Bowman cleared to return for Bristol

Alex Bowman will return to NASCAR Cup Series competition this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway after being medically cleared to get behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet.

Bowman has missed four races following a vertigo diagnosis. The symptoms began during the March 1 race weekend at Circuit of The Americas, prompting him to exit the car before the end of the race.

The clearance came after Bowman got behind the wheel of a road car early this week at Ten Tenths Motor Club, adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway, and then participated in pit stop practice, simulator testing and a medical evaluation. There are no restrictions on Bowman returning to NASCAR racing.

“I’m grateful for the support I’ve had from Hendrick Motorsports, my sponsor Ally, our fans, and the medical team throughout the process,” Bowman said. “It’s been tough being out of the car, but we all wanted to make sure I was 100% ready before returning. I feel really good, and I’m excited about being at the track with my team and getting back to racing.”

The races Bowman missed were Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington and Martinsville. Anthony Alfredo drove the car at Phoenix before Justin Allgaier took over for the other three events.

Bowman ran the first three races of the season and is 36th in the championship standings. Hendrick Motorsports had previously announced intentions to file for a waiver for Bowman to be eligible for the Chase. It is unknown if that is still the plan.

“We’re proud of Alex and the way he’s handled this situation,” Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said. “He’s put a lot of work into his recovery and followed the medical team’s plan every step of the way. From the outset, our goal was to prioritize his health and have him return when he was fully recovered and medically cleared. We’re looking forward to seeing Alex back in his race car this weekend.”