NASCAR: 3 candidates to drive the #48 car in 2022

Alex Bowman won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, but he is still without a contract to compete in 2022.

Alex Bowman entered the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season as arguably the top pending free agent on the market for the 2022 season after signing only a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports last season.

Bowman signed his one-year extension in mid-May during the 10-week hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic after his dominant victory at Auto Club Speedway two races prior.

It was speculated at the time that he could move from the #88 Chevrolet to the #48 Chevrolet for sponsorship reasons, and that move was later confirmed. Jimmie Johnson retired after the 2020 season, but in October 2019, Ally Financial had signed a massive multi-year extension to continue serving as the primary sponsor of the #48 Chevrolet on a full-time basis through 2023.

Yet even after Bowman’s move to the #48 team was confirmed, he remained under contract through only 2021. That is still the case to this day, even though all three of his teammates are under contract through at least 2022.

So who are three candidates to drive the #48 Chevrolet in 2022? Let’s take a look.

Candidates to drive the #48 Chevrolet: No. 1 – Alex Bowman

After Bowman’s win in Sunday’s race, Rick Hendrick said that having him back behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet next year was simply a “formality” at this point and that negotiations have already begun.

Given the fact that Ally Financial already have a deal that runs through the 2023 season, anything less than a two-year extension for the 28-year-old Tuscon, Arizona native would be a surprise.