Kyle Petty urges Rick Hendrick to give Alex Bowman ‘another shot’ to prove his worth at HMS

Kyle Petty reflected on Alex Bowman's season so far and advocated against his release from Hendrick Motorsports. He explained how Bowman 'adds' to the four-car outfit and propels them forward.

Bowman was the last driver to make the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and he was among the four who failed to reach the Round of 12. His season has been a mismatch of multiple top-10s and a worrying number of finishes outside the top-30.

He currently ranks 13th in the driver's standings, while all of his HMS teammates sit above the playoff cutline. Despite finishing eighth in the recently concluded Bass Pro Shops Night Race, his ranking suffered due to his poor results at Darlington and Gateway.

Reflecting upon his low standing amongst the HMS stable, Kyle Petty said(via NASCAR.com),

"That's always been the MO at Hendrick Motorsports. They always have one car that lags behind a little bit. 48 team, seems to be the team since Jimmie Johnson left, that lags behind a little bit."

"Now should they get rid of him....it's Rick's decision, not our decision....The sponsor likes him, Rick likes him, the team likes him, he adds something to the combination and he helps the whole group move forward. So let's give him another shot," he added.

Alex Bowman had a tough time qualifying for the playoffs, having gone winless this season. As a Chicago Race winner, he was a favourite going into the event this time around, but failed to repeat the feat and ended up with an eighth-place result instead. If not for Ryan Blaney's win at Daytona, Bowman would've been knocked out from the postseason altogether.

Following his Round of 16 exit, HMS reassigned Bowman's pit crew to William Byron's No.24 team

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"I don't think he's gonna stop at 60": Kyle Petty heaps high praise on Denny Hamlin

Kyle Petty recently reflected on Denny Hamlin's 59-race win record and predicted more success for the Joe Gibbs Racing ace. Hamlin's Gateway win marked his fifth race win of the season, an incredible feat considering the 44-year-old's star-calibre peers.

“Denny is doing something, I'm telling you guys. Somebody may prove me wrong, but I think he's gonna be the last guy to climb that mountain and put that stick in the ground up there that says 60 time winner plus, because I don't think he's gonna stop at 60,” Kyle Petty said via X/NASCAR.

As the winningest driver so far, Denny Hamlin also leads the playoff standings with 26 points to the good. He's closely trailed by William Byron and Kyle Larson, each with 24 points above the cutline.

Next up, the No.11 driver heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to open his bid in the Round of 12. Notably, Hamlin has won three times at the Loudon track.