Alex Bowman has been cleared to return to the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Bowman would be back in the No. 48 car at Bristol on Sunday. Bowman had missed the past four races because of vertigo symptoms.
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“It’s been tough being out of the car, but we all wanted to make sure I was 100% ready before returning,” Bowman said in a team statement. “I feel really good, and I’m excited about being at the track with my team and getting back to racing.”
Bowman was forced to get out of his car during the March 1 race at Circuit of the Americas because of the vertigo. He was replaced by Myatt Snider. Anthony Alfredo replaced Bowman at Phoenix, and Justin Allgaier has driven the past three races for Bowman as he recovered.
Hendrick said Bowman was cleared to return after turning laps in a street car at a road course in North Carolina before practicing pit stops, racing in a simulator and passing a medical evaluation.
“We’re proud of Alex and the way he’s handled this situation,” HMS president Jeff Andrews said. “He’s put a lot of work into his recovery and followed the medical team’s plan every step of the way. From the outset, our goal was to prioritize his health and have him return when he was fully recovered and medically cleared. We’re looking forward to seeing Alex back in his race car this weekend.”
Thanks to NASCAR’s new (old) playoff format, Bowman’s chances of making the playoffs are all but over already. In previous years, Bowman would have the chance to make the postseason by winning a regular-season race. However, NASCAR’s modified format for the 2026 season is no longer win-and-in. The top 16 drivers in the regular-season points standings will make the playoffs.
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After missing four of the first seven races of the season, Bowman is already 144 points back of 16th.
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