Alex Bowman is one of 16 drivers competing for the NASCAR Cup Series championship, but that hasn’t quelled rumors about his future with Hendrick Motorsports.
The 31-year-old driver won the Chicago Street Race in early July to punch his ticket to the NASCAR playoffs, ending an 80-race winless streak that dated back to March 2022.
Bowman battled multiple injuries in the two-plus years between wins, but that cold spell still had some speculating that Bowman’s days in the No. 48 Chevrolet could be numbered.
Rick Hendrick defends Alex Bowman: ‘Boss is happy’
Ultimately, Bowman’s future with Hendrick Motorsports is for racing team owner Rick Hendrick to decide.
In a press conference this week announcing that Kyle Larson will attempt the double in 2025, Hendrick made his feelings clear on the matter.
“Boss is happy,” Hendrick told reporters. “We’re happy.”
READ MORE: Brad Keselowski offers cheeky response to Ryan Preece rumors: ‘Coming soon’
That comes amid swirling rumors that Bowman could get the boot ahead of a busy offseason full of drivers switching teams.
Those whispers made their way to the driver himself, who said last week that he called his bosses ahead of the playoffs for clarity on his future with Hendrick Motorsports.
Ultimately, it looks like Bowman is safe in his seat for the 2025 season. Maybe that would have been different if he hadn’t won at Chicago, though he left no doubt by securing his spot in the postseason.
He’s piloting one of four Hendrick Motorsports cars in the playoffs, joining teammates Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Elliott in the 16-driver field.
Bowman still battling in NASCAR playoffs
While it doesn’t seem like his future will come down to the next nine weeks of playoffs racing, Bowman still faces a tough road ahead as he looks for his first Cup Series title.
He did help his cause with a fifth-place finish last week at Atlanta, vaulting him 27 points above the cut line ahead of Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen.
READ MORE: How a falling Walmart sign helped Joey Logano survive NASCAR playoff opener
Bowman has never finished better than 14th at the road course, though Hendrick Motorsports has won five straight races at Watkins Glen with its other three drivers all reaching Victory Lane.
He does have three career top-five finishes at Bristol, the site of the final race in the Round of 16. Two of Bowman’s eight career wins came at Martinsville and Las Vegas, both of which will be tracks later in the postseason.