Alex Bowman will remain out of the No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series for at least the next three races, Hendrick announced Oct. 12.
Bowman continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms sustained at Texas Motor Speedway last month.
This weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will mark Bowman’s third straight race missed, and the streak will stretch to at least five, as he will not return at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
Noah Gragson will continue to fill in for Bowman in the No. 48.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the entire staff at UPMC,” Jeff Andrews, Hendrick president and general manager, said in a release. “Our priority continues to be Alex’s recovery and long-term health, and we will follow the plan that Dr. [Michael] Collins and his team recommend. We’re not looking past the next three races and will evaluate plans for the season finale as the event approaches.”
Should Bowman race again this year, it will be at the season’s final race at Phoenix Raceway.
Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
If it were me, I’d call it a year and not run the last race even if cleared. Let NASCAR (hopefully) address the car and make updates/fixes to it, give your head 3 more (continuous) months to heal and come back next year healthy. I see no benefit of risking another injury in the current car to run the final race.
I thought the same thing. There is virtually nothing to be gained by running that one race.
I applaud this decision. We have learned officiating football and baseball we don’t know a great deal about concussions. The base of the skull is involved and the shock that an individual suffered years ago, “bell ringers” that were shaken off, we have learned have a great deal of effect years later.
Take all the time he needs. This is more important than a race.
Please get better.
I wonder if he’ll try to do anything to help Golden Boy win the title? Is it worth the risk? He has to be chomping at the bit to get back in the car.