There are some drivers in NASCAR who seem to glide through seasons untouched by fate. The car behaves, the body holds together, and the schedule marches on like a metronome.
And then there’s Alex Bowman.
The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports will miss at least one race in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season after being sidelined by vertigo diagnosed earlier this week. Bowman will not compete in Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway, a particularly painful absence considering it’s effectively his home track.
Bowman, 32, first began experiencing symptoms during last weekend’s race at Circuit of the Americas before climbing from the car on Lap 71. The Tucson native spent the next two days undergoing medical evaluations and even turned laps in a street car at the Ten Tenths Motor Club road course in Concord to test whether the dizziness had subsided. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. So, for now, caution wins.
“Alex has worked very hard over the last several days,” said Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews. “We’re encouraged by the progress he’s making, but we have to prioritize his health above all else. It’s obviously frustrating for him because he’s a competitor and wants to be in the race car, especially at his home track. We’ll continue to support Alex and look forward to his return as soon as he’s medically cleared.”
In Bowman’s place this weekend will be Anthony Alfredo, the 26-year-old Connecticut native who has quietly become one of the more reliable utility drivers in NASCAR’s orbit. Alfredo has 210 starts across NASCAR’s national series, including 43 at the Cup level, and performs extensive simulator work for Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet.
Hendrick Motorsports plans to request a medical waiver from NASCAR to ensure Bowman remains eligible for the 2026 championship.
If this all sounds familiar, that’s because it is.
Bowman has unfortunately become something of NASCAR’s most reluctant frequent flyer when it comes to injury reports. In 2022 he missed five races after suffering a concussion in a violent crash at Texas Motor Speedway. The following season he was sidelined again, this time missing three races after fracturing a vertebra in a sprint car crash.
Now, in 2026, the injury bug—or perhaps the inner ear bug—has bitten again.
The timing isn’t ideal.
Bowman is entering what is shaping up to be a pivotal stretch of his career. His current contract situation means he could be a free agent after the season, and the rumor mill around the Hendrick campus has been spinning like a tire leaving a pit stall. In a team lineup that includes championship-caliber teammates like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron, Bowman has occasionally found himself labeled as the quiet fourth man in a very loud quartet.
That’s not entirely fair—Bowman has delivered wins and playoff appearances during his time in the No. 48—but NASCAR is a sport that judges drivers the way a stopwatch judges sprinters. Relentlessly.
And when the rest of the Hendrick garage is routinely fighting for trophies while you’re trying to get your balance back, people start asking uncomfortable questions.
For now, though, the priority is simple: get healthy, get cleared, and get back in the car.
Because in NASCAR, the season never really waits for anyone—even if the room happens to be spinning.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
- Alex Bowman and the Unfortunate Art of Missing Races - March 5, 2026
- Connor Zilisch Went From Last To Fifth at COTA And Then Turn 1 Happened Again - March 1, 2026
- NASCAR’s Smiling Road Course Assassin Settles For Second - March 1, 2026