NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman will miss the next three races as he recovers from vertigo, Hendrick Motorsports announced on Tuesday. Having already missed two weeks, Bowman will now be out for at least five races as a result of his diagnosis.
Justin Allgaier will be the substitute driver for the No. 48 Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway. For Bowman’s first missed week at Phoenix Raceway it was Anthony Alfredo who filled in, before Allgaier took over at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend.
“Alex continues to experience symptoms, so we are following the guidance of the medical team and giving him the time he needs to recover,” said Hendrick Motorsports President & General Manager Jeff Andrews. “We see how hard he’s working to get back behind the wheel, and we’re looking forward to his return when he’s medically cleared. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is 100% behind Alex.”
The symptoms that led to Bowman’s exit arose during the third race of the season at Circuit of the Americas. After feeling unwell for much of the race, he stepped out and let FOX pit spotter and part-time racer Myatt Snider close out the remaining laps.
With Bowman sidelined for the foreseeable future, his points situation is beginning to appear dire. As of Las Vegas, Bowman is 36th in the Cup Series standings, 94 points outside of the 16th spot in the Chase. It’s not yet known if NASCAR has any sort of medical waiver available for Bowman, similar to what they offered under the playoff format.
Justin Allgaier: Super-Substitute
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Justin Allgaier is no stranger to being Hendrick Motorsports’ backup driver. He was Bowman’s substitute in 2020 after a back injury. In 2024 Allgaier drove the No. 5 Chevrolet after Kyle Larson was unable to make it from the Indianapolis 500 to the Coca-Cola 600 in time for the latter’s start time.
Allgaier ran the Daytona 500 in a one-off Cup Series entry for JR Motorsports in February. He wasn’t scheduled to run any more Cup Series races until Bowman’s ailments arose.
“Justin is a true professional and someone we have tremendous confidence in,” Andrews continued. “He’s had success at the upcoming tracks, and we appreciate him stepping in to help the No. 48 team. We’re also grateful to our partners at JR Motorsports for understanding the situation and making Justin available.”
