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Alex Bowman’s current crew chief at the #48 team at Hendrick Motorsports, Greg Ives, announced his plans midway through the 2022 NASCAR season to step down from the role at the end of the season. Now, Hendrick Motorsports on Friday announced Blake Harris as the new crew chief for Alex Bowman and the #48 team for the 2023 Cup Series season.
Blake Harris is currently in his first season as the crew chief of Michael McDowell’s #34 team at Front Row Motorsports. He led McDowell to a career-best season with 12 top-ten finishes, and a best performance in P3 at Sonoma Raceway in 32 races so far this season.
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Speaking about joining Hendrick Motorsports, Harris stated that the opportunity to work with Alex Bowman, sponsor Ally, and a champion team like Hendrick Motorsports is huge. He feels grateful that his dream of working with the top NASCAR team has been fulfilled now and is looking forward to building something special with the #48 team.
Harris said:
“The opportunity to work with a winning driver like Alex, an engaged sponsor like Ally and a championship team like Hendrick Motorsports is huge.”
He continued:
“When I moved to North Carolina in 2005, my goal was to become a crew chief for a top-caliber organization that could win races and compete for titles. I’m grateful for the chance to fulfill that dream and look forward to building something special with the No. 48 team.”
In his NASCAR career, Blake Harris has won 29 races, made five championship 4 playoff appearances, and a championship in 2017. In 2010, he moved to Furniture Row Racing and became the crew chief for drivers Kurt Busch (2013) and Martin Truex Jr. (2014-2018). He followed Truex Jr. to Joe Gibbs Racing and stayed there until accepting the crew chief role at Front Row Motorsports this season.
Alex Bowman spoke on working with new crew chief Blake Harris
Alex Bowman has been a part of Hendrick Motorsports since 2018, securing a playoff spot in each of his five seasons. The Tucson, Arizona-native is excited about the opportunity to work with Harris Blake as he feels that he is a great choice for him.
Bowman said:
“I'm pumped about the chance to work with Blake. He’s a great fit for me, for our No. 48 group and for the way Hendrick Motorsports operates week in and week out. With Blake and everyone who supports this Ally Racing team, I know we can build on what Greg started and take this to the next level.”
Alex Bowman is currently recovering from his concussion-like symptoms and will miss three more races to recover completely from the injury.
