Alex Bowman, No. 48 team starting to turn up the wick at the right time

It seems as if Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team are showing up when the chips are down. 

After Joey Logano's win at Nashville put the No. 48 team on the playoff cut line heading into Chicago, the team decided to remedy the pressure-filled situation in the best way possible — winning at the Chicago Street race to ensure a 2024 playoff berth. 

While it's true that Bowman could've at least been one spot better on Sunday at Pocono — if not two — a third-place finish at one of the toughest tracks on the schedule bodes well for Bowman and crew chief Blake Harris going into the playoffs. 

All in all, Pocono was the best overall race the No. 48 team has put together all season. Bowman qualified sixth, earned nine stage points and even battled Ryan Blaney for the race lead late before giving up second place to Denny Hamlin. 

With the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a track similar in character to Pocono — lurking next week, the No. 48 team seems to finally be hitting its stride as the regular season winds down. With their peers on the playoff bubble fighting for their postseason lives, Bowman and Harris can rest easy knowing their postseason bid is secured. 

That certainly doesn't take any pressure off the team to win races, but it does mean the team can take chances that their competitors can't. If both speed and strategy start to turn in their favor, the No. 48 team can be and should be considered a threat to make a deep playoff run. 

The last time Bowman had an injury-free season before 2024? 2021, a year in which he won four races. In 2020, he dominated the race at Auto Club Speedway and made it to the Round of 8 in the playoffs. 

If Bowman is able to stay healthy, the sky may be the limit for what a surging No. 48 team can accomplish in the postseason. 

With five regular-season races remaining for Bowman to stack playoff points, all the cards will be in a position to be played by Harris should a situation arise in which he needs them. 

In the meantime, keep an eye on Bowman and the No. 48 group — they seem to have finally turned the corner and are now proving to be a weekly threat.