NASCAR Cup Series star Alex Bowman has announced that he will retire from the sport after the 2027 season.
The Hendrick Motorsports star has signed a one-year contract extension to take him beyond the end of the current season, but will hang up his helmet at the end of that deal.
Bowman has missed multiple races in three of the last five seasons due to injury and health issues, missing five weeks for a concussion in 2022, three weeks in 2023 for a back injury suffered in a sprint car race, and four more this season for a bout of vertigo symptoms which left him unable to drive for weeks.
The 33-year-old has won eight Cup Series races over the course of his career, all for Hendrick Motorsports since he joined the team full-time in 2018, and had a record-breaking fun of six consecutive front-row starts at the Daytona 500 between '18 and 2023.
NASCAR TODAY: Dale Jr weighs in on 'heartbreaking' situation as team boss issues surprise driver update
Alex Bowman reveals NASCAR retirement decision
In a press release announcing the decision on Thursday, Bowman said: “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what’s next, and this feels like the right decision at the right time. The sport asks a lot of you, and I’ve learned it’s important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yourself.
“To say I’m incredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, our partners at Ally and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would be an understatement. They believed in me and gave me the biggest opportunity of my life.”
He added: “My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins. We still have a lot to accomplish, and I want to close my career on a high note for our team and our fans. To have the chance to do that with this organization and these people is really special.”
Rick Hendrick reacts to Alex Bowman retirement
“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class.
“Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family.”
READ MORE: NASCAR announces new documentary featuring much-awaited Kurt Busch interview
