up second, Gibbs third, Chase Briscoe fourth and Larson fifth.
Stage 2
Following an almost one hour, 45-minute rain delay, Hand inherited the lead when a lot of the lead lap automobiles elected to pit earlier than the break and held off Bowman by 0.131 seconds to take the Stage 2 win. Keselowski was third, Carson Hocevar fourth and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the highest 5.
On lap 25 whereas the sphere was racing within the rain, Bowman spun out Bubba Wallace in Flip 2 after which in Flip 6, Briscoe locked up his brakes getting into Flip 6 and slid wildly into the tire obstacles, hitting final 12 months’s race winner, van Gisbergen, within the course of.
Van Gisbergen hit the wall after the impression with Briscoe however the injury to van Gisbergen’s No. 16 Chevrolet was too in depth for him to proceed.
Stage 3
Following the break between Phases 2 and three, a handful of automobiles elected to pit for slick tires, however Hand remained on the monitor and within the lead.
NASCAR had earlier within the race set 8:20 p.m. Native time as the tip of the race attributable to impending darkness, which left about 16 minutes remaining when the race resumed on lap 49.
By lap 50, Bowman had closed to the rear bumper of Hand because the pair separated themselves from a lot of the discipline whereas dueling for the lead.
On lap 51, Bowman labored his method round Hand to seize the lead for the primary time within the race simply earlier than a warning was displayed for Josh Berry slamming into the tire obstacles in Flip 2.
The race resumed with about 5 minutes remaining and Bowman out entrance of Hand, Keselowski and Truex.
