33-year-old NASCAR Cup driver Alex Bowman has signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports to remain in the No. 48 Chevrolet next season before stepping away from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 36-race campaign.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Questions had surrounded Bowman’s future heading into 2026, as the Arizona native was in the final year of his contract with the organization. Those questions intensified amid a difficult season marked by performance struggles and four missed races due to a vertigo diagnosis.
According to a Hendrick Motorsports press release, Bowman will retire from full-time auto racing following the 2027 season after signing the one-year extension. He has spent the majority of his Cup Series career with the team.
During his tenure at Hendrick, Bowman has earned eight points-paying victories and qualified for the playoffs seven times since 2018. The Tucson native also made 10 Cup starts for the team in 2016 while filling in for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. and served as its primary simulator testing driver in 2017. The 2027 season will mark his 10th with Hendrick Motorsports.
“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time,” said team owner Rick Hendrick. “He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class. Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family.”