Last weekend's win at Chicago was significant for Alex Bowman considering that it put him back into the playoffs and snapped an 80-race winless streak. It also pushed him much closer to a special milestone.
Bowman and Ally have donated more than $650,000 to Best Friends Animal Society-affiliated shelters across the country during their time together. They are on pace to reach more than $720,000 in donations by the end of the Cup Series season.
Each week of the NASCAR Cup Series season, Bowman and Ally have combined to donate $4,800 to a Best Friends Animal Society-affiliated shelter in the particular race market. When Bowman wins, this amount goes to $10,000.
This is a partnership that began in 2021 when Bowman took over the No. 48 Chevrolet. The original weekly amount was $1,000 from Bowman and $1,000 from Ally. Winning still took that number to $10,000 total.
The first season of the partnership was wildly successful. Bowman won four Cup races. He also donated money after auctioning off a race-worn helmet. Bowman then added to the total with proceeds from the sale of the Denny Hamlin-inspired "Hack" T-shirt.
Bowman and Ally ultimately reached more than $100,000 in donations that first season. They celebrated by increasing the amount to $4,800 for 2022 and beyond. Now the milestone of $700,000 is within reach.
The win at Chicago and the increased donation come at a fitting time for Bowman. He will next compete at Pocono Raceway, a track where he won during his first season with Ally as his primary partner.
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
The Arizona native will return to the site of the 2021 win, and he will showcase a Best Friends scheme on his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. This is the same scheme he used this spring during a race weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
The scheme features dozens of paw prints, as well as bright orange Best Friends logos. The scheme includes photos of dogs and cats. A message on the rear of the car reads "Save Them All."
Bowman will drive the Ally/Best Friends Chevrolet at a track where he has 14 starts in Cup with one win, two top-five finishes, and four top-10s. His average finish at Pocono is 18.4, and he has finished every race he has started at the 2.5-mile track.