Alex Bowman to miss next three NASCAR Cup Series playoff races due to concussion symptoms
Bowman to miss the entire Round of 8 due to concussion suffered at Texas
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1 min read
Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday afternoon that Alex Bowman will miss the next three NASCAR Cup Series races as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway. The injury will now sideline Bowman for five races in total, with the possibility of a sixth if he is not cleared to return for the season finale at Phoenix.
Hendrick's announcement came after Bowman was evaluated Wednesday in Pittsburgh by Dr. Michael Collins, clinical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The team stated that they will follow the recovery plan recommended by Dr. Collins, and they will evaluate Bowman's plans for the final race of the 2022 season at Phoenix Raceway "as the event approaches".
Noah Gragson will continue to serve as the substitute driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet.
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) October 12, 2022
"I am continuing to focus my efforts on getting my health back to 100% so that I can return racing as soon as possible," read a statement by Bowman. "I know that Noah will continue to do a great job representing the No. 48 and I'll be cheering him and the entire Ally Racing team on every lap."
Bowman was eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after being sidelined for the final two races of the Round of 12 at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, and he will now miss all of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville. Bowman won at Las Vegas in the spring, and he is also the defending champion of Martinsville's fall race.
Both Bowman and Kurt Busch will have missed extended time this year due to concussions suffered in crashes, a development which sparked outcry about the rigidness of NASCAR's Next Gen car and prompted the sanctioning body to make changes to the car in the name of driver safety for 2023.
