Alex Bowman To Return To No. 48 NASCAR Chevy At Charlotte 600

After missing four Cup Series races due to a back injury, Alex Bowman will finally get back behind the wheel of the No. 48 NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1 for the Charlotte 600 on May 28^th, 2023.

Bowman suffered a compression fracture of his vertebra on April 25^th in an incident during a sprint car race in Iowa. Josh Berry, an Xfinity Series regular, stepped up to take control of the No. 48 NASCAR Chevy in the interim, and finally, on May 23^rd, Bowman completed a 170-lap medical evaluation at North Wilkesboro Speedway and was cleared to race this coming weekend.

“It’s a boost for all of us to have Alex return to the No. 48 car this weekend at our home track,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), which fields the No. 48 Camaro for Bowman. “He’s still 17^th in points, which says a lot about how well the team performed at the start of the year. Alex has worked hard to rehab the injury and come back strong, and I look for him to continue having a championship-caliber season.”

Bowman will be granted a medical waiver to compete in the NASCAR Playoffs if he ends up qualifying for it. As it stands right now, he is five positions out of the 12^th-place cutoff halfway through the regular Cup Series season. While Bowman posted excellent results prior to his injury, leading the Cup Series in terms of average finish through the first 10 races of the 2023 season, the No. 48 NASCAR Chevy team has been subject to several penalties already this year.

While the first round of point deductions was eventually redacted, the No. 48 Chevy team was again hit with penalties due to unapproved parts modifications. If Bowman wants to put the No. 48 Camaro in the championship running, he will have to overcome a 60-point deduction.

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