After missing the last four NASCAR Cup Series races, Alex Bowman will be back in the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway on November 6 after being cleared to return to racing following a concussion.
The announcement means that Bowman will get one more race with crew chief Greg Ives, who has announced he will step away from that role following the season. The two first raced together in 2016 when Bowman was a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Bowman made the announcement about his return in a video he released on Twitter.
See you in Phoenix! pic.twitter.com/OSKg1AweST
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) October 28, 2022
“[Crew chief] Greg [Ives] and I started something there in 2016 that we never got to finish,” Bowman, an Arizona native, said in a video posted to his social media accounts. “Hopefully we can get the job done. To have one final race with Greg is going to be really special.”
“It’s been a long road and a lot of work. But excited to be back to 100% and be able to get back in a race car. … We’re going to finish the season strong and hopefully get one last win for Greg.”
The seven-time Cup Series winner suffered a concussion at Texas Motor Speedway in late September and missed all four races since then. He will also miss this Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway with Noah Gragson continuing to fill in for him.
Bowman was cleared to return after an evaluation by Dr. Michael “Micky” Collins, clinical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program.
“We’re thrilled Alex is 100% and will have the opportunity to race at his home track,” Jeff Andrews, president, and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement. “Throughout this process, he’s been incredibly diligent about following the advice of his doctors and prioritizing his health. All of us look forward to welcoming Alex back and seeing him finish 2022 with his No. 48 teammates.”
The NASCAR world was thrilled with the news that Bowman was on the mend and would be able to race with Ives one last time.
Glad to have you back. 👊 https://t.co/iZ9xaHohft
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) October 28, 2022
Great news my friend!@TeamHendrick @allyracing https://t.co/uoUuONpYF8
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) October 28, 2022
Glad you get to come back for one final race with Greg Ives. https://t.co/dmIfmPEUQO
— DannyBTalks (Daniel Baldwin) (@DannyBTalks) October 28, 2022
Bowman is back! 👉🏼 https://t.co/2ntWDxmGjL
— Jamie Little (@JamieLittleTV) October 28, 2022
Good news from Alex 🙏🏻 https://t.co/QGX7YTydV4
— Garrett Smithley (@GarrettSmithley) October 28, 2022
Bowman is BACK https://t.co/Grdy7dnkq1
— Eric Estepp (@EricEstepp17) October 28, 2022
