Not much has gone right this season for Alex Bowman, one in which he entered approaching free agency and questions about his future, and that’s not even including missing four races due a bout of vertigo.
Before and after the ailment, Bowman and his No. 48 team has struggled on the track, with the car sitting 30th in the owner standings.
“We’ve had some good weeks and a lot of not good weeks, unfortunately, Bowman said Tuesday during a NASCAR media teleconference. “Yeah, we’ve just struggled. It’s been really, really interesting. The places that we feel like we should run well (like) Bristol, Kansas, Dover … places that we’re historically really, really good at, Dover caught me off guard.
“We were always fast there and we were really bad. And then places that we historically struggle at (like) Texas and Sonoma, we were good at, so that’s been confusing on that side of things.”
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images
He and crew chief Blake Harris are at a loss in a lot of ways. Since coming back, Bowman has only three top-10s and they were thirds at Talladega and Texas and a 10th on Sunday at Sonoma.
Chase Elliott has been his usually consistent self at Hendrick Motorsports, with two wins, but Kyle Larson hasn’t won in over a year and William Byron isn’t challenging for wins right now either.
“As a company, we’re a little off of where we want to be, so just trying to get pointed in the right direction,” Bowman said. “Got a lot of really smart people at Hendrick Motorsports working really hard to get things rolling where they need to be. And I think our finishes are certainly worse than they should be.
“I think we’ve had better cars and we’ve been running better than we finished at a lot of these places, but unfortunately, yeah, it’s been a bit of a struggle. So just trying to get pointed back in the right direction. I think Sonoma was at least a step that way.”
Making the Chase for the Championship as a driver or entry are now out of the question. What is a question, is what Bowman is doing next year, with rumors ranging from a one-year extension at Hendrick Motorsports to retirement amidst staggering injuries.
Bowman conceded that he has a lot of options on the table and its getting close to time for a resolution but he’s simply focused on being the best Alex Bowman he can be right now.
He says he isn’t racing for his job and doesn’t feel like its the end of his tenure in the No. 48.
“I think for me, I’m just trying to do my part to try to help HMS be the best it can be right now,” Bowman said. “And obviously, trying to get things turned back around on the 48 side of things. I definitely don’t feel like I’m racing for my job or anything like that, by any means. So yeah, really just kind of week-to-week focused on trying to get pointed back in the right direction.”
What is the timeline for a decision?
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
Photo by: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of different conversations and kind of trying to figure out what the best thing to do is,” Bowman said. “So I would say sooner rather than later for sure. But really, I guess I haven’t really thought about. It hasn’t been the first thing on my mind by any means, and I really just have been working hard at trying to get things pointed in the right direction, but definitely think sooner rather than later.”
Bowman did offer that his health will play a factor into any decision. He has also suffered concussions and a broken back during this decade that has cost him seat time.
“Yeah, I mean, I feel okay,” Bowman said. “I think for me, I want to make the right decision for myself, I guess. And yeah, certain things haven’t gone how we wanted them to.
“But honestly, I’m at a point in my life where I’m super blessed to be in a position where I don’t have to do this forever. So I got to make the right decision, and I want Hendrick Motorsports to make the right decision and have everybody be on board with whatever we do.
“So yeah, I think I have a lot of faith in Rick (Hendrick) and Jeff (Gordon) and everybody to kind of guide all of us the right way and whatever happens, happens. Honestly, I’ve just been going to the racetrack trying to do my job and haven’t …
“Well, obviously you think about it, but it’s not like the number one thing on top of my mind all the time. I don’t go on the internet, so certainly I don’t get wound up about things. I hear about it from other people… But on my side of things, I’ve kind of avoided the rumors.”
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