Alex Bowman to miss at least the next three NASCAR Cup races

Alex Bowman, 32, was forced to get out of ht #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the middle of the March 1 NASCAR Cup race at COTA, with Myatt Snider finishing the race for him. He was later diagnosed with vertigo.

Since then, he has missed both Phoenix and Las Vegas with HMS sim driver Anthony Alfredo and 2024 NASCAR O'Reilly Series champion Justin Allgaier filling in for him.

Hendrick Motorsports has now confirmed that Bowman will miss at least the next three Cup races at Darlington, Martinsville, and Bristol after the Easter off-weekend.

“Alex continues to experience symptoms, so we are following the guidance of the medical team and giving him the time he needs to recover,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “We see how hard he’s working to get back behind the wheel, and we’re looking forward to his return when he’s medically cleared. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is 100% behind Alex.” 

Allgaier, who finished 25th at Vegas, will continue to drive the #48 in Bowman's absence while also competing full-time for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series.

“Justin is a true professional and someone we have tremendous confidence in,” added Andrews. “He’s had success at the upcoming tracks, and we appreciate him stepping in to help the No. 48 team. We’re also grateful to our partners at JR Motorsports for understanding the situation and making Justin available.” 

Bowman was also supposed to drive the #88 JR Motorsports entry in this weekend's NASCAR O'Reilly race at Darlington, but he will be replaced by teammate Kyle Larson.

This is the third time in the last five years that Bowman has been sidelined, missing five races in 2022 due to a concussion and three races in 2023 due to a back injury.