Hendrick Motorsports ruled Alex Bowman out of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway due to vertigo diagnosed this week.
CONCORD, N.C. — Hendrick Motorsports ruled Alex Bowman out of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway due to vertigo diagnosed this week.
Bowman began experiencing symptoms during the most recent Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas. The symptoms eventually forced the 32-year-old driver to exit the car 24 laps shy of the finish, handing the reins to Myatt Snider.
Bowman underwent two days of medical evaluation this week. Then, he drove laps in a street car at the Ten Tenths Motor Club road course in Concord before Hendrick Motorsports ruled him out of the race.
“Alex has worked very hard over the last several days,” said Jeff Andrews, president of Hendrick Motorsports. “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.”
Anthony Alfredo will take the helm of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet this weekend at Phoenix. Alfredo, who has 43 Cup starts, is a simulator test driver for the team and Chevrolet.
“First and foremost, I hate it for Alex (Bowman). No race car driver wants be in the position where they have to give up their seat for a weekend to someone else. His health is definitely the most important thing and I hope he gets back to the track soon. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Blake (Harris, crew chief) and the No. 48 team for this race. It’s a group I’m already familiar with due to my relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. The goal is to have a solid weekend at Phoenix (Raceway) and help get the team some good notes for future races," Alfredo said.
Hendrick Motorsports will request a medical waiver to allow Bowman to remain eligible for the Cup championship. It's unclear how long he will be out.
Bowman's time in the No. 48 car has been plagued with issues.
After a four-win season in 2021, his first year in the car, he quickly won in 2022 and had a strong start to the Chase. Then, in the fourth Chase race, at Texas Motor Speedway, a crash sidelined him with a concussion for five weeks.
After racing in the 2022 season finale at Phoenix, Bowman came back in 2023 and had one of his best starts to a season of his career. He led the points for multiple weeks and was well inside the top-10 in points when he was involved in a sprint car crash that left him with a back injury. The injury sidelined him for multiple weeks and led to him missing the Chase.
In 2024, Bowman finally broke through to win a race and make the Chase for the first time since 2022. He had advanced to the third round of the Chase – until post-race inspection at the Charlotte Roval took him out of championship contention.
Bowman currently sits 36th in Cup points after three tough weeks to start the 2026 season.