Alex Bowman Tag

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – Starting position is key for any race at Charlotte Motor Speedway as 76.5% of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won by drivers starting in the Top 10. Starting position is even more important during a Chase race, like the Bank of America 500. Kevin Harvick qualified his No. 4 Busch Hunting Chevrolet SS won the pole for Saturday night’s race. Harvick’s 196.029 MPH, 27.547 second lap was just barely enough to edge out Alex Bowman, who continuesRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LOUDON, N.H. – Carl Edwards never had the reputation as a spectacular qualifier – until this year. On Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Edwards ran 135.453 mph (28.119 seconds) in the money round of knockout qualifying to earn the top start spot in Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN), the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Coors Light Pole Award was Edwards sixth of the year, doubling his previous single-season best. It wasRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor After missing six races while recovering from a concussion, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues his recovery. On Friday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Earnhardt had not been medically cleared to race for the final 12 races of the year. “I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season. To say I’m disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career. I’mRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Alex Bowman, filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is still recovering from concussion symptoms, certainly opened some eyes during his stint behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Bowman started a career-best sixth after qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 on Friday, and when the race started on Sunday he was in the mix for a win. Bowman was a solid top-five contender during the early portions of the race, when all of a sudden his car began to dropRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer With Dale Earnhardt Jr. still sidelined from competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series due to a concussion, and Jeff Gordon having prior commitments, Alex Bowman was once again called upon to pilot the No. 88 Axalta/University of Michigan Chervolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports. When Bowman rolled off of the truck for practice, he got his first taste on the lower downforce rules package that was used earlier this season at the first race at Michigan International Speedway of the year and Kentucky. Bowman was 14thRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor To say its been an abysmal stretch of racing for Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. The highest HMS car currently in the championship standings is Jimmie Johnson in ninth, and currently as things stand only Johnson and rookie Chase Elliott would be representing the organization in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. However, even after just accumulating three top-10 finishes between their four team cars over the last eight races, Hendrick Motorsports showcased some big-time speed Friday in qualifying for Sunday’s Pure MichiganRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Still ailing from concussion-like symptoms likely sustained earlier this summer at Michigan International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss at least two more NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday. Earnhardt was not medically cleared by his doctors in his most recent visit this week, and underwent further evaluation Wednesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Driving in place of Earnhardt this weekend at Michigan will be Alex Bowman, who drove for Earnhardt in his first missed event of theRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor The pressure on the shoulders of Alex Bowman must have been immense all week long, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell as the young driver from Tucson, Arizona looked calm, cool and collected while driving in relief of NASCAR’s most popular driver — Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bowman got the call mid-week to run the Sprint Cup Series race for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 team, after Earnhardt found out that what he believed to be a sinus infection was actually symptoms of a concussionRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor In a shock to the NASCAR world, Hendrick Motorsports announced on Thursday that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would miss Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after suffering from concussion-like symptoms in the recent weeks. In a team release, Earnhardt noted that he not been feeling well leading into last weekend’s race at Kentucky and after visiting his physicians and being evaluated, he was not cleared to race. Earnhardt missed a handful of races back in 2012 after being diagnosed with a concussion following hard crashesRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – The maiden voyage of the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Pocono Raceway was shorter than planned, but race winner Kyle Larson wasn’t complaining. NASCAR awarded the checkered flag in the Pocono Green 250 to Larson when the race was red-flagged after 53 of 100 scheduled laps and then called because of persistent rain. The victory was Larson’s first of the season and fourth in the series, but it was a source of frustration to runner-up Erik Jones, who arguably had theRead More