Alex Bowman will miss Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, with Hendrick Motorsports announcing Thursday the driver is out after being diagnosed with vertigo.
Hendrick named Anthony Alfredo to drive its No. 48 car at Phoenix Raceway in Bowman’s absence.
“Alex has worked very hard over the last several days,” Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews said in a statement. “We’re encouraged by the progress he’s making, but we have to prioritize his health above all else.
“It’s obviously frustrating for him because he’s a competitor and wants to be in the race car, especially at his home track. We’ll continue to support Alex and look forward to his return as soon as he’s medically cleared.”
Although Bowman started last Sunday’s Cup race at the Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas, he did not complete the entire distance due to health reasons. Around the two-thirds mark of the 324-mile race, Bowman radioed his team that he was struggling and didn’t know whether he could make it to the finish. The team told him not to push it, and if he didn’t feel well, he should come to the garage.
A few laps later, Bowman said he could not continue and headed to the garage. The team tabbed Myatt Snider to drive the car for the remainder of the race and finished 36th. Since Bowman started the race, he is considered the driver of record and earned five points.
Hendrick did not announce a timeline for Bowman’s return. He ranks 36th in the standings, last among all drivers who’ve started all three races this season. Under NASCAR’s qualification system, to earn a spot in the Chase playoffs, a driver must be ranked 16th or better in the points standings at the conclusion of the 26-race regular season. Bowman trails 16th-ranked Ryan Preece by 45 points.
This is the latest setback for Bowman, who’s been plagued by injuries the past few years. He missed five races in 2022 with a concussion he sustained in a race at Texas Motorspeedway, and three races the following year after breaking his back in a crash while racing a sprint car.
Alfredo serves as a Hendrick’s test driver in a behind-the-scenes role in addition to competing full-time in NASCAR’s second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Alfredo’s familiarity with Hendrick and the No. 48 should help ease the transition.