Alex Bowman Officially Cleared To Race NASCAR Cup Event At Bristol

On Thursday, Hendrick Motorsports revealed that Alex Bowman, the full-time driver of the team's No. 48 Chevrolet, will officially return to compete this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bowman had been recovering from symptoms tied to a vertigo diagnosis, which came following a bout that he suffered in the No. 48 car late in the event at Circuit of the Americas on March 1.

After weeks of tireless work to get back to a position to compete, Bowman was officially medically cleared to compete heading into Sunday's race.

Bowman is just happy to have his absence behind him and is ready to get back to chasing checkered flags with his No. 48 team this weekend at the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I’m grateful for the support I’ve had from Hendrick Motorsports, my sponsor Ally, our fans, and the medical team throughout this process,” Bowman said in a release from the team. “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.”

According to Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman turned laps around the Ten Tenths Motor Club road course in Concord, NC, on Tuesday in a street car. The following day, the driver participated in pit stop practice, simulator testing, and had a medical evaluation. Following the rigorous schedule and suffering no setbacks, Bowman was formally cleared for competition, and the team notes that he has been given no restrictions.

“We’re proud of Alex and the way he’s handled this situation,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “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.”

Bowman has eight career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series in a career spanning 364 starts. The racer missed the events at Phoenix Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Martinsville Speedway, as he was recovering from his vertigo symptoms.

Anthony Alfredo filled in for Bowman at Phoenix, while Allgaier sat in for him at Vegas, Darlington, and Martinsville.

Allgaier’s 22nd-place finish at Martinsville was the best finish for the relief drivers over the four-race stretch.

Bowman will look to get his season back on track beginning this weekend in the 500-lap contest around Bristol.

Photo Credit: Matt Marrie | Racing America On SI