Back when Rick Hendrick encouraged his drivers to take part in all the extra-curricular track action they could find, little did anyone at Hendrick Motorsports know how costly that prospect would prove for their Cup Series campaign. However, Alex Bowman would find this out in a frightening incident in April during a High Limit Racing event where his Sprint Car collision with Conner Morrell left him with a vertebrae injury.

While Bowman and the 48 Chevrolet missed four races due to the incident, the damage extends far beyond just the physical realm. Bowman has been an exceptionally outspoken advocate of the Winged Sprint Car series ever since his debut, but the raw pace of the cars and the high-stakes racing have left him wanting more from the Cup Series and the Next Gen cars!

The Cup Series fails to live up to Alex Bowman’s Sprint Car adventures

Speaking on the DirtTrckr podcast, Alex Bowman spoke about a range of topics from his Hendrick Motorsports outings and his ventures into Sprint Car racing. He shared that the Winged Sprint car series was a frightening mountain to climb, making the Cup Series look lacklustre in comparison. Bowman reflected on the first few Winges Sprint Car races he had to endure, “I remember, my first couple of Winged Sprint car races like I wouldn’t breathe, my heart rate was maxed out, and I would get arm pumps like I was dying.”

Although the Cup Series cars have packed quite a punch when compared to the Sprint Car behemoths, they fail to live up to the raw emotions of the lightweight Sprint chassis that feels much faster. Bowman further added, “And now, if I go and race a Winged Sprint car like I was doing it eight months ago or whatever, it was low heart rate, like a little more intense than a Cup Car but pretty normal. But those first couple of ones were big and I feel like just how quickly everything happened. It like really slowed things down in the Cup Car.”

Alex Bowman also was a huge fan of the use of wings and sideboards in the Winged Sprint Cars, which made them high-downforce marvels. He believed the aerodynamic complexities of the Cup Series cars also carried over to the Midget dirt and pavement ovals but felt it did more harm than good for his NASCAR prospects. He shared, “You know, I think the pavement stuff really, it might have created bad habits for me because I wanted, and still want, really lose race cars.”

Bowman felt NASCAR had made some changes to the car over the seasons, but the driving style he learnt to optimize in Sprint Car races with a looser set-up would create issues in the Cup Series. He concluded, “Compared to my three teammates I had the loosest car by a mile every week and I had to be or I was complaining about it so definitely thought that was like a pavement midget thing, just how loose you had to drive those cars to go fast.”

READ MORE: Major Setback as Tony Stewart & Co. Decide to Shut Down a Racing Team

It’s safe to say Alex Bowman’s keeping his distance from Dirt Track racing after the scary incident earlier this year. But could it already have done more harm than good in terms of his expectations? One thing’s for sure. Alex Bowman has his priorities straight!

‘I don’t need to do that again.’ – Bowman shifts focus to Cup Series despite Sprint Car temptations

Trending

NASCAR Lawsuit: France Family Blocked Michael Jordan’s Acquisition of Tony Stewart’s Ruins After SHR Deterioration

After Painful NASCAR Exit, Tony Stewart Shutting Down Prized Venture In Emotional Decision Shocks Fans

“It Terrifies Me”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Confesses an Unexpected Fear of His Iconic NASCAR Trophies

Joe Gibbs’ Star Ran Out of Talent, Claims Bubba Wallace Insider After Successive Kansas Fumbles

Ricky Rudd Boldly Predicts Shane van Gisbergen to Lose His NASCAR Crown With Cup Series Promotion

Speaking to Dave Moody on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio, Bowman shared his intentions to put a hold on his Winged Spring Car campaign to focus on his full-time Hendrick Motorsports career. Before his injury cost him heavily, Bowman had scored six top-ten finishes and three top-five finishes. For the man eager to challenge the top contenders for the title, setbacks like such are ill-affordable.

He was quoted by FloRacing, “I’ve missed, what, 10 Cup races in the last two years for injuries? For Ally and Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet and everybody that puts so much into the 48 program, I can’t afford to miss more races. I need to be in the car every week. You look at what it did to us this year, we go from being extremely strong and up front in points every week to a really tough rest of the year. I don’t need to do that again.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Star Wars Saga: Bubba Wallace’s Galactic Surprise for Ryan Blaney 

It’s no secret that Alex Bowman and the Winged Sprint Car series fans will have to hold on to their dirt track racing passion for now. But will Bowman’s decision to focus on his Cup Series career finally pay off for Rick Hendrick and Co?