Alfredo on standby for Bowman in Mexico City

Anthony Alfredo will be on standby for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in Mexico City following Alex Bowman's heavy crash at Michigan International Speedway last weekend.

Bowman (main image) is still expected to take the start after being evaluated this week for back pain after the head-on impact. He walked away from the incident but told Prime Video “that hurt a lot,” and it was “probably top of the board” of hard hits he has taken. His car was shot to the outside wall in Turn 2 after being tagged by Cole Custer, who had been hit by Austin Cindric.

Alfredo will already be in Mexico City as he’s entered in the Saturday Xfinity Series race, where he competes for Young’s Motorsports. But Alfredo is also the primary simulator driver for Hendrick Motorsports and has prepared for this weekend’s road course event.

Bowman missed four races in 2023 due to a fractured vertebra from a sprint car crash.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Mexico this weekend,” Bowman said in a pre-race release. “It’s always special to bring our sport to new places and feel the excitement from fans who don’t always get to see us race in person. Our No. 48 Ally Chevy team has had speed, but we haven’t had the results to show for it lately. We’re ready to turn our luck around and put together a strong race from start to finish.” 

Bowman has fallen from eighth to 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings after three straight finishes of 29th or worse. His most recent victory came on the Chicago street course last season.