It’s been more than a year and a half since Alex Bowman last tasted victory. In fact, that win at the Chicago Street Course in 2024 was a comeback of its own, coming after 80 races. Last year, too, he remained winless with mediocre form, though qualifying for the playoffs purely on points was some consolation. But the toothpaste was already out of the tube by then, as Rick Hendrick has completely revamped Alex Bowman’s team for the Cup Series. Bowman has now shared his thoughts on this shake-up.
Alex Bowman remains optimistic about the new crew on the team
Everyone in the No. 48 camp has changed, except for Alex Bowman, crew chief Blake Harris, and spotter Kevin Hamlin. In an interview by PRN Media, Alex Bowman gave the audience his first reaction to the change of crew.
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“Whole new group of guys. We got to go test Bristol together, kind of right after the season ended, which was good to kind of get everybody to work together once, and I’m looking forward to working with this crew.”
He also mentioned that the people in his crew come from different places and are already settling in pretty well to bring forth good results for the team. When asked by the interviewer about where his crew is from, he replied, “Kind of all over. It’s a bunch of different guys. So I think they seem to be working really hard and going really well so far.”
The changes that are being made to Alex Bowman’s No.48 team are:
“Nick Kerlin now becomes the Car Chief, replacing Josh Kirk. Engineer Jonas Bell joins the 48 from Kaulig. Alex Mueller replaces Carl Haag as Mechanic. TJ DiBlasi replaces Michael McAndrews as Interior Specialist.”
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It is a necessary step that aims to close the gap between Bowman and his teammates. Bowman had a winless season last year and exited from the playoffs early. He had just two poles and six top-5s throughout the season, and was unable to prove himself in front of his star teammates like Kyle Larson or Chase Elliott.
With a new crew, Rick Hendrick is hoping that Alex Bowman will be able to make his mark in the Cup Series. It is a necessary factor for Hendrick Motorsports to reassess its contract, since it has been facing several issues owing to its injuries for the past several seasons.
Racing for a team like Hendrick Motorsports, where there are three champions and a regular race winner, Alex Bowman’s performance has been sub-par to say the least.
Bowman is confident that his new crew will be able to produce the effect that’s expected of them, especially after his experience with them in Bristol in 2025. “There’s no secret last year was a big struggle for us, and we’ve made an immense amount of changes to try to be better for 2026.”
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Bowman’s first ride with his new crew came early in September. Due to the bad pit stops, which basically ruined his final few weeks before entering the playoffs, his pit crew underwent some significant replacements in order to give him a fighting chance at the playoffs.
Moreover, he is entering his final season as a Hendrick Motorsports driver in 2026. As such, Rick Hendrick wants to give him every chance to improve himself and show his prowess compared to his teammates, who are dominating him overwhelmingly. This is Bowman’s new team’s last shot at redemption.
However, there are some other changes to the Hendrick Motorsports team besides Alex Bowman’s crew. It seems like for Bowman, they are very beneficial and necessary.
Alex Bowman explains the importance of Hendrick Motorsports’ new facility
Earlier this month, Rick Hendrick inaugurated the new medical facility at Hendrick Motorsports. Made in collaboration with Atrium Health, the headquarters of the most successful NASCAR team has added a $70 million health facility. The new Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center aims to provide the best medical care to the team and the crew members at Hendrick Motorsports.
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Speaking about the relevance of this new facility, Bowman explained, “I think the recovery side of things is probably the biggest thing for me,” Bowman said, referring tohis injury last year at Michigan. “This place would have been really helpful.”
Alex Bowman also thinks that the nutrition benefits provided by the new facility will be beneficial for the team. As a motorsports athlete, Bowman understands the difficulty of following a diet. Especially considering the difficult and long schedule of NASCAR, which involves a lot of travel.
What are your thoughts on Rick Hendrick’s latest decisions? Are the changes to Bowman’s team enough to bring him to the front of the grid?
The post Hendrick Motorsports Star Breaks Silence on Rick Hendrick’s Tough Yet Necessary Cup Series Call appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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