Alex Bowman could be out at Hendrick Motorsports in 2027 in favor of young prospect

A new era of the iconic Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 could dawn in 2027, according to NASCAR spotter Freddie Kraft. 

On Monday's episode of "Door Bumper Clear," Kraft, the spotter for Bubba Wallace in the Cup Series, dropped a piece of information regarding the future of Alex Bowman, the current driver of the No. 48, and HMS driver Corey Day, who is currently in his rookie campaign in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. 

"I would've thought Corey Day was a year away from getting in the 48 car, or at least getting a chance to get in the 48 car," Kraft said. "I think that there's some serious conversations as to whether he might get in that car next year now. If you have a seat, and you have a guy you think's talented enough, why would he not get in the car?"

Comparing Corey Day and Alex Bowman

Bowman is currently in the midst of a largely miserable start to 2026 that was highlighted by a four-race absence due to vertigo. He's 34th in the series standings through 12 races and hasn't won since the Chicago Street Race in July 2024. 

Day, meanwhile, is fifth in the O'Reilly Series standings through 13 races with nine top 10 finishes. The 20-year-old driver from Clovis, California, earned his first career win at Talladega on April 25. 

Bowman has driven for HMS since 2018 and took over the No. 48 in 2021 upon the retirement of seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson. 

Bowman, 33, is an eight-time Cup Series winner but has long been seen as the "fourth guy" at an HMS organization that currently has two-time champion Kyle Larson, 2020 champion Chase Elliott and two-time Daytona 500 champion William Byron also racing out of its stable. Bowman has the least amount of wins of the four and is the only driver at Hendrick to not finish top five in the standings in any season of his career.