Alex Bowman may have just crossed a line he shouldn’t have. 2026 has already been woeful for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who’s fourth-best on his own team and has struggled with injuries as well. And now, at the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, he took a shot at the team on the radio, which all but proves that he could very well be on his way out.

“Kevin, just tell me what Blake said. I did hear Blake. I did not break s—. The sh—- a– parts broke,” a frustrated Alex Bowman said during the Coca-Cola 600 race. To this, his crew chief, Blake Harris, replied, “Yeah, maybe we broke it? I don’t know.”

It was a bitter exchange that summed up his race — and his season — perfectly. Bowman had issues with the No. 48 at Charlotte. Losing first and second gears for much of the race appeared to be a mechanical failure rather than anything Bowman did wrong, if his team radio outburst is anything to go by. But at this point, it’s become a common trend.

Bowman had one of his better days at Atlanta earlier this season, climbing from 36th all the way to 15th by the end of Stage 2 and showing strong restart pace. But handling issues and poor long-run balance caught up with him late, and he got stuck in traffic on the way to a disappointing 23rd-place finish, one lap down.

Then came Watkins Glen International, where the Hendrick Motorsports team as a whole struggled badly for speed on the road course, while Bowman endured yet another disappointing afternoon. In what turned out to be one of the team’s worst overall results of the season, Bowman finished 25th in the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet.

And without a win in 2026, Bowman’s now feeling the pressure. He struggled with vertigo earlier this season, missing races at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington, and Martinsville.

“The ride quality is so bad, and for someone like me, who has so many neck and back issues, that makes things a little more difficult,” he said to Roundtable.

On the surface, Bowman’s results always lead to criticism of the driver. However, a closer look at the season paints a far more complicated picture, with poor luck and car issues seemingly following him wherever he goes. His teammates Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron sit 5th, 6th, and 12th in the standings, respectively. Bowman is down in 34th.

And as soon as the Charlotte radio rant went viral, NASCAR fans started discussing whether the real problem is the cracks beginning to appear inside HMS rather than Bowman himself.

NASCAR fans turn on Rick Hendrick’s leadership abilities

Fans aren’t wrong to feel that there are problems with Hendrick Motorsports. Many believe the No. 48 team has been its own worst enemy in 2026, with poor strategy calls, pit road errors, communication breakdowns, and recurring mechanical issues making an already difficult season even harder for Bowman to get back to his best.

“You guys should be considering keeping Bowman for how much c— has been given to him this year by the guys YOU hired for his team,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

At the Coca-Cola 600, Bowman brought the No. 48 home in 17th despite dealing with mechanical problems throughout the race. He made it clear on the radio that the issues were not his fault, and some fans felt simply finishing the race under those circumstances deserved more credit than it got.

“For what Alex had to deal with tonight, 17th is awesome. Blake Harris needs to do his job better and give him better cars. Bowman the showman again,” another fan said.

Amidst the misfortune, Bowman quietly displayed flashes of excellent form after returning from his absence due to vertigo. He showed that the speed and execution are still there when conditions are favorable by finishing third at both Texas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

But many fans now believe the relationship between Bowman and crew chief Harris may simply not be working anymore.

“The relationship is reminding me of Kyle Busch and Jim Pullman. Alex Bowman needs a new crew chief,” a fan stated.

One fan directly called out HMS leadership. “@TeamHendrick, if you’re hearing the radio chatter, I hope it’s a wake-up call. Show you care and do something for Bowman.”