"His season has gone in a bad direction”: NASCAR experts highlight Rick Hendrick’s star Alex Bowman's alarming plummet after 9-race stretch

Alex Bowman, who drives for Rick Hendrick's team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has seen his season take a dramatic turn over the past two months. His Michigan crash was just the latest setback in a string of rough outings that has jeopardized his playoff hopes, dropping him from third to 13th in the standings.

NASCAR journalists Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi expressed their concerns on The Teardown podcast, with just 11 races left before the playoffs. Bianchi, reflecting on Bowman's heavy Stage 2 crash at the FireKeepers Casino 400, said:

"He is okay, first and foremost, but his season has gone in a bad direction. It is spiraling. It is just bad finish after bad finish near on a weekly basis now." (46:54 onwards)

Alex Bowman's current form is a stark contrast to his early-season consistency. Despite seven top-10 finishes in 2025, including a close second-place effort at Homestead, where he nearly beat teammate Kyle Larson, the 48 team has lacked staying power through the spring and early summer.

The wreck in Michigan marked his third DNF in the last five races. After starting in 16th Bowman fell behind, ending Stage 1 in 32nd. While running 29th on Lap 67, he then was collected in a multi-car crash after contact between Austin Cindric and Cole Custer. Bowman's No. 48 Chevrolet slammed head-on into the Turn 2 wall, matching his worst finish of the season at Nashville in 36th.

It capped a miserable nine-race stretch, where he has finished outside the top-25 in 7 of his last 9 races. This contributes to his worst run at Hendrick Motorsports that's seen him go from the top 3 in points to just clinging to a playoff spot.

"Nine races. He's gone from third to 13th in points. Wow. Man. So yeah, he's only plus 13 to the good," Jeff Gluck added. (48:07 onwards)

He currently stands 13 points ahead of the cutline, which underscores how fragile Bowman's playoff position is, especially with nine drivers already qualified.

Michigan wasn't kind to the Rick Hendrick-owned team as a whole. William Byron dominated early and led a race-high 98 laps, but was forced to pit with four laps to go due to a fuel shortage, finishing a disappointing 28th. With Larson and Byron already qualified for the 2025 playoffs (ranked 1 and 3), and Elliott sitting a comfortable fifth, the biggest uncertainty lies with Bowman.

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NASCAR honors Rick Hendrick with a historic Rolex for Daytona 500 milestone

(L-R) William Byron, Rudy Fugle, Jeff Gordon, and Rick Hendrick during the 2024 Daytona 500 Champion Celebration at Hendrick Motorsports Campus. Source: Getty

Despite Alex Bowman's struggles, the broader Hendrick Motorsports story in 2025 continues to be one of dominance. Earlier this year, William Byron secured his second straight Daytona 500 win, making Rick Hendrick the first team owner in NASCAR history to reach 10 Daytona 500 victories.

In recognition, NASCAR chairman Jim France presented the 75-year-old owner with a custom Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watch. The back of the watch is engraved with, "First 10x Daytona 500 champion", alongside Rick Hendrick's name, the team announced on social media.

Daytona president Frank Kelleher also gave HMS vice chairman Jeff Gordon a commemorative ring for Byron's 2024 win.

The team leads the number of Crown Jewels wins, with 12 Coca-Cola 600, 12 Southern 500, and 11 Brickyard 400 triumphs. The team also holds the record for most Cup Series championships (14) and points-paying wins (316).