NASCAR Cup
Bowman: Missing races from injury "an uncomfortable situation"
Alex Bowman knows firsthand the struggles with sitting out races because of injury and it’s not a pleasant experience.
Jim Utter
Published: Mar 4, 2023, 9:21 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Bowman missed five races last season while recovering from a concussion and then-Xfinity Series regular Noah Gragson took over the driving duties of his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Bowman was asked about the experience on Saturday in light of the news that his Hendrick teammate, Chase Elliott, will miss at least “several weeks” after suffering a broken left leg in a snowboarding accident on Friday.
Elliott underwent successful surgery late Friday and is expected to be discharged before Sunday.
Read Also:
“It’s a really uncomfortable situation. You almost feel like forgotten because obviously everything keeps going, except for you. That’s kind of what it was like for me,” Bowman, 29, explained.
“I watched every race, with the exception of one, I went to an NFL game. Just something my doctor wanted me to do. Other than that, I watched every week. And yeah, it’s not fun. Obviously went to Martinsville (Speedway) and sat on the pit box for that one.
“It’s just a weird feeling to be in the race car every week for so long and be a part of this deal every week for so long, and then realize it goes on even if you don’t.”
However, the dynamics aren’t all bad for those involved.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed races with a concussion in 2016, Bowman got the opportunity to fill in for his team. His tenure with Hendrick at the time helped land him a fulltime ride with the organization later.
JR Motorsports Xfinity driver Josh Berry, 32, will fill in for Elliott this Sunday in what Bowman calls “a good opportunity” for him.
“Obviously, we had some success when I filled in, but it’s really hard. I think it’s only gotten harder with the Next Gen car coming in,” Bowman said. “The Xfinity car used to be so similar to a Cup car, and now they couldn’t be more different in how they drive and how you can approach how to aggressively drive them.
“I think it is a good opportunity for Josh to learn and to see how Hendrick Motorsports operates and to see the things that we do and to be a part of an organization like that, even though it’s through a situation that nobody wants.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Joey Logano rockets to pole for Las Vegas Cup race
Next article Ty Gibbs focused on "bigger picture" in rookie Cup season
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jim Utter
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
Latest news
“It will be so sad” - MotoGP riders lament loss of Phillip Island
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
“It will be so sad” - MotoGP riders lament loss of Phillip Island
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
15 h
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
Porsche boss Laudenbach says he is "not happy" with how things were handled by IMSA in 2026
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 16 h
Porsche boss Laudenbach says he is "not happy" with how things were handled by IMSA in 2026
Five things to watch out for at the F1 United States GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
16 h
Five things to watch out for at the F1 United States GP
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe