Alex Bowman will retire from full-time competition at the end of the 2027 season, Hendrick Motorsports announced July 23.
As part of the announcement, Bowman signed a one-year contract extension to remain in the No. 48 for 2027.
“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 in a team release. “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 yourself.
“To say I’m incredibly grateful to Mr. [Rick] Hendrick, our partners at Ally and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. They believed in me and gave me the biggest opportunity of my life.
“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.”
Added team owner Rick Hendrick, “Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time. He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class. Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family.”
In 2026, Bowman has three top fives and four top 10s in 17 starts. He missed four races at the beginning of the year due to symptoms of vertigo.
He’ll hit 400 Cup starts next year, with eight victories, his first coming in 2019.
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