After missing four races with vertigo issues, Alex Bowman has been cleared to return to driving his number 48 Hendrick Motorsports car and will race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bowman exited his 48 car during the race at COTA on March 1 stating that he was not feeling well. Bowman was later diagnosed with vertigo.
Myat Snider stepped for Bowman to complete the race at COTA. After a late notice that Bowman would not be able to drive the car at Phoenix, HMS simulator driver Anthony Alfredo drove the 48 car. Listed as the designated substitute driver for HMS, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Justin Allgaier stepped in for Bowman at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Speedway.
Bowman issued a team release saying, “I’m grateful for the support I’ve had from Hendrick Motorsports, my sponsor Ally, our fans and the medical team throughout this process. It’s been tough being out of the car, but we all wanted to make sure I was 100% ready before returning. I feel really good, and I’m excited about being at the track with my team and getting back to racing.”
HMS noted that Bowman drove a street car at Ten Tenths Motor Club in Concord, North Carolina; participated in pit practice, and simulator testing on Wednesday before undergoing a medical examination where he was cleared for racing with no restrictions.
Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports spoke via team release saying, “we’re proud of Alex and the way he’s handled this situation. He’s put a lot of work into his recovery and followed the medical team’s plan every step of the way. From the outset, our goal was to prioritize his health and have him return when he was fully recovered and medically cleared. We’re looking forward to seeing Alex back in his race car this weekend.”
HMS will be seeking a medical waiver for Bowman so that he may compete for the points championship. Bowman currently sits in 36th place in the point standings with just 23 points.