AVONDALE, Ariz. — Alex Bowman will miss this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race after he was diagnosed with vertigo.
Bowman, who drives the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet, was too ill to continue racing last Sunday at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and was replaced with 20 laps to go by Myatt Snider, who had been working in the pits for Fox Sports at the time of the driver change.
Anthony Alfredo will drive the No. 48 Chevy in place of Bowman at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, which is the fourth race on the 2026 Cup Series schedule. Alfredo has 210 starts in NASCAR national series races, including 43 on the top-tier Cup Series. He is the simulator test driver for Hendrick and Chevrolet.
Bowman began experiencing symptoms Sunday in Texas and got out of the car on the 71st lap. The 32-year-old Arizona native underwent two days of medical evaluation this week and drove laps Thursday in a street car at the Ten Tenths Motor Club road course in Concord, North Carolina, before he was ruled out of competition.
“Alex has worked very hard over the last several days,” said Jeff Andrews, president of Hendrick Motorsports. “We’re encouraged by the progress he’s making, but we have to prioritize his health above all else. It’s obviously frustrating for him because he’s a competitor and wants to be in the race car, especially at his home track. We’ll continue to support Alex and look forward to his return as soon as he’s medically cleared.”