NASCAR: Driver change announced for Hendrick Motorsports

With Alex Bowman experiencing concussion-like symptoms, Noah Gragson is set to replace him at Hendrick Motorsports for this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Concussion-like symptoms brought on by a single-car wreck in the Gen 7 car have sidelined another NASCAR Cup Series driver, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman ruled out for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Bowman spun and hit the wall in stage one of this past Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, though he was able to continue running. He finished in 29th place.

Set to replace Bowman behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet in this coming Sunday afternoon’s 188-lap race around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked Lincoln, Alabama oval is Noah Gragson.

Gragson competes full-time for the Hendrick-affiliated JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and also part-time in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing and Beard Motorsports. In fact, he had been set to drive the #62 Chevrolet for the latter on Sunday.

Beard Motorsports have not yet announced their updated plans for the #62 Chevrolet.

Bowman was set to enter the second of three races in the round of 12 sitting 26 points below the round of 8 cut line, placing him last among the 12 drivers still eligible to win the championship.

Even if he returns for the round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval next Sunday, he will likely be in a must-win situation to advance to the round of 8.

Bowman is the second driver to miss time with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a single-car wreck in the last two months.

23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch, who would have been in the playoffs thanks to his win at Kansas Speedway back in May, suffered concussion-like symptoms following a single-car crash in qualifying at Pocono Raceway back in July, and he hasn’t returned since.

Busch is 44 years old while Bowman is 29, dispelling the myth that it’s only the old drivers affected by the intensity of the Gen 7 wrecks.

The YellaWood 500 is set to be broadcast live from Talladega Superspeedway on NBC beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 2. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now if you haven’t already done so.