NASCAR driver Alex Bowman, who has been a staple on the Cup Series for much of the past decade, will see his racing career come to an end shortly. The Hendrick Motorsports driver announced that the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series will be his final as a full-time driver.
The 33-year-old is much younger than recent NASCAR retirees such as then-44-year-old Martin Truex Jr. in 2024, or then-47-year-old Kevin Harvick in 2023. However, Bowman has also gone through a litany of injuries, which have taken their toll. He missed four races earlier this season due to vertigo and also missed three events in 2023 due to a back injury. In 2022, he also missed five races due to a concussion.
All of the wear and tear has seemingly caught up with Bowman, who currently sits in 29th place in the Cup Series standings, leaving him far outside of the 16-driver cutline for the NASCAR Playoffs. Bowman has no victories this season and just four top-10 finishes, after having at least 10 top 10s in each of the past eight years.
Considering the ailments he’s suffered, and the ensuing drop in performance, Bowman cited the physical toll of the sport in announcing his impending retirement.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what’s next, and this feels like the right decision at the right time,” Bowman said, according to a post by Hendrick Motorsports. “The sport asks a lot of you, and I’ve learned it’s important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yourself. To say I’m incredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, our partners at Ally and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. They believed in me and gave me the biggest opportunity of my life.
“My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins. We still have a lot to accomplish, and I want to close my career on a high note for our team and our fans. To have the chance to do that with this organization and these people is really special.”
Bowman will forever be known among NASCAR fans as the man who has the unenviable task of replacing the sport’s most popular driver. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to step into retirement himself, it was Bowman who was chosen to succeed him in the No. 88 car for Hendrick.
That was back in 2018, and it wasn’t a smooth transition from Earnhardt to Bowman. The latter went winless in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports and finished 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
However, he broke through the next year, collecting his first Cup Series win by taking the 2019 Camping World 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The following year, Bowman had a career-best sixth-place finish in the final standings, and then in 2021, he had a career-high of four race victories. He’s won just two races since 2022, with his last being when he claimed the checkered flag at the 2024 Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. Thus, both Bowman’s first Cup Series victory and his last one, as of now, came in The Windy City.
For his career, Bowman has eight Cup Series victories across 371 starts. He’s also won seven poles, including three at the Daytona 500. The Arizona native also has a victory on the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, formerly known as the Xfinity Series, and six triumphs on the ARCA Menards Series.
It’s unknown who will replace Bowman behind the wheel for the No. 88 car come 2028, but Hendrick Motorsports has several options. Anthony Alfredo was Bowman’s initial replacement when he was sidelined earlier this year, with the former racing at NASCAR Phoenix. Afterward, Justin Allgaier then got behind the wheel for the next three races before Bowman returned to Bristol.
In terms of other full-time drivers, Hendrick Motorsports has a loaded lineup with two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, one-time champion Chase Elliott, as well as William Byron, who has won the Daytona 500 twice.
Rick Hendrick, who is the winningest team owner in NASCAR, discussed what Bowman has meant to Hendrick Motorsports.
“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time,” said 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.”
Bowman has 15 more races this year, with another 36 next year before he calls it a career. His first race since announcing his impending retirement will be Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That is one of NASCAR’s four Crown Jewel races, alongside the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500. Bowman has never won the Brickyard 400 or any Crown Jewel race, but he’d love to finally break through and get an early retirement present.
