© Matthew O'Haren/Imagn
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman is set to miss Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix for a reason you don’t see too often.
Bowman, who got off to a brutal start to the season with a 40th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and 23rd-place finish at Atlanta, had to exit his car midway through last Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin for undisclosed reasons.
All that was reported at the time was that Bowman was feeling unwell during the race. He was replaced by Myatt Snider, who previously raced in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and was serving as a pit reporter for Fox at the time. Snider eventually finished the race in 36th position, and we now know the reason for Bowman’s exit.
Alex Bowman To Miss Phoenix NASCAR Cup Race Due To Vertigo
Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Bowman would miss this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway as he deals with an ongoing bout of vertigo.
“Alex has worked very hard over the last several days,” Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews said in a statement. “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.”
Anthony Alfredo, who does simulator work for both Hendrick and Chevrolet, will fill in for Bowman. The 26-year-old has 43 prior starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Coincidentally, Bowman got his big break with Hendrick in a similar fashion in 2016 when he filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was dealing with post-concussion syndrome, which eventually led to his retirement and Bowman taking the ride full-time.
Thankfully, Bowman’s condition does not sound as serious. However, when paired with his already rough start to the season, it could well stick a fork in any hopes he had of qualifying for the 16-driver chase for the championship.