WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: There are no guarantees in life or racing, but half the battle for Alex Bowman throughout his NASCAR career has been squashing rumors of his demise.
After winning at Chicago Street Course on July 7, his eighth-career victory, the 31-year-old Tucson native was locked into the postseason for the sixth time in seven years since earning a full-time ride with Hendrick Motorsports.
But over the past month, instead of primarily fielding questions about his Playoff hopes, Bowman has been defending his status behind the wheel of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet.
“I don’t think I’m in a situation where any of that is reality,” Bowman said at Daytona International Speedway. “I feel like I’m in a good spot. Rumors are rumors but I feel like that is just bullshit, honestly.
“I have two more years. I feel like we’re in a good spot and everything is fine.”
For the last two months, the Blake Harris-led team has had plenty of time to prepare. After backing up the Chicago win with a podium finish the following week at Pocono Raceway. Bowman got off to a slow start after the Olympic break, but he survived Daytona despite being swept up in a wreck and closed out the regular season at Darlington with top-20 result.
And while Bowman should have been concentrating on the Playoffs, instead he felt the urgency for reaffirmation from Hendrick brass.
“Obviously my contract is through the end of 2026,” Bowman said. “All I can tell you is like what my bosses have told me, and that is that there are no plans to change anything. Yeah, rumors are just rumors.
“Hopefully they’ll get their announcements done so my rumors stop, obviously. Yeah, as far as I know, I’m driving the No. 48 next year.”
The “they” Bowman is speaking of is Spire Motorsports. Several pundits speculated that if Bowman’s performance didn’t pick up over the final 10 races, he would end up in the No. 7 Chevy and Justin Haley would replace him in the No. 48 ride.
If Bowman didn’t quiet his critics with a solid top-five result last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, then his boss Rick Hendrick certainly silenced the rumors during a press conference on Wednesday.
“Yes, the sponsor is happy, we’re happy, he’s going to be driving the car,” Hendrick said.“He drove his butt off in Atlanta. He did a good job. The team is really happy. The sponsor is really happy, They love Alex, so we’re good to go.”
Ally, the sponsor, is ecstatic with Bowman. His personality and character mirror the company’s philosophy.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr., retired from full-time Cup competition, he gave Bowman a vote of confidence. The driver filled in for Earnhardt in the No. 88 Chevy after a concussion sidelined the third-generation racer.
In 2021, when Bowman changed car numbers to 48, he scored four wins and a pole. Unfortunately, in 2022, he was injured in the NextGen car before NASCAR softened the bumpers. After missing five races, Bowman came back for the season finale to bid farewell to crew chief Greg Ives.
Under the direction of Harris, Bowman was enjoying a breakout year. He scored three top fives and six top 10s in the first seven races of the 2023 season. Bowman led the point standings for three of the first six races before he was injured during a sprint car race in April. Bowman missed three races—and the Playoffs last year.
This year, Bowman is projected to exceed his previous career top fives and top 10s. Last Sunday he scored his seventh top-five finish—one short of his season best in 2021.
Although he’s still searching for his first top-10 result at Watkins Glen, Bowman finished fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring—the site of the final race in the Round of 16.
“Watkins Glen has been pretty hard on us over the years, so we’re super focused on being better there,” Bowman said. “But beyond that, if we get rolling in the right direction, we can be good anywhere.”
If Bowman can battle his way through the second round—Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Royal—the Round of 8 suits his style. Bowman has victories at both Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
“We need to improve what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been executing to make that happen,” Bowman said. “I think we’re capable and have the resources that we need to do that—it’s just a matter of going and doing it. Mr. H gives us the tools we need, so we have to go make it happen.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
