As the 2024 NASCAR playoffs are set to start this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the sixteen drivers in those playoffs had a busy day in Charlotte with the media. Plenty of topics were the talk of the town, but some interesting rumors have been on the mind of the NASCAR garage area.
Those rumors pertain to Alex Bowman’s future at HMS and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 car. This isn’t the first time they have been rumbling about Bowman’s future. It certainly doesn’t help that the rumor started on Dirty Mo Media’s Door Bumper Clear podcast. It has been well documented that the No. 7 car at Spire Motorsports is open with Corey LaJoie departing. One of the co-hosts of the podcast and part-time spotter Brett Griffin certainly suggested Bowman could be out at Hendrick.
That certainly is a bold statement, but is the rumor true, that was a major talking point with Bowman who is more focused on the upcoming playoffs.
Alex Bowman Silences Annoying Rumors About Future
Sure, 2023 wasn’t a good year for Bowman as he missed races because of injury. Not to mention he failed to win for the first time since 2019. He has had a great bounce-back year that included a win in the Chicago Street Race earlier this season. Still, when rumors start amongst the NASCAR garage and the talking heads of the sport, things can get lost in the shuffle.
Bowman made quick work to address what he called an ‘annoying’ rumor with the Media on Wednesday afternoon.
” That rumor has certainly been annoying,” Bowman said via motorsport.com. ” Obviously, my contract is through the end of 2026. All I can tell you is like what my bosses have told me, and that there are no plans to change anything. Yeah, rumors are just rumors. Hopefully they’ll get their announcements done so my rumors stop, obviously. Yeah, as far as I know, I’m driving the No. 48 next year.”
You’ve had to deal with a lot this year, even in the past. Fair or not fair, how do you deal with that?
“Yeah, I mean for me – like that’s a rumor that I’ve heard for a month. It got to the point where I picked up the phone and called everybody, and everybody said, ‘absolutely not’. So, that’s really all I have to go on and I don’t have a reason to believe anything other than that. There’s no – oh, you need to do this to keep your job. Like it’s absolutely not.. everything’s fine.
Beyond that, we need to go run better. It’s been a miserable month. We haven’t executed on a high level at all, so we need to go run better the next 10 weeks. But we need to do that for us and our playoff run; for Ally and the No. 48 team. There’s no like – you need to do this to keep your job. As far as I know, I’m not worried about that at all.”
Sure he has had a down summer, other than his win in Chicago. Outside of Kyle Larson, Hendrick has had a quiet summer. His relationship with sponsor Ally has been huge, and they certainly don’t appear to be looking for a change.
A Phone Call Gave Bowman Reassurance
Bowman continued to address the rumors while sitting down with Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. Bowman told him about a phone call he made to Hendrick to shut down any worries.
Alex Bowman said he made calls this week to Hendrick brass amid the rumors he could be out of a ride after this season. He said with it being September, he would know if he wasn't going to return: pic.twitter.com/Y3hS3VLw0D
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 4, 2024
” I read all the rumors, and just asked a question and I was told ‘absolutely not’ everything is fine,” Bowman said. ” It’s September I would know if I wasn’t going to be back next season.”
No offense Brett, but if Hendrick Motorsports and Bowman are all good, then you should take their word. Maybe you should worry about your career, before starting annoying rumors like you always seem to do.
