Not all rumors turned out to be true after all. The internet was buzzing with the silly season drama these past few days. And, all the noise was around Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman and his uncertain future. The rumor caught fire when the panel, including NASCAR insiders like Brett Griffin and Freddie Kraft, shared their take on the story.

It’s fair to say that this silly season speculation was selling like hot cake. To an extent, many even started guessing Bowman’s next team and his replacement in the No. 48 car. But the HMS driver has now come out to put an end to these rumors, confirming his stay in the team for 2025.

Alex Bowman claims the backing of Mr. H

The Arizona native isn’t the most consistent race car driver in the HMS lineup. He barely made the playoffs thanks to his win at the Chicago Street race. Although a win certainly was a huge result for the #48 team, snapping an 80-race winless streak. But it wasn’t enough for his critics, who predicted his exit from the team at the end of the season.

Despite the speculations gaining traction and rumor mills running in overtime, it all turned out to be just outside noise. And Bowman himself publicly announced his role with the team going forward. “Yeah, that rumor has certainly been annoying. Definitely, my contract is through 2026, and all I can tell you is what my bosses have told me—that there are no plans for change or anything.” The driver said in an interview, declining any move.

But how long will HMS keep supporting the driver, considering that apart from his victory in the Windy City he hasn’t run up the field? Surely, Hendrick drivers aren’t competing for top-10 finishes and running like a mid-pack outfit. Work needs to be done by Bowman and the #48 team, but there are no conditions he needs to meet to keep his job.

“Certainly, that’s a rumor that I’ve heard for a month, right? It got to a point like I picked up the phone and called everybody, and everybody said absolutely not. That’s all I really have to go on, and I don’t have a reason to believe anything else. There’s no need to do this to keep your job, like it’s absolutely not and everything’s fine,” Alex Bowman added.

While Bowman has the trust and backing of Mr. H, it’s about time that the #48 team turns a new leaf. Fortunately, he will be able to do so in the upcoming playoff races that start this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The No. 48 can still be a hot seat

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It’s fair to say that Bowman will retain his ride for the 2025 season. However, his continued future with the team depends on his combined performances in the playoffs and next year. With the likes of Riley Herbst, Justin Haley, and Sam Mayer knocking on the door for a Cup Series ride, it makes for a competitive environment.

During the 2022 season, he missed out on making the playoffs and had to sit out a major portion of that run due to concussion protocols. In the 2023 season, he suffered a severe back injury that marked his absence from three-point-paying races. Therefore, putting high hopes on his playoff run in 2024 is like a gamble. But Bowman knows he needs to deliver in the next 10 races to turn the tides in his favor.

“Beyond that like we need to go run better. It’s been a miserable month; we haven’t executed on a high level, so we need to go run better the next 10 weeks, but we need to do that for us and our plan for Ally and the 48 car. There’s no like you need to this to keep the job; as far as I know, I don’t worry about that at all,” the driver explained during the interview.

Only time will tell if Alex Bowman manages to secure his ride with HMS for the long run. And it goes without saying, the playoffs will be crucial for him to prove his worth to his team.