In NASCAR, where a mere 0.001 seconds can reshape an entire season, as seen when Kyle Larson edged Chris Buescher at Kansas Speedway in 2024, split-second decisions define destinies. This truth hit home for Alex Bowman in 2025, as he clinched his playoff spot by the slimmest of threads, thanks to Ryan Blaney’s Daytona victory by just 0.031 seconds over Daniel Suarez. Without that win, Bowman’s playoff dreams could have crumbled, especially after his own early wreck left him finishing 36th at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Yet, even with the berth secured, questions linger about what might have been.

Bowman hadn’t tasted victory all season, coming agonizingly close with a second-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier in the year, where he led 43 laps before falling to teammate Kyle Lar

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