Alex Bowman thought his NASCAR career was over after vertigo symptoms sidelined him

Alex Bowman thought his NASCAR career might be over after he got sick and experienced vertigo systems during the March 1 Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. 

Bowman, who drives the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, began feeling ill late in the race at COTA and was relieved in the closing laps by Myatt Snider. Bowman's situation was not a short-term one, however. He was later ruled out for the next four Cup Series races at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington and Martinsville before being cleared to return to competition this weekend at Bristol. 

"Dizziness, throwing up on myself, spinning, all of the things," Bowman said in a Saturday news conference when asked what he felt like inside the car at COTA. "[It] wasn't fun. That was one where I was going to run into something or somebody and the smart thing to do was to get out."

This season is far from the first time Bowman has faced a serious medical problem that has prohibited him from racing. He suffered a concussion in 2022 and a back injury in 2023, both of which kept him out of the car for multiple races. 

Bowman, an eight-time winner at the Cup Series level, believed his vertigo symptoms at COTA to be the last straw of an injury-riddled career. 

"When I got out at COTA, I was like, 'This is probably it,'" Bowman said. "That was what was going through my head. That sucked. Thankful that I get another shot at it."

Bowman will make his return at arguably the worst track in regard to potential dizziness. Bristol is a half-mile, high-speed, high-banked bullring that forces drivers to be on their toes at all times. Lap times are consistently in the 15-second range, and racing at Bristol can perhaps most aptly be described as flying fighter jets inside a gymnasium. 

It's also one of Bowman's best tracks. The 32-year-old driver from Tucson, Arizona, has four top-13 finishes in six Next-Gen races at Bristol and has led in the last four races at the Tennessee short track. 

But the ultimate reason Bowman decided to come back is because he, like every other driver in NASCAR, is a born and bred racer. 

"Because they said I could," Bowman said when asked why he decided to come back at Bristol. "I'm a race car driver. You tell me I'm clear, I'm gonna go do it."

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.