Alex Bowman Has Full Hendrick Motorsports Support in His Return From Vertigo Bout

Bowman's Back at Bristol Following Vertigo BoutIcon Sportswire - Getty Images

Alex Bowman makes his NASCAR Cup Series return after a five-week medical leave following a surprise bout of vertigo that started while competing at the Circuit of the Americas in late February.

Bowman had to abandon the race in the closing laps, and Hendrick Motorsports Sim driver Myatt Snider hopped in for his unexpected Cup Series debut.

Bowman's first race back is at Bristol, a far cry from the Texas road course, following an all clear from the doctors and recreating the conditions of his original scare, both at the Hendrick-owned 10 Tenths Motor Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in the sim.

With the high-profile driver of the No. 48 HMS Chevrolet back early, Bowman and Hendrick President Jeff Andrews were made available to the media in a press conference, in which Andrews showed that Bowman had the full support of the team in his return and applauded it as a testament to Bowman's continued strength in the face of adversity.

"Alex Bowman has always been the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, and we never had questions about whose seat that was," Andrews answered Claire B. Lang. "I think we said that early on that we would follow a hundred percent the medical guidelines that we were given, plan Alex's return when it was medically cleared, and then as well when Alex said he was ready. And so for us, Alex is part of our team. He is a key teammate for us and been an integral part of our company for quite some time. So we were willing to do what we needed to do to wait for him and get him back in at the right time. I think it's a testament to Alex and how hard he worked to be back a week early. I mean, these guys are athletes, right? And there's a lot of stories out there about athletes working hard and overcoming adversity and getting back in race cars sooner than expected. So we're happy to have him back. Proud of the work he put in and ready to go racing here this next 19 weeks and we'll see where the points fall."

Bowman followed up on Andrews' statement, saying he felt the team sometimes gives him 'more grace than he deserves'.

"Yeah, for me to answer the second part of your question, Claire," Bowman said. "It just meant a lot to have everybody at HMS's support, and also everybody at Ally and Chevy, and everybody that makes this deal possible. Right. I've put HMS in a tough spot multiple times now in the last five years or whatever it's been since four years, since '22-'23, and now this. So yeah, they've probably given me more grace at times than I deserve. So super thankful for that. And yeah, just ready to get back rolling."

In 2022, Bowman missed five races following a concussion at Texas Motor Speedway. The following year, he crashed in a dirt sprint car race and fractured a vertebra, leading him to miss four races.

Andrews shook his head at Bowman's response, insinuating that Bowman's worries are not matched by the organization.

His teammate, Chase Elliott, brought HMS to victory lane for the first time this season two weeks ago when the Cup Series raced at Martinsville before their Easter break. As the most recent race winner, Elliott was also set for a press conference where he was asked about his teammate's return. The driver of the No. 9 HMS Chevrolet stated that his teammate has been a great team player and race car driver, and he's happy he's back.

"I just hate some of the things he's had to endure throughout the course of his career," Elliott said. "Certainly, a lot of times it seems unfair, but I think that he has handled it with a lot of class. And man, the work he's put in to get back and to get back this fast, and also be willing to do that. I mean, that takes a lot of commitment and also a lot of courage, too, from his perspective, from what he went through at COTA. So happy to have him back."

With their four racers back, HMS looks to build off of Elliott's Martinsville win following a slow start for the organization in 2026.

Kyle Larson starts eighth after finishing second and leading 210 laps of Saturday's NOAPS race. Elliott starts 18th, Bowman 27th, and William Byron will start from the rear after unapproved adjustments.

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