Alex Bowman’s NASCAR Future In Limbo As HMS Awaits Verdict

The woes for Alex Bowman have been deepening this season. The driver announced that he would be out for at least three races, including the upcoming race at Bristol, due to vertigo.

He is currently being replaced by O’Reilly driver for JR Motorsports, Justin Allgaier. 

Allgaier has taken over the #48 car of Alex Bowman since Phoenix. While in an interview with Motorsports.com, the JR Motorsports driver admitted that it has been challenging, especially with there being qualifying, adding to his workload.

“I feel like I’m failing at all of it, if I’m being honest with you,” said Allgaier. “You know, the same things that are making us good on Saturday is what’s hurting us on Sunday.”

The JR Motorsports driver is currently juggling between his duties at the O’Reilly Series and the Cup Series. Justin Allgaier emphasized how he is helping the #48 team with the groundwork so that it is easier for Alex Bowman to jump right in and get back to work.

“I hope for his sake that Alex can get back in soon because that would be a Cinderella story,” said Allgaier in the interview. “I would love to see him get back in and those guys click off a few wins right away.”

At the moment, it is unclear as to when Bowman will be back in the #48 seat. But he will be hoping to recover just in time to make it to the chase.

Will Alex Bowman make it to the 2026 Chase?

Bowman’s position in the driver standings has taken a significant drop due to the time off. He sits 36th in the standings and would have to do something special to make his way back up when he returns.

With him missing the upcoming Bristol race, it will widen the points gap. Bowman will have a deficit of around 175 points, which he needs to make up for before the reset.

Prior to being sidelined due to vertigo, Bowman failed to make up for points that would have put him at an advantage. He finished the first three races of the season in 40th, 23rd, and 36th, respectively.

With his contract set to end at the end of 2026, it will be interesting to see what HMS does with the Bowman situation.