Jeff Gordon Hints Big Shake-Up in HMS After Alex Bowman’s Gateway Collapse

Almost a year ago, Alex Bowman snuffed out a nasty rumor. Considering a stretch of poor finishes, fans hounded the Hendrick Motorsports driver with claims of being ‘on the hot seat’. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver, along with his HMS bosses, collectively issued statements denouncing these beliefs. Yet how the tides have turned in just a year, as Bowman faces probably the most challenging phase of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

Entering the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway, Alex Bowman was in a sordid predicament. He was ranked 15th among 16 drivers in the playoffs and was 19 points below the cutoff line. Bowman had to bank on a good finish at Gateway to advance into the Round of 12. But not only did his hopes not materialize, but his boss uttered ominous words.

Is the end of the line visible for Alex Bowman?

Well, Alex Bowman is certainly not holding a candle to his predecessor. The 32-year-old driver is currently in his 8th season wheeling the No. 48 car, once wheeled by 7-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Since 2024, the 8-time Cup Series race winner’s woes have not ceased – and they continued into Sunday. Bowman entered Gateway on the strength of an average 25th-place spot. Yet nowhere during the entire 240-lap race could he break into the fabric of the top ten. What is more, Bowman suffered additional challenges on the road, with NASCAR slapping a penalty on the No. 48 team for speeding on pit road.

This compounded Alex Bowman’s streak of lackluster runs, and he landed a dismal 26th-place finish. This follows Bowman’s 36th-place finish at Daytona’s regular-season race and another disappointing 31st-place result in Darlington. Now, Bowman’s Gateway result elicited an ominous admission from HMS vice chairman and veteran Jeff Gordon. According to Kelly Crandall’s post, “Jeff Gordon said he isn’t counting out Alex Bowman and the 48 team but “we just can’t get things to go right on pit road. … We got to figure that out, for sure.” Asked if there was going to just be conversations or will moves be made on pit road, “I guess we’ll see.”

If the playoffs are not enough to warn Alex Bowman, Gordon’s hint at a ‘hot seat’ should do so. Yet Bowman is more than aware of his struggles, as he summed up his Gateway experience: “S—. Just really poor execution on all angles.” This poor execution is becoming a weekly occurrence, as Bowman also faced a horrific mistake at Darlington. With less than 70 laps into the race, Bowman’s pit stop was delayed by a jaw-dropping period of 40 seconds. There were issues with the air gun as the pit crew struggled with petty mistakes. It ended up costing Bowman a lot.

Now, Alex Bowman’s situation calls for immediate action, as he faces a must-win situation at Bristol Motor Speedway. Even amidst his struggles, however, Bowman sticks to an unconventional opinion.

Rooting for the older format

A massive debate unfolded after Joey Logano’s 2024 Cup Series championship. He clinched the title despite being 17th in points among drivers, the worst position of a champion in NASCAR history. This prompted fans and drivers alike to bash the current elimination format of the playoffs, which disregards consistent success accrued throughout the regular season. Many veteran drivers, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin, have called for a return to the older season-long points format or the best of both worlds. Now, Alex Bowman joined their stance, despite being at the receiving end of struggles throughout the season. “I would just like 36 races and call it good,” Bowman said in a recent ‘SpeedFreaks’ episode.

Nevertheless, Alex Bowman also believes that this format will not change. It caters to former NASCAR CEO Brian France’s target of ‘Game 7’ moments, which Bowman thinks is essential. He said, “I think we all want to sit here and think we’re race car drivers and that this is some extremely serious job that we do and that the little details of being a race car driver are this super important thing, and to us and to people ingrained in the sport, they are. But at the end of the day, we’re entertainers. We’re creating entertainment, and our job is to entertain the fans. I think the playoffs create a lot of excitement, drama, animosity, and moments.”

Presently, Alex Bowman needs his own exciting moment desperately, as his NASCAR career hangs in the balance. Let us wait and see if the HMS driver can restore his boss’ faith in him.