Hendrick Motorsports Ace Opens Up on Contract Situation After Extremely Disappointing NASCAR Season

Published 01/20/2023, 10:57 AM EST

Over the last four seasons, Alex Bowman has solidified his position at the Hendrick Motorsports stable and has proven himself to be a formidable competitor. He joined Hendrick Motorsports in a full-time capacity from the 2018 season onwards. Since then he has been steadily climbing up the ranks, earning his first NASCAR Cup Series win in 2019 at Chicagoland Speedway.

However, as of now, Bowman is awaiting the status of his contract extension with the team. Also, after an extremely disappointing 2022 season, things do not look too good. During a recent interview tweeted by renowned NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass, he appeared to have set his priorities straight regarding his expectations.

What did Alex Bowman say about his future with HMS?

According to the eminent journalist Bob Pockrass, “Alex Bowman said talks have started about a contract extension beyond 2023 and he doesn’t think there are any concerns over his health. And he joked on whether his relationship with crew chief Blake Harris has gotten off to a rough start thanks to Phoenix and Chili Bowl wrecks.”

Alex Bowman said talks have started about a contract extension beyond 2023 and he doesn’t think there are any concerns over his health. And he joked on whether his relationship with crew chief Blake Harris has gotten off to a rough start thanks to Phoenix and Chili Bowl wrecks. pic.twitter.com/VGI2f2PQhB
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 19, 2023

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In the clip posted by Pockrass on Twitter, Bowman was heard saying, “Obviously Hendrick Motorsports is where I wanna be. I don’t wanna go anywhere else.”

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Hearing his responses, it was pretty clear that Bowman has decided to try and remain with HMS. However, the main question on everyone’s head is if HMS wants him or not.

What is going on with Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports?

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As of now, Hendrick Motorsports has already signed contracts for three of its four drivers. The only one not yet being signed is Alex Bowman. It’s possible that the team might be waiting to observe his 2023 season before deciding on a contract extension. But whatever it is, seems like Bowman is being closely watched and there is no guarantee about what will happen next.

Bowman originally joined the team in 2016. However, that wasn’t in a full-time capacity. He was filling in the shoes of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who was out due to injuries. With time, Rick Hendrick saw that he was consistently performing well, and hired him as a full-time driver after Junior’s retirement in 2018.

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Since then, Bowman has been a pretty good fit at HMS, getting in occasional wins and consistently making it into the playoffs. However, the present situation makes him one of the few Cup Series drivers who do not have confirmation regarding their career beyond 2023. So ultimately, we would have to wait and watch Bowman this year. If his performances are good this season, maybe there might be hope with HMS. If not, there are plenty of other drivers up for consideration to replace him. His fans would definitely want him to have a great season and persist with HMS.

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Written by:

Srijan Mandal is a NASCAR author at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Journalism and has been writing for his own blog as well, covering NASCAR, F1, F2, W Series, MotoGP, DTM, IndyCar, WRC, and WEC. Following motorsports for more than a decade, he has become a devout supporter of McLaren Racing, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bubba Wallace, Sir Lewis Hamilton, and Ayrton Senna.

Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal