The dirt track connection might help Alex Bowman to build better chemistry with his new crew chief Blake Harris before the 2023 season
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Blake Harris and Alex Bowman
Blake Harris has joined Alex Bowman as his new crew chief for the 2023 cup season. The young racer turned crew chief made a name for himself in the cup series this year with Front Raw Motorsports. He guided cup veteran Mitchell McDowell to his best season in the premier division. He helped him to score a career-best average finish of 16.7. McDowell has never had an average finish below 20 since his cup debut in 2008.
Harris was allowed to manage Bowman’s No:48 team after his crew chief Greg Ives moved on to HMS’s 24 Hours of LeMans project, the Garage 56. Bowman and Ives had a below-par 2022 and a concussion he suffered in the Texas playoff race. He only came back to the track in the season finale in Phoenix. The 2023 season will be a year of a comeback for Bowman, as he now needs to prove himself to be worthy of the HMS cup seat.
Blake Harris’s first job is building chemistry between the team. The dirt track backgrounds both might be the path to that. Harris told Hendrickmotorsport.com, A little bit of the chemistry is easy to see early on. I was just meeting with Alex the first few times. We both grew up around dirt tracks and were interested there. I think some of that chemistry has to be natural early on,”.
Blake Harris hopes to carry the legacy of Greg Ives in the No:48 ride. He said, “It is a huge opportunity to work with Alex and come into a team that is already capable of winning. Just looking to be able to carry on and build off of what Greg started and continue to grow as a team,”.
Alex Bowman and Blake Harris are going to Chilli Bowl Nationals together this year
Bowman and Harris are getting ready for the Chilli Bowl Nationals, the indoor midget car race in Tulsa Expo Center. The duo has a strong connection with the 0.25-mile oval race. Bowman has entered the race multiple times, while Blake Harris’s father has been fielding cars in the race for decades. The duo can get to know each other better in a place that is special to them.
“Blake and I were both racers. I am really excited about working with him. I’ve been spending time in the shop with him. He’s come to my shop a little bit. We’re both going to go to Chili Bowl, so that will be cool. Just looking forward to working with him more,” Alex Bowman said about going to Chilly Bowl together.
Bowman pointed out that Harris is of the most hardworking individual he knows. He said, “…The biggest thing about Blake is how driven he is. He’s a super hard worker, and I don’t think anyone will ever outwork him. That means a lot to me,”.
Also read: Christopher Bell hopes to carry on his clutch-winning form beyond 2023
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Justin P Joy
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