The past three seasons have been nothing short of a rollercoaster for Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman. From multiple injuries to getting disqualified in agonizing fashion, it’s safe to say Bowman is hoping to turn a new leaf in 2025. However, things could have gone much worse for the HMS driver, and he is certainly grateful to recover from his injuries in 2022 and 2023. 2024 was a comeback year of sorts for Bowman.

After two years of struggle, Bowman made it to the playoffs and finished in the top 10. He registered the much-needed victory in Chicago while having five top-10 finishes in the final ten races of the season. Despite getting disqualified at the Roval following a post-race inspection and subsequently eliminated from the playoffs, Bowman saw the lighter side of it, as he was nowhere near being in this position a year back. Bowman recently opened up about the struggles he endured over the past two years.

Alex Bowman believes in his team!

Alex Bowman’s journey over the past two seasons has been a testament to perseverance. Facing back-to-back injuries, the Hendrick Motorsports driver endured both physical and mental challenges that pushed him to his limits. Recently, in a conversation with Racer, Bowman highlighted how he countered frustration and self-doubt issues.

“I don’t know if I questioned myself, but I think definitely after two back-to-back bigger injuries, it’s easy to get in that spot. It wasn’t much fun, especially (because) we were so good before I broke my back and came back, and we were good for like two weeks and then terrible the rest of the season. It was crazy how bad we were at places that I’m typically really good at,” Bowman told Racer.

It’s worth noting that 2021 was Bowman’s best year in NASCAR in terms of wins, notching up 4 wins to go with eight top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes. He continued to dominate the first half of the 2022 season before the disaster struck. Bowman had a concussion after his No. 48 Chevrolet crashed at Texas Motor Speedway. His injury pushed him out of the playoffs. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver made a comeback and had a drive at the season finale, ending the season 16th in the driver’s standings.

Bowman started the 2023 season as one of the favorites, finishing in the top 10 in six out of seven races. He was the leading point scorer too, before another injury struck. Bowman flipped his Sprint Car in a High Limit Racing event at 34 Raceway in Iowa and was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra which forced him to miss key races. After his return, the no.48 program failed to put up a show as Bowman finished 20th in the standings, his worst finish since driving full time for HMS in 2018.

However, the 2024 season came with a sigh of relief for the Hendrick Motorsport veteran as he registered a win at the Chicago Street Race. His success in the second half of the season, five top 10 finishes in the last 10 races, has ignited the hope within the squad. “So that was really frustrating and this year, we didn’t start the year (well) but we turned it around pretty quickly. I think we’ve done a lot of the right things, and I think being on the other side of it definitely feels good,” Bowman told Racer.

However, the 2025 season will be a real test for both Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports. Rick Hendrick’s squad has had some serious injury concerns in the last few years. Multiple drivers have faced severe injuries in off-track activities which have troubled their programs.

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Is Hendrick Motorsports becoming the home of injuries?

Rick Hendrick has been known for his discipline and strict behavior. He has always prioritized his NASCAR commitments over anything. However, in recent years, Hendrick Motorsports has seen some unwanted injuries toppling their NASCAR seasons.

Apart from Alex Bowman’s injuries, his teammate Chase Elliott also had a rough 2023 season. Ahead of the season’s third race at Las Vegas, Elliott had a horrible snowboarding crash which foiled his playoff dreams. Despite having a waiver, Elliott failed to put up a show and could not make it to the playoffs.

These injuries had opened a debate among fans about Hendrick Motorsports going Joe Gibbs Racing’s way. Notably, JGR had enforced a complete ban on its drivers to race outside NASCAR. However, JGR had the ban for around 2 years and lifted it earlier this year. In terms of HMS banning racing outside NASCAR? Highly unlikely, especially because of Kyle Larson’s love for dirt racing and the fact that he owns a racing series called ‘High Limit Racing’. However, the team will surely be looking to avoid these unwanted injuries as they look to curb the recent Penske domination.

After Bowman and Elliott’s injury last year Larson had clarified that he will continue to participate in dirt racing. He had said, “I make a good chunk of money racing, selling merchandise at the dirt tracks. I get to race in front of a lot of fans who might not get to see me at a NASCAR race. I weigh it all.”

Apart from Larson, Elliott himself has said that he will continue snowboarding and other activities. Despite these statements, all four charters of Hendrick Motorsports will be keen to capitalize on the benchmark they set in 2024. So, what do you think? Will HMS have their hands on the Cup series title in 2025?