The Chili Bowl Nationals, the ‘Super Bowl of Midget Racing’, is underway. And when you think midget cars, Alex Bowman isn’t the first name that pops into your head, despite being a two-time USAC dirt midget champion. Sadly, even Hendrick Motorsports failed to acknowledge that Bowman was at the Chili Bowl 2025 in their post on X. However, to be fair to them, he was not there in his usual role.

Yes. We all know Kyle Larson is racing in the Chili Bowl. But Alex Bowman running this time as a team owner of four is a pretty massive deal. And to Bowman, it’s probably feeling much tougher than being a driver. Recently, he confessed an owner’s POV. And we are afraid this could be his last attempt as an owner.

Alex Bowman is worn out at Chili Bowl

Alex Bowman, in partnership with Ally Financial, has brought four cars to the Tulsa Expo Center under Alex Bowman Racing. And it’s not just random picks, it’s actually a veteran lineup. Jake Swanson, CJ Leary, and Kevin Thomas have all raced at the historic event before. Only Briggs Danner is the newcomer.

And even though Danner might be new to the Chili Bowl, he’s got an impressive midget racing resume – 2022 and 2023 USAC East Coast sprint car champion. While Alex Bowman might have close to a dream team here. The fatigue of Chili Bowl has gotten to him.

Speaking to Floracing, he was asked about his experience as an owner. And we’d expected him to be all jumpy and possibly speak about a 5th entry in the 2026 Chili Bowl. We get it. This event is no joke. With 360+ drivers and a ton of heat races, everyone’s fighting for that coveted Golden Driller trophy. But Bowman’s ready to throw in the towel. “We are shrinking. We need to shrink this is too much. Our parts bill is very high my back hurts. My lower back. Working on this concrete. I said my back hurts people are gonna freak out. Not from that. It’s from leaning over working on Midgets,” he added.

Why did Bowman say people are going to freak out? Well for that we would have to take you back to 2023. In April of that year, the HMS driver was competing in a High Limit Racing sprint race in Iowa. A devastating accident saw Bowman’s car flip and he landed badly, causing him to fracture his vertebrae and miss the next four Cup Series Races. Since then, Bowman has toned down his ventures into dirt racing. So to keep fans out of any worry, Bowman quickly mentioned  it wasn’t anything serious

Bowman also jokingly claimed that his job as a mechanic was carrying this team, saying, “Yeah, my back hurts from carrying these guys on my back all week.”

Alex Bowman has been venting about the challenges of Chili Bowl since Day 4. But he did manage to slip in that he thinks he’s holding up better than Kyle Larson. The two-time Chili Bowl champion doesn’t seem to be having the most pleasant outing in Tulsa.

Alex Bowman is struggling to keep it fun

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At the start of the event, Bowman seemed pretty excited about it all, talking about how he was just there to have fun and not stress about the competition. He said, “We go racing when it’s convenient and fun and don’t try to have it be too much pressure or anything like that. It’s raw, there’s no politics involved. You just go out there and give it 100% every night.”

He even called his team an “unprofessional group of friends” who had gathered to race. But fast-forward a few days, and it’s clear those same “friends” are starting to wear on him. More than the job itself, it’s the fact that Bowman can’t catch a break, and that has drained the man. The last time Bowman looked this flushed was when he was disqualified at the ROVAL in the 2024 Cup Series playoffs. However, he still took to Hendrick Motorsports Instagram page to give HMS fans an update from Tulsa.

In the recent Instagram video, Bowman joked, “Hey guys, we’re here at Chili Bowl. I’ve been here for I don’t know how many days, and I haven’t seen the sun. I’m not sick yet, so that is a bonus, ‘cause I think Larson’s dying.”

You can practically hear the exhaustion in his voice. “Cars are sometimes fast, sometimes not. Sometimes they fly through the air, sometimes they go dead. I don’t know. I was told to take a selfie video. So hope you guys really enjoyed my insightful look at the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals.”

It’s clear Bowman’s having a tough time keeping up with the demands of being a team owner at this level. Between the physical strain, the logistical headaches, and the constant grind, he’s had enough. Will this be his last Chili Bowl as a car owner? Only time will tell, but based on his recent comments, we wouldn’t be shocked if he calls it quits after this year.

What do you think about Alex Bowman’s journey as a team owner? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!