Alex Bowman is all set to bid goodbye to NASCAR at the end of the 2027 Cup Series season. With this, Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR fans will see one of the four stars leave the coveted team after years of racing together.

With the No. 48 seat open for 2028, there are multiple names that came up as a possible replacement. Kevin Harvick recently sat with his Happy Hour podcast co-hosts Mamba Smith and Kaitlyn Vincie to shed light on some of those names.

"We know Alex is out, but who's going in it next? And that'll be the frontrunner in that conversation; obviously has been Connor Zilisch, but there is the Corey Day piece of it," Vincie said in the latest episode of the podcast.

For a long time, Zilisch was regarded as a possible replacement for Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports. However, Trackhouse Racing, his current team, is reluctant to leave the young driver despite the rough start to the season that he has had.

And this brings Corey Day into the picture, who also has yet to prove his worth in the Cup Series. As a matter of fact, Harvick also mentioned this on the show:

"When you look at that situation with the 48, and you look at Corey Day, I don't think he's quite ready to go into Cup racing. Obviously, Connor's had a rough go at it because when I look at Connor Zilisch's situation, Noval, theoretically, he should be just as good as SVG in my opinion."

Currently, Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen are racing for Trackhouse Racing under full-time obligation. Corey Day is racing for Hendrick Motorsports in their O'Reilly Auto Parts Series operation.

Day has yet to make his debut in the Cup Series, and as a result, handing him the full-time driver role will not be regarded as a wise decision. On the other hand, the NASCAR world has already seen how Connor Zilisch has had a tough time making amends in the Cup Series.

Alex Bowman let his feelings known as he signed up for final Cup year

Alex Bowman shared his thoughts after signing his final year in the NASCAR Cup Series. He joined the Cup Series in 2014, and 2027 will be his 13th year in the top tier of stock car racing.

"I've spent a ⁠lot of time thinking about what's next, and this feels like the right ⁠decision at the right time," Bowman said, as reported by the Deccan Herald. "The sport asks ‌a lot of you, and I've learned it's important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yours.

"My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins. We still have a lot to accomplish, and I ⁠want to close my career on a high note for our team and our fans. To have the chance to do that with this organization and these people is really special," he further added.

Alex Bowman joined HMS back in 2016, and won eight races in the process. His last win came at Chicago in 2024. He was one of the four young names that were on the HMS line-up alongside Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Elliott.

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason