Alex Bowman has signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, where he has spent the majority of his NASCAR Cup Series career, but he will retire from full-time auto racing after the 2027 season.
The 2027 Cup Series season will be Bowman’s 10th with Hendrick Motorsports.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what’s next, and this feels like the right decision at the right time,” Bowman said in a prepared statement. “The sport asks a lot of you, and I’ve learned it’s important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yourself.
“To say I’m incredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, our partners at Ally and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. They believed in me and gave me the biggest opportunity of my life.
“My focus now is on making the most of any time on the race track and competing for wins. We still have a lot to accomplish, and I want to close my career on a high note for our team and our fans. To have the chance to do that with this organization and these people is really special.”
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Alex Bowman celebrating after winning the Chicago street course in 2024.
During Bowman’s time with Hendrick Motorsports, the Tucson, Arizona, native has claimed eight points-paying Cup Series victories and qualified for the playoffs seven times since 2018. He also started 10 Cup races for the team in 2016 while substituting for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. and was its primary simulator testing driver in 2017.
“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time,” Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said in a statement. “He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class. Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family.”
Bowman, 33, will eclipse 400 career starts in NASCAR’s Cup Series next season. He has competed in 307 races for Hendrick Motorsports, ranking sixth in team history.
Ally Financial has been Bowman’s primary sponsor since 2021.
“Ever since Alex became part of the Ally family, it was clear he was someone special—not just behind the wheel, but in the way he represents everything Ally stands for,” Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and PR officer at Ally, said in a statement. “We’ve been with him through the wins, the challenges and the moments that define a career, and we couldn’t be prouder of the legacy we’ve built together. The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet means something to our employees, our customers, and our fans, and knowing we get one final season with Alex to compete for wins in 2027 makes it all the more meaningful. He will be deeply missed on the track, and we couldn’t be more supportive of him as he looks ahead to the next chapter of his life.”
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.