It’s no secret that Rick Hendrick is dreaming of getting the band back together ahead of the Food City 500 at Bristol this weekend. HMS has been in the spotlight for a while now but for reasons they didn’t expect. And now with their 4th Cup driver finally stepping in, one of the bowtie drivers is more than happy.
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William Byron did not hesitate to stress how important it is to have Alex Bowman back in the No. 48 this weekend.
“Yeah, like I was saying earlier, I just feel like it just brings consistent feedback across all four teams,” he said in a media availability ahead of the race. “And I feel like we really need to have that as a team. It’s just that consistent feedback and just having our four guys together. All four teams working in the same direction.”
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This definitely underlined just how crucial unity has become inside Hendrick Motorsports made a turbulent stretch.
The sense of getting things together comes at the perfect time with Alex Bowman finally returning to action after a concerning healthcare.
The No. 48 driver had been sidelined for nearly a month due to vertigo, and the issue at first forced him out during the race weekend at COTA. His absence triggered a rotation of substitute drivers, disrupting not just his own rhythm but the team’s overall cohesion.
Bowman’s return at Bristol Motor Speedway signals more than just a driver’s comeback; it restores a key piece of HMS’ internal feedback loop.
With stand-ins like Justin Allgaier and Anthony Alfredo filling the seat in recent weeks, his team lacked the continuity needed to find the setup alongside teammates.
Now medically cleared and feeling back to normal, Bowman’s presence is expected to stabilize both performance discussions and race day execution.
.@WilliamByron touches on his valuable it is for all of @TeamHendrick to have @Alex_Bowman back in the No. 48 this week. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Ec3RtGZtgj
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) April 11, 2026
However, the broader concerns that William Byron hinted at reflect a very real trend within HMS this season. Despite flashes of speed, the organization has endured what insiders themselves have described as an up-and-down start to 2026.
Even with drivers like Chase Elliott and Byron sitting inside the top 10 in points early on, the performances have varied widely from track to track, with strong results followed by underwhelming execution.
The inconsistency becomes even more glaring when you look at the numbers. Through the opening stretches of the season, HMS has only one win across seven races with Elliott holding off Denny Hamlin at Martinsville. However, the rest of the races have been dominated by the Toyota camp, leaving Chevrolet, especially HMS, behind.
While they managed a handful of top-five finishes and an average finish hovering around the mid-pack, it stands as a sharp contrast to their dominant standards in recent years.
Put it together and it paints a clear picture. Speed isn’t the problem; consistency is. And as Byron emphasised, the lack of unified feedback has only made things harder to diagnose.
Bowman’s return may restore some much-needed cohesion, and the organization will not hesitate to find its footing starting at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Can Hendrick’s drivers take the checkered flag at Bristol?
If you are looking for a track where HMS can flip the script, this is it. Bristol is just another stop; it is practically their playground. HMS is the all-time leader in top fives, top tens, and laps led at Bristol Motor Speedway, and they have won two of the last three races here, thanks to Kyle Larson.
Larson is the headline act at Bristol. The No. 5 driver is the defending Bristol winner and has been absurdly good there with three wins and top-six finishes in nine of the last 11 races.
And in fact, he has led hundreds of laps in the recent Bristol races and thrives in traffic, and suddenly this weekend feels like a prime statement when opportunity.
But don’t sleep on the rest. Chase Elliott is coming in hot after a recent win and has a habit of hovering near the front at Bristol. William Byron has been the most consistent performer in 2026 with multiple top 10 streaks and strong short track form, making him a sneaky contender.
And then there’s Alex Bowman, back from his healthcare with poles and solid runs at this track in the past. The bottom line is that HMS doesn’t just have a shot at Bristol; they may have three or four legitimate winning cards to play.
