NASCAR star Justin Allgaier hoping for 'Cinderella story' at Hendrick Motorsports

NASCAR star Justin Allgaier is hoping for a Cinderella story at Hendrick Motorsports when Alex Bowman eventually returns.

Bowman has missed the last four Cup Series events at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington and Martinsville due to experiencing ongoing vertigo symptoms, after first stepping out of the car mid-race at COTA in early March.

Allgaier has substituted for him in the last three of those events, and will do so again this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

At this stage, it's unclear when Bowman will return, but Allgaier knows what he hopes to see for the No. 48 team when he does so.

Justin Allgaier's hopes for Alex Bowman return

Speaking to Motorsport.com ahead of once again racing in the No. 48 this weekend, Allgaier said: “I hope for his sake that Alex is able to get back in soon because that would be a Cinderella story.

“I would love to see him get back in and those guys click off a few wins right away. That would be fantastic."

"I don’t know that I’ll get them there," Allgaier continued. "But we’re actively trying to do that.

"I think my role is just being in the race car every week, keep four fenders on it, and build them momentum for the best version of the [No.] 48 team.”

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Latest Alex Bowman update

The following statement is the latest update issued by Hendrick Motorsports on Bowman, with Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports, writing on March 17: “Alex continues to experience symptoms, so we are following the guidance of the medical team and giving him the time he needs to recover.

“We see how hard he’s working to get back behind the wheel, and we’re looking forward to his return when he’s medically cleared. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is 100% behind Alex.”

Andrews continued: “Justin [Allgaier] is a true professional and someone we have tremendous confidence in.

"He’s had success at the upcoming tracks, and we appreciate him stepping in to help the No. 48 team. We’re also grateful to our partners at JR Motorsports for understanding the situation and making Justin available.”