Alex Bowman is making his return at Bristol.
Bowman will return for the Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race on April 12 at the half-mile oval after missing four races while recovering from vertigo, Hendrick Motorsports said on April 9.
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The 32-year-old exited out of the No. 48 Chevrolet during the March 1 race at COTA with vertigo symptoms. Bowman missed races at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington and Martinsville.
Hendrick Motorsports initially announced last month that Bowman would miss the Bristol race with Justin Allgaier subbing in, but Bowman completed laps in a streetcar in North Carolina before doing simulator work and pit stop practice without restriction. Bowman also received a medical evaluation before being cleared.
How new Chase format impacts Alex Bowman’s 2026 season
Looking forward, Bowman has a long road to factoring into the Chase picture. He had already struggled in the first three races of the year with three finishes outside the top 20; after missing four races, Bowman is currently 144 points behind 16th place Daniel Suarez.
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In previous years under the old playoff format, Bowman’s path to a playoff spot would be clear-cut: Get an injury waiver, then lock into the playoffs with a race victory.
Bowman has 19 races to make up the 144-point deficit, while also considering that Chase contenders Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric are too below the current cutline.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Chase format impacts Alex Bowman’s Bristol NASCAR Cup return
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