NASCAR
Alex Bowman Back in Hendrick No. 48 for 2027, Plans Retirement Afterwards
CONCORD, N.C. – Announced Thursday by Hendrick Motorsports, driver Alex Bowman will return to the No. 48 Chevrolet in 2027 on a one-year deal. Bowman, 33, has also said he will retire from full-time NASCAR competition after next season. A Hendrick mainstay since 2018, Bowman will close out a decade with NASCAR’s top team.
Bowman, from Tucson, Arizona, was first on Hendrick’s radar all the way back in 2016. That year saw Bowman and Jeff Gordon split driving duties in relief of the injured Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Following Earnhardt’s full-time retirement, Bowman took over the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018. 2021 saw Bowman shift to the No. 48, with primary sponsorship ever since from Ally Financial. This span at Hendrick has seen Bowman earn eight NASCAR Cup Series wins, including four victories in 2021 alone. 2027 will mark Bowman’s tenth season as part of Hendrick Motorsports.
“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. “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’s Hendrick tenure has tragically been injury-plagued, including this season. Bowman has missed a total of 12 races over the last five years for three separate medical issues. Earlier in 2026 saw Bowman sidelined four races with vertigo-related symptoms. Bowman is currently ranked 29th in NASCAR Cup Series points, with three top-fives and four top-10s in 2026. His season to date has been highlighted by a pair of back-to-back third-place runs at Talladega and Texas this spring.
“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “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 will surpass 400 career NASCAR Cup Series starts next season, in what will be his farewell tour from full-time racing. At the time of this writing, Bowman’s last victory came at the 2024 Chicago Street Race, 69 races ago.
It is not yet known who will fill Bowman’s slot in the Team Hendrick roster, that announcement will be made at a later date. In the meantime, the Arizona native will chase more checkered flags and try to close out his NASCAR career on top.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Hendrick Motorsports
