Jeff Gordon admits he worried about Alex Bowman after heartbreaking loss of beloved dog Finn

Jeff Gordon admitted he was worried about Alex Bowman before the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway after the Hendrick Motorsports driver lost his beloved dog, Finn. But Bowman put together his best result of the season, finishing second behind teammate Kyle Larson in an emotional weekend.

Bowman had shared the heartbreaking news about Finn on social media before the race. The black Labrador retriever had been an important part of his life, with the driver sharing several memories and pictures of the two together. He described Finn as his best friend and said a dog like him comes only once in a lifetime.

The loss was clearly on Gordon’s mind when he spoke about Bowman’s runner-up finish. The HMS vice chairman said he was concerned about whether Bowman would be able to put the difficult situation aside and compete.

“This weekend’s been tough on Alex,” said Gordon (via On3). “Anybody that knows Alex knows how much his pets mean to him. He’s had a tough loss. Seeing him before the race, I was a little worried about how he’s going to get behind the wheel and go compete.”

Jeff Gordon was impressed with how Alex Bowman managed to put the loss aside once the race began. The driver not only competed but also pushed Kyle Larson during the late restarts as Hendrick Motorsports secured a 1-2 finish.

“To go out there and compete, put that kind of off to the side during that race, but then having that driving him and motivating him and being able to be rewarded for that effort with a great finish today,” Jeff Gordon added. “He had a car capable of winning, honestly, there at the end. I know how much that meant to him personally.”

Bowman’s emotions were still clear after the race. Speaking outside his car, he fought back tears and choked up as he reflected on the weekend:

“I’m super happy for Kyle (Larson) and just. It’s a really hard weekend. Just to get on the plane and be here so. Just had a little extra help today, so. Yeah, ready to go home, but proud of everybody on this Ally 48 team for helping me through the weekend and. Yeah, life is hard sometimes, but yeah, I lost my best friends, so just ready to go home.”

Alex Bowman qualified 11th and earned stage points on his way to his highest points day of the year at Gateway.

Kyle Larson pays tribute to Alex Bowman and Finn after emotional Gateway weekend

Kyle Larson finally ended his 51-race Cup Series winless streak by winning at Gateway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver held off Joey Logano through two overtime restarts to secure his 33rd career Cup victory.

After the race, Larson recognized his teammate and the role Alex Bowman played in helping him secure the victory. Bowman pushed Larson to maintain the lead during the late restarts, and Larson dedicated his first win of the season to him and Finn. After the race, he said (0:37 onwards):

“How about Hendrick Motorsports? How about Alex Bowman? You can’t ask for a better teammate than him, giving me the pushes I needed to get clear. So, really want to dedicate this win to him and his dog, Finn, who just passed away a couple days ago.”

Alex Bowman is already set to leave Hendrick Motorsports after the 2027 season and retire.