Alex Bowman has made his decision about his racing future. On Thursday, the veteran racer announced that he has signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, and will serve as the full-time driver of the iconic No. 48 Chevrolet for one last season, in 2027, before retiring from full-time competition.
“I’ve spent a lot of timethinking aboutwhat’s next, and this feelslike therightdecision at the right time,”Bowman said in a press release.”The sportasks a lot of you,andI’velearnedit’simportant to listen to your body and make the rightchoicesfor yourself.To sayI’mincredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, ourpartners atAllyand Chevrolet,andeveryone at Hendrick Motorsportswould be an understatement. They believed in me and gavemethe biggest opportunity of my life.
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“My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins.We still have a lot toaccomplish, and I want toclose my career on a high note for our team and our fans.To havethe chance to do that with this organization and these peopleisreally special.”
Hendrick Motorsports revealed the announcement with a social media post on Thursday afternoon.
“After the 2027 season, Alex Bowman will retire from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition. Until then, there’s one more chapter left to write,” the post from the team explained.
Rick Hendrick, team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, spoke highly of Bowman, who will compete in his 10th season behind the wheel of a HMS Chevrolet in 2027.
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“Alex has meantso muchtoour organizationfor a long time,”said Hendrick in a team release.”He’s overcomeadversity, won bigraces,andrepresentedour 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’reproudhe’llhave the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms.He’sfamily.”
Bowman, an eight-time race winner in NASCAR Cup Series competition, sits 29th in the championship standings with five races remaining until the top-16 drivers in the standings will battle over the final 10 races in the Chase for the championship.
The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet missed four races earlier this season due to complications from a vertigo diagnosis, which he received after getting ill behind the wheel at Circuit of the Americas, the third race of the season.
Since returning to the cockpit of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman has collected three top-five finishes and four top-10s, including back-to-back third-place efforts, which he achieved at Talladega Superspeedway and Texas Motor Speedway in April and May.
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Bowman, who ranked 36th in the championship standings after missing the four races earlier in the season, has clawed his way upward in the standings, but will undoubtedly fall short of the Chase this season.
However, he’ll have one last chance to go out on his own terms in his NASCAR Cup Series career in 2027.
Heading into this weekend’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bowman has started 378 NASCAR Cup Series races, and in addition to his eight victories, Bowman has collected 49 top-five finishes, 116 top-10s, and seven pole positions throughout his career.
Bowman, who started his career driving for underfunded teams such as BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing, was hand-selected by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to be the successor of the No. 88 Chevrolet when Earnhardt retired following the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season.
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After Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the 2020 season, Hendrick Motorsports made the decision to re-number Bowman’s entry to the No. 48, a car that Johnson captured seven NASCAR Cup Series titles with over his storied career.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/racing-america as Alex Bowman Back With Hendrick For One Last Ride In 2027.
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