Alex Bowman drives hard in Chicago, parties harder at home; Will we see Hailie Deegan in NASCAR again?

Alex Bowman may still be celebrating.

As of 6:45 a.m., according to Instagram, he still was.

And you know what? Let him.

Maybe we didn't fully appreciate the plight of the Hendrick Motorsports black sheep until he wrapped himself in a checkered flag at the Chicago Street Course. And maybe we didn't fully appreciate the personality of Hendrick's "other driver" until he let it out Sunday, promising to drink "so much damn bourbon," and offering this parting shot to his detractors:

"To everybody that said I couldn't win and don't deserve to be at Hendrick Motorsports and all that (expletive), cheers to you!"

Who could blame him for an extended victory lap? It's been a turbulent few years to say the least.

He missed five races in 2022 after suffering a concussion. He was absent three more last year after breaking his back. And it's easy to forget, prior to the health woes, he finished sixth in points in 2020 and won four races in 2021.

But as Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have racked up wins, and as William Byron as emerged as a legitimate title threat, Bowman has become an afterthought and has taken his fair share of heat, especially after going winless and missing the playoffs last season.

It's a stint he'd like to forget. And if the photos emerging from Sunday night and Monday morning are any indication, by now he likely has.

Let's go through the gears:

Bubba Wallace shouldn't be penalized (First gear)

Should Bubba Wallace be disciplined by NASCAR for his post-race bump of Alex Bowman?

No. And calm down.

Even Bowman agreed, saying, "He barely hit me, everything was fine and it was plenty deserved."

And the comparisons to Carson Hocevar dumping Harrison Burton under caution last week are asinine. That happened during competition. Wallace's display of dismay was a love tap after the race had been decided.

Between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar, NASCAR has set a precedent for penalties. This doesn't fall into that category.

Will we see Hailie Deegan again in NASCAR? (Second gear)

Have we seen the last of Hailie Deegan?

While she vows to be back, and while there's no questioning her marketability, good seats are hard to come by. Sure, she's only 22, but even that is a little long in the tooth for starting all the way over. ARCA hotshots William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch are both 17, for reference.

The thought from here is that she'll at least have to prove herself again and be able to do what she couldn't already — work herself upward via performance.

And while we wish her well, nothing's guaranteed, and strong words on social media don't mean much compared to her last three seasons in NASCAR.

NASCAR points standings update (Third gear)

Bowman's victory alleviated his one-week stay on the playoff bubble and ratcheted up the pressure on those still hovering near it.

Particularly Chris Buescher, who currently resides in 16th and would be the next man out should a driver behind him win over the final six events of the regular season. That includes a stop at Daytona where anything can happen.

Up top, the gap between Hendrick Motorsports teammates Larson and Elliott is down to 11 points with Larson still holding the advantage.

Pocono trends and stats (Fourth gear)

Over the last four races at Pocono, Tyler Reddick has the best average finish (sixth). Denny Hamlin picked up his seventh win at the Tricky Triangle last year, breaking a tie with Jeff Gordon for the most all time.