CONCORD, N.C. -- Alex Bowman didn’t back down from the “silver spoon” comment he made about Austin Dillon over the radio after Dillon intentionally spun him in Stage 2 last weekend at Richmond Raceway .
Dillon spun Bowman in retaliation for contact between them earlier in the race. Bowman was racing beneath Dillon entering Turn 1 when he washed up the track and into Dillon, who then made contact with William Byron.
Dillon turned Bowman after being encouraged by his owner and grandfather Richard Childress and crew chief Danny Stockman to retaliate.
After his incident with Dillon, Bowman told his team on the radio “I want to shove that silver spoon he’s been fed on his whole life up his ass.”
Bowman didn’t apologize Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“What the comment was, you heard it,” Bowman said. “I said what I said. Obviously frustrated with that situation.
“I think it hurt his day more than it hurt mine. We ran where we were kind of going to run anyway. It’s just frustrating. Got ran all they way to the inside wall down the front straightaway and then just turned. It is what it is.”
But heading into this weekend’s playoff elimination race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Bowman, a playoff driver who is two points out of the cutoff spot, has concerns other than Dillon.
“Not immediately worried about it,” Bowman said. “Typically don’t see him at these places anyway.”
After being told of the comment, Dillon said: “Well, if he’s that good, he’ll catch me at some point.”
As for Dillon being directed to turn him by his grandfather, Bowman said “That’s just part of it.
“Part of how they operate. (Childress is) obviously a very involved team owner and is on the radio a lot more than our owner (Rick Hendrick). That’s just part of it. It doesn’t matter. He’s not holding the steering wheel. I’m not worried about who gave directions to anybody or anything like that. I’m here to advance to the next round this week and handle it in the future.”
Dillon said he’s moved on.
“I feel like I handled the business during the race and that’s all it was. Passed that. We raced each other the whole rest of the race. There was no bumping, no nothing.
“I think we’re pretty much square.”
Alex Bowman qualified second for Sunday’s race while Dillon qualified 30th.
