Alex Bowman To Race For Hendrick In 2027 And Then Retire - FOX Sports

What the report says

Fox Sports reported that Alex Bowman plans to run one more full NASCAR Cup Series season with Hendrick Motorsports before retiring from full-time competition. Bowman and Hendrick announced a one-year extension Thursday night that keeps him in the No. 48 Chevrolet through 2027, with the decision disclosed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a report updated July 24, 2026.

According to Fox Sports, Bowman, 33, cited the physical toll of recent years as part of the backdrop for the move. He has eight Cup victories in 378 starts and has missed time because of multiple health issues: five races in 2022 after a concussion, three in 2023 following a sprint-car crash that left him with a broken back, and four races this season due to vertigo. Bowman said he had long thought about what comes next and wants to make choices that fit his health and life outside the car.

Bowman has been connected to Hendrick Motorsports since 2016, first as a simulator driver and later as a substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr. He took over Earnhardt’s seat after the 2017 season. Team owner Rick Hendrick praised Bowman’s contribution to the organization and said the team is glad he can close his full-time career there.

The announcement gives Hendrick time to plan for a future replacement while Bowman completes the current season and 2027. Fox Sports noted he is 29th in the standings after missing races this year and is not in Chase contention. Bowman has reached the postseason seven times, with a career-best sixth-place finish in 2020.