Hendrick Motorsports is flexing its dominance once again in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. All four of Rick Hendrick’s drivers sit in the top 10 positions in the standings, a testament to the organization’s sheer consistency and cohesion. But while William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott often find themselves in the spotlight, there’s one driver who is now getting attention for a different reason: his lack of personality, at least that’s what the critics say.

The Hendrick star recently responded to those claims in the most hilariously blunt way possible, peeling back the curtain on a persona fans rarely get to see. The #48 recently sat down with The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck for a 12 Questions interview, and let’s just say that he let all his personality out over here.

Alex Bowman sets a record

Alex Bowman’s journey with Hendrick Motorsports began in October 2016, when he was signed to substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 car after Junior’s concussion issue sidelined him. He made 10 cup stars later that season, earning several top tens and poles, including one at Phoenix. And when he was granted a full-time ride for 2018, he drove the No. 88 through 2020. And towards the end of 2020, Hendrick announced he’d move into the iconic No. 48 Chevrolet starting in 2021, replacing seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

Fast forward to today, and Alex Bowman has quietly been performing well. He currently places 12th in the cup series standings with 498 points, placing him 32 points above the playoff cut-off. His best performances for HMS include a standout win in the 2024 Chicago Street race, his eighth career win and one that helped snap his 80-race winless skid; however, he is yet to visit victory lane this year. However, his calm demeanor off the track has led many to believe that Bowman lacks a personality, a notion that he heavily denies.

Jeff Gluck took to X to post his interview with Bowman, and even he couldn’t help but mention Bowman’s personality in the post, writing, “Even though he has no personality, @Alex_Bowman sets a new record this week for the most sarcastic interview in 12 Questions history. Congrats.” When asked what people get wrong about him, the Hendrick Motorsports driver didn’t hold back while answering.

Bowman said, “That I have no personality. I get that a lot. I would say I am definitely shy, so maybe that’s why people think I don’t have any personality. But if you need any of my friends, like all three of them, they will tell you I am a complete a–h–. So I feel like that’s a personality.” And perhaps we’ve already seen some personality flashes from Rick Hendrick’s ace.

During the Chicago Street course race this year, tension peaked when Bubba Wallace shoved Bowman into the inside wall. Bowman retaliated, sending Wallace into the outer barrier in a physical exchange that sparked a post-race debate. The 23XI Racing driver called it “pretty aggressive,” while others in the garage described it as short-track energy spilling onto the street course.

Bowman, however, defended his actions, saying, “He ran into the inside wall… I gave it back a little… I am just a pinball between him and the wall… certainly not trying to crash anybody.” While Rick Hendrick’s driver insisted it wasn’t intentional wrecking, Bowman’s bluntness made it clear: he is not afraid to stand his ground, and he will need to keep this attitude up to solidify his spot in the playoffs.

Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, and Alex Bowman are the four drivers currently sitting above the cut line heading to Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. So while Alex Bowman is trying to put on a show, he has around him a 32-point buffer on bubble driver Ryan Preece, which is solid for now, but with a new winner or even a poor showing from the No. 48, the disadvantage could be completely wiped out. Meanwhile, his HMS teammates are eying bigger things.

William Byron’s championship aspirations

William Byron has shaped up into one of the most compelling drivers this season. Racing for Rick Hendrick in the No. 24 Chevy, the 27-year-old is leading the Cup standings, a position that he has held for 17 of 20 weeks. And after Sonoma, Byron held down the top spot, with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson rounding out the top three, as Hendrick Motorsports stands 1–2–3 in points entering Dover.

In a one-on-one interview, Byron summed up his dominance, saying, “It just says that I feel like we just do a really good job as teams. I’d say there’s been other teams that have been really fast this year. We’ve had our fair share of races when we’ve been really fast, but I think that just all three, four teams have done a good job executing and just working together. That’s the strength, is in our people and just the way that we interact and work as a team.”

William Byron has been the model of consistency, with a Daytona 500 win, 7 top-five and 10 top 10 finishes, and 769 laps led through 20 races, which is the second most in NASCAR this season, right behind teammate Kyle Larson. However, he hasn’t visited Victory Lane since the Daytona 500. Despite leading over 200 laps in two separate races, Darlington and Charlotte, Byron has fallen just short on fuel, tires, or just plain luck.

Reflecting on the season and his hope for the championship, Byron says, “I feel like I’ve always wanted it really bad. Now it’s just trying to do it in a smart way. Just trying to be smart about my approach and channeling that motivation towards the right thing. It’s always a little bit that you learn throughout the years, and it’s never been from a lack of effort. Just trying to dial in what I need to do on the track and with my team.” And now with the NASCAR Cup garage entering Dover, all eyes will be on William Byron to see if he can keep up the top spot and continue his push for a championship in the #24.

Given their dominance this season, do you think Rick Hendrick’s team can finally break Team Penske’s streak of Cup Series Championships? Let us know in the comments!