Alex Bowman Excited to Return to Racing After Concussion Scare

Many drivers were disappointed with how their 2022 season ended, but Bowman's situation was much different. The Hendrick Motorsports driver missed five of the last six races as he recovered from a concussion that he suffered in a crash at Texas. His absence eliminated him from the playoff field, but he was at least able to get back into the seat for the season finale at Phoenix.

Entering his eighth full-time season in Cup, Bowman is hoping for a much better year this time around. Last season started out well, as he won the third race on the calendar at Las Vegas. Results were few and far between after that.

Bowman recorded just three more top-five finishes the rest of the season, and was largely absent when the playoffs began. It was a far contrast from his 2021 season, where he won four races and was on the verge of breaking out.

Now that he is fully healthy and ready to go, Bowman faces a new challenge. The four car stable at Hendrick is oozing with young talent, led by champions Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Both Bowman and William Byron are still trying to establish themselves as consistent week-to-week threats, but they have each demonstrated their ability to win multiple races.

Rick Hendrick is hoping to see more growth from those two this season. The addition of crew chief Blake Harris should elevate Bowman to new heights this season.

"Blake was handpicked when we knew Greg Ives would be transitioning," said Jeff Gordon. "I'm excited to see how those two click this year. All of the guys here are working together to try to be the top dog. I love the internal competition. It's what drove me and Jimmie Johnson, and it's what drove others at Hendrick for many years."

Bowman is hoping to get the bad taste of 2022 out of his mouth. In addition to the missed races, his last three finishes last season were 32nd, 29th, and 34th. That is far from expectations when driving for one of the premier organizations in the sport. His fresh start comes this weekend in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, an event that did not go well for him last year.

The inaugural Clash featured 23 cars competing in the main event, with drivers going through a series of Heat races to advance their way in. Bowman is no stranger to this concept, being an experienced sprint car driver himself. The end result though, was Bowman missing out on the main event, having to watch from the sidelines. That is a feeling that no driver ever wants to experience.

The cars were new and so was the venue, and Bowman was far from the biggest name that missed the main event. Now in the second year of this event and the NextGen car, teams and drivers have a much better understanding of what they are working with. This should benefit a guy like Bowman, who will be extremely motivated to perform well tomorrow.

Bowman was 9th fastest in qualifying on Saturday, which means he will start 3rd in the first Heat race tomorrow. The 25-lap Heat races will set the field for the main event on Sunday night. There may not be any points awarded, but Bowman believes in momentum, and would love to take some with him into Daytona next week.