Alex Bowman clears the air after Denny Hamlin beef at Kansas

During the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, Alex Bowman did not appreciate how Denny Hamlin raced him. At least, he didn’t appreciate Hamlin waving to him as if to say “goodbye” as he went by him on the track.

Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are not the best of friends. They have had their run-ins in the past and have no love lost between the two of them. Today was another, albeit small, iteration of that rivalry.

Following the finish tonight, Bowman went online to vent his frustrations a bit. He had a great car, finished P5. But he let his temper rise a bit too far.

“Super fast, got run into the fence, less fast but still kinda fast. Grumpy meter maxed out over here but proud of the team for a top 5 with so much damage,” Bowman wrote on X/Twitter.

Super fast, got run into the fence, less fast but still kinda fast. Grumpy meter maxed out over here but proud of the team for a top 5 with so much damage.

— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) May 11, 2025

Now, that contact with the wall that Alex Bowman is referring to is about Zane Smith, not Denny Hamlin. But Hamlin was nearby. Still, can’t help but think his grump meter was affected by both Smith and Hamlin in this race. Bowman gets the last laugh on both of them, crossing the line ahead of the pair.

Hamlin was on the bottom of Bowman. Smith had a bit of a run and decided to shove his nose into the “hole” between the 48 and the 11. However, like we have seen at Kansas in the past, the outside car, Bowman, ended up pinched and running out of room, hitting the wall.

Alex Bowman had a great car today until that damage. It was still a great car, honestly. He fell behind Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe late, but it was a valiant effort. After the last five races this team has had, I think they will take this finish and move on to the All-Star Race.

Alex Bowman has steadied the ship

Speaking of the last five weeks, it has not been great for Alex Bowman. From Martinsville to Texas, Bowman had two DNFs and an average finish of 28.2. Just awful numbers from the 48 team in that stretch of races.

At the very least, a P5 finish gets the ship steadied. The waters aren’t so rocky anymore. There is a bit of breathing room, and this team can focus on getting better and preparing for the next race. A win in the Coca-Cola 600 would be massive for Bowman and this 48 group.

It was going to be a tall task to take down Kyle Larson today, regardless of damaging the car or not. That was not going to be easy, and it showed in the fact that no one was able to challenge him. At least not late in the race. His last challenge was Chase Elliott at the end of Stage 2, then the No. 9 team botched the pit stop.

So, Alex Bowman has momentum. He can build off of this. There are a few more intermediate tracks coming up on the schedule. Then, Mexico City, Pocono, Atlanta, and Chicago – Bowman won the Chicago race last year. There are opportunities.