Alex Bowman happy to be aligned with Hendrick

Alex Bowman practices at Daytona Friday. (Getty Images)

After a stellar performance as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. last year, Alex Bowman got several offers of NASCAR rides – but none that could induce him to leave Hendrick Motorsports, where he spends most of his time driving a simulator.

“I was kind of surprised that a winning Xfinity car or something like that didn’t open up,” Bowman said on Friday at Daytona International Speedway, where he’ll race in Saturday night’s Advance Auto Parts Clash as a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole winner from 2016. “At the same time, I had quite a few full-time Cup opportunities that were offered, but there really wasn’t anything that was going to make me leave Hendrick Motorsports.

“I feel like I want to be part of a winning organization whether I’m driving, just working for the team, doing testing or doing the simulation stuff. Whatever I’m doing, I want to be part of a winning team. Nothing was going to drag me away from here.”

Not only that. Bowman figures he’ll get the nod, should the organization need another super sub for any of its four drivers.

“Obviously, you never hope that situation comes up,” Bowman said. “But I think after last year, as easy as it is for me as far as already being here with Hendrick Motorsports, I think if something did come up that I would think I would be the one that would get called for it.”

Bowman will line up the No. 88 Chevrolet eighth Saturday night.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" 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, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.