For the second straight week, Alex Bowman will not race in the NASCAR Cup Series amid his battle with vertigo. 2024 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Justin Allgaier will be filling in for this weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Bowman’s symptoms first appeared mid-race at Circuit of the Americas on March 1. He stepped out of the car on Lap 71, with Myatt Snider spontaneously donning his helmet and firesuit to drive the remaining laps. This past weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Anthony Alfredo drove the No. 48 Chevrolet in Bowman’s place.
Bowman’s Vertigo Diagnosis
“Alex continues to work closely with doctors toward being medically cleared, but he’s still experiencing some lingering symptoms,” said Hendrick Motorsports President & GM Jeff Andrews. “He’s put a lot into the recovery process, and we will continue to support him every step of the way. Our priority remains making sure Alex is fully ready before returning to the race car.”
Following his exit at COTA, Bowman was formally diagnosed with vertigo in the week that followed. The 2026 season is the third instance in which he’s missed multiple starts due to health concerns. In 2022 Bowman missed five races from a concussion sustained at Texas Motor Speedway. In 2023 he sat out three races due to a back injury sustained in a sprint car race.
Justin Allgaier Fills In
When Justin Allgaier climbs into the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, it’ll be his second Cup Series start of the season. Allgaier previously drove the No. 40 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in a special Daytona 500 entry. In 84 career Cup Series starts, he has two top-ten finishes.
Justin Allgaier has also been a fill-in driver for Hendrick Motorsports on multiple occasions before. When Jimmie Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 Allgaier drove the No. 48 car, and then he did so again when Kyle Larson was unable to make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time after competing in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.
Hendrick Motorsports is optimistic Justin Allgaier can make the most of his opportunity in the No. 48 Chevrolet. The 39-year-old earned his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Las Vegas last year driving for JR Motorsports.
Alex Bowman’s Points Outlook
With just one race missed Alex Bowman is already down to 36th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, lowest of any full-time driver. He’s 19 points behind Cole Custer, with that margin set to grow at Las Vegas.
Under NASCAR’s new Chase format Bowman likely wouldn’t receive a medical waiver to participate in the Chase, as drivers are now unable to lock themselves in from outside the top 16 points positions. His likelihood of making the Chase is vanishing with each passing week that points aren’t accrued.
