Alex Bowman wants to keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans happy

Alex Bowman gets the opportunity of a lifetime this season, as he will drive the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on a full-time basis. Never before has the 24-year-old been with a team of this caliber, and that chance comes with increased expectations.

But the pressure of performing well enough to justify a seat with one of NASCAR’s top teams doesn’t compare to the pressure Bowman faces as the successor to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s 15-time most popular driver whose fanbase is both large and vocal.

“Obviously, the No. 88 has a larger following and I’m going to do my best to keep JR Nation happy and keep that No. 88 car up front,” Bowman said Tuesday at NASCAR’s Media Tour at the Charlotte Convention Center. “That is what they hired me to do.”

Earnhardt retired after the 2017 season, a decision prompted by several factors including wanting to start a family his wife, who is expecting the couple’s first child in May, and having suffered a concussion in 2016 that caused him to miss half the season and put his career in peril.

During Earnhardt’s absence that season, Bowman filled in, making 10 starts. He did so admirably, nearly winning the fall race at Phoenix Raceway. That performance compelled team owner Rick Hendrick to name Bowman as Earnhardt’s replacement. And starting next month with the season-opening Daytona 500, the No. 88 car will be Bowman’s for the entirety of the season.

“I have a pretty strong desire to go win races, and I’m really hungry for wins,” Bowman said. “I think that really matters more to me than any pressure anybody is going to put on me.”

What remains to be seen is whether Earnhardt’s throng of supporters will transfer their fandom to the driver now occupying his former seat. Earnhardt, who will continue to act as a de facto consultant to Bowman and the No. 88 team, has tried to steer his fans to back Bowman, who has no shortage of reasons why fans should cheer for him.

“There are a lot of fans looking for a new guy, and hopefully I can be a guy that people want to cheer for,” Bowman said. “I’m a regular, down-to-earth guy and I feel like I’m pretty relatable to a lot of the average NASCAR fans. I work on a lot of street car and race car stuff myself. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, and I’m very appreciative of this opportunity.

“Hopefully they can kind of relate to me and become fans.”