Alex Bowman missed four NASCAR Cup Series races due to a fractured vertebrae. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)
CONCORD, NC — It has been a month since Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman has driven a car.
His last NASCAR Cup Series appearance was on April 23 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, but the last time he was strapped into a cockpit was on April 25 at 34 Raceway in Iowa.
As Bowman was battling Conner Morell for second place in the High Limit Sprint Car Series, there was contact between the drivers and Bowman rolled over several times in his No. 55 winged sprint car. He fractured a vertebra in the incident and die missed the last four races of the Cup Series.
But the #48 Chevrolet driver feels ready for his return this weekend, even if it’s the longest race on the NASCAR schedule – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (NC) Motor Speedway.
His biggest challenge?
“I’m trying to understand where my rusty spots will be and where I’m still fine,” Bowman said. “Until I do it, I don’t know.”
On Tuesday, Bowman completed 170 laps in a next-gen car at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the 0.625-mile short course that hosted last weekend’s All-Star race, to better appreciate the progress he was making in recovery.
After the test, the Hendrick Motorsports driver was significantly more confident about the return of his Coca-Cola 600, although he admits not much translates from one track to another.
“You can’t simulate Charlotte in North Wilkesboro,” Bowman said. “We had two sets of tires, two hours and a flat track that’s really smooth and doesn’t cause any g-forces (in North Wilkesboro). We’ve got five and a half hours tomorrow night with lots of G’s and lots of grip. It’s as different as can be. But I think I’ll be fine.”
With Saturday night’s Cup Series practice and qualifying wet, Bowman will have no track time ahead of Sunday’s race in Charlotte, making his laps at North Wilkesboro more valuable.
As for his anticipated pain, Bowman knows the 600-mile marathon will hurt – he just isn’t sure how much.
“I have a feeling that I’m going to suffer from this little pain that I’m going to hold on to for quite a while,” Bowman said. “This week versus next week versus following week — it is the way it is.”
The number 48 driver reckons he’ll be in quite a bit of pain once the adrenaline dies down and he gets out of the car after 600 miles. But Bowman firmly believes he can make it to the finish line.
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