Getty Alex Bowman will miss the next 3 Cup Series races.
Hendrick Motorsports has made a major announcement about Alex Bowman. The team has revealed he will miss three more races while recovering from a concussion sustained at Texas Motor Speedway.
HMS announced the news on October 12. The Cup Series team noted that Bowman had undergone evaluation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center earlier in the day. After Bowman’s meeting with Dr. Michael Collins, the decision was made to keep him sidelined for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the entire staff at UPMC,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Our priority continues to be Alex’s recovery and long-term health, and we will follow the plan that Dr. Collins and his team recommend. We’re not looking past the next three races and will evaluate plans for the season finale as the event approaches.”
Noah Gragson Will Continue in the No. 48
GettyAlex Bowman (front) drives at Phoenix Raceway.
With HMS announcing that Bowman will miss the next three races, the team will now turn to his replacement driver. Noah Gragson will continue to pull double duty while driving the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
Gragson has made two starts for HMS — Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Roval. He finished 19th in a relatively clean superspeedway race and then 23rd at the Roval. Though Gragson was running seventh with three laps remaining before Austin Cindric punted him into Michael McDowell.
Gragson remaining as the replacement driver means that the Kaulig Racing lineup will also change. He was set to drive the No. 16 Chevrolet for the four remaining Cup Series races. Now AJ Allmendinger will take over for at least the trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway while Gragson replaces Bowman.
Bowman Could Potentially Return for a Send-Off Race
GettyGreg Ives (right) has announced a major career change.
Will Bowman return for the Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway? Hendrick Motorsports left the door open, but the Arizona native’s health is obviously the biggest concern.
If Bowman does return, it will be for a send-off race. The trip to Phoenix Raceway marks the final time that he will have Greg Ives atop the No. 48 pit box. The veteran crew chief announced in August that he will leave this position after the 2022 season in favor of another role at Hendrick Motorsports.
Bowman and Ives have been together since the 2016 season when Bowman made 10 starts in place of an injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. They have since celebrated three pole wins and seven trips to Victory Lane, including four during the 2021 season.
The partnership will come to an end after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. If Bowman is back to full health, he will have one more opportunity to send Ives off with a trip to Victory Lane.
If not, Gragson will close out the season in the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro while Bowman prepares to make his return for the 2023 Busch Light Clash, the Daytona 500, and his sixth consecutive full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports.