Bad news comes out of the Alex Bowman/Hendrick Motorsports camp on St. Patrick’s Day, as Bowman has now been sidelined for the next three races due to vertigo. These races, in particular, will be: Darlington, Martinsville, and Bristol. In turn, Justin Allgaier will continue to serve as the driver of the No. 48 car.
Bowman has now been out since the NASCARCup SeriesGrand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. That was a race in which Bowman exited the race in its final stage, thus staging Myatt Snider for a ride in the car to finish it out. Bowman continues to battle vertigo, which is not related to his prior concussion, and he will not see any form of racecar until April, at the minimum.
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Kyle Larson, driver of the #88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Not only does Bowman miss this weekend’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, but he also missed the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 on Saturday. That race had Bowman slated to take the green flag in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. Now, Kyle Larson will take the job, looking for a second consecutive victory in the NOAPS.
Bowman is in a very bad spot, statistically speaking. He is the far worst performer in the driver standings, at 36th out of 38 drivers, and the worst of those chartered. The points total for Bowman is 23 points, being 94 out of the playoff bubble. To be out for another three races will make it virtually impossible to earn a playoff bid.
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At a minimum, Bowman will have had five fewer races run than any other driver. To make the chase, Bowman will have to return and likely win at least two races with a handful of top-10 finishes.
Fans have also wondered whether Rajah Caruth may earn a Cup Series start at this time, as one of JR Motorsports’ most promising young drivers. He does not, or at least, not yet. Neither does Carson Kvapil. Hendrick Motorsports trusts Allgaier to finish well while representing the already-signed car sponsors.
The next race that Bowman will have any chance of starting will be at Kansas Speedway on April 19, 2026.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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