As NASCAR’s silly season has begun taking shape, several speculations have started surrounding Hendrick Motorsports Alex Bowman’s future with the team. However, a NASCAR insider has come forward to set the record straight. 

After the race at Pocono, an X account named 'PitByNumbers' made an X post about Bowman’s performance. It read:

"Sunday at Pocono, three Hendrick drivers fought for the win.  The fourth finished 27th. He’s 32nd in points, hasn’t won since 2024, and he’s in a contract year — with a Hendrick prospect already sitting there waiting for the seat.Three cars fighting for trophies. One fighting for his job.  #NASCAR"

However, RACER's Kelly Crandall was quick to defend the HMS driver. Diffusing the speculation, she wrote via her X account:

"The prospect is not waiting for the seat. Corey Day is in no rush and Hendrick Motorsports isn’t in a rush. Alex Bowman isn’t fighting for his job. Bowman has a job as long as he wants it."

Under the post, a fan refused to believe that Alex "has a job as long as he wants it." In reply, she wrote: 

"Of course they expect more. But the seat is his and it’s crazy people don’t believe that, no matter how many times Hendrick and others in the know say it."

The talk about Bowman’s future at Hendrick Motorsports has only grown louder after Pocono. During the race, Bowman’s teammate William Byron was battling out front and finished the race in third place.

Similarly, Kyle Larson finished the 400-mile event in fifth while Chase Elliott finished in 11th. Meanwhile, Bowman was stuck at the back and finished the race in 27th place. 

The chatter is not just limited to the results but also surrounds the Hendrick Motorsports drivers' vertigo problems. Earlier in the season, he missed four races because of it.

Can this lead to his retirement after the 2026 season?

NASCAR Insider Weighs in on Retirement Speculation Surrounding Alex Bowman

With Alex Bowman being out of contract at the end of the year and his health issues, there has been a lot of chatter surrounding the driver looking into a potential retirement from NASCAR.

Under the same X post, Kelly Crandall was questioned about whether all the retirement talk is actually on the cards for Alex Bowman or if it is just media chatter. She replied, saying:

"It’s not speculation. It’s acknowledgment of a very real variable for a driver who is aware of the injuries he’s gone through."

Alex Bowman has been one of the most talked-about drivers in this silly season. However, there has been no clear indication whether he will continue with HMS or retire from the sport at the end of the year.

His best results this season have been a pair of third-place finishes in Talladega and Texas.

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak