NASCAR: Worst-kept secret of 2021 finally confirmed
By Asher Fair
Alex Bowman has officially signed a multi-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports to continue driving the #48 Chevrolet through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
It was always seen as a formality, and now it is official: Alex Bowman has signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports to continue driving the #48 Chevrolet through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
After Bowman’s victory at Dover International Speedway in mid-May, which led a 1-2-3-4 Hendrick Motorsports sweep, team owner Rick Hendrick noted that the announcement of an extension for the 28-year-old Tucson, Arizona native was only a matter of time.
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Here is what Hendrick had to say last month.
"“We’ve already started. It should be done any time. We want Alex there. He wants to be there. It’s kind of at this point just a formality.”"
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Back in October 2019, before Jimmie Johnson announced that he would retire from his role as the driver for the #48 Chevrolet at the end of the 2020 season, Ally Financial signed a contract extension to continue serving as the full-time primary sponsor of the car through the 2023 season.
Bowman, who signed a one-year extension early last season, was moved to the #48 Chevrolet from the #88 Chevrolet after Johnson retired as a result of Ally Financial’s full-time sponsorship deal, and now his contract length matches that of his primary sponsor.
What a way to kick off #Ally400 weekend! Cheers to two more years, @Alex_Bowman! We are so excited to continue to be your ally! pic.twitter.com/PWkDnHCr3A
— Ally Racing (@allyracing) June 18, 2021
Cue the confetti!
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) June 18, 2021
Let’s continue to #DoItRight! Thank you @AllyRacing and @TeamHendrick https://t.co/mefnlIN3hL
Big weekend for you guys! Congrats https://t.co/dhUy05m70q
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) June 18, 2021
Among the pending free agents for the 2022 season, Bowman was the driver for whom a return to his current team was seen as the biggest foregone conclusion. There is much more speculation regarding other free agents such as Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola and Matt DiBenedetto.
Bowman has won a career-high two races so far this season. Before winning at Dover International Speedway last month, he also won at Richmond Raceway in mid-April. He secured his first career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June 2019, and he secured his second win at Auto Club Speedway in March 2020.
He has now won in three consecutive seasons and is one of only seven drivers who can make that claim. He made it to the round of 12 of the playoffs in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, his first two seasons competing full-time for Hendrick Motorsports, and he made it to the round of 8 for the first time last year.
Hendrick Motorsports now have their entire four-driver lineup under contract through at least the end of next year.
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The announcement of Bowman’s contract extension comes ahead of the inaugural Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway, appropriately named the Ally 400. This race is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 20.