NASCAR star Alex Bowman ruled out of Las Vegas race as Hendrick Motorsport confirm replacement

NASCAR Cup Series News Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 11:04 AM ET •By Chris Deeley

Hendrick Motorsports has confirmed that Alex Bowman will miss this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas.

The race will be the second in a row that Bowman has missed, as he recovers from a case of vertigo – having also been replaced mid-race two weeks ago at COTA.

It was Myatt Snider, working as a pit spotter for FOX's Jamie Little, who jumped into the No. 48 car during the final stage at the road course, before Anthony Alfredo suited up for the full race distance at Phoenix the following weekend.

Alfredo won't be doing back-to-back races though, with the team confirming on Wednesday that Bowman will be replaced by Justin Allgaier to race in Nevada this weekend.

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Hendrick chief: Bowman still experiencing vertigo symptoms

Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said in a team statement: “Alex continues to work closely with doctors toward being medically cleared, but he’s still experiencing some lingering symptoms.

"He’s put a lot into the recovery process, and we will continue to support him every step of the way. Our priority remains making sure Alex is fully ready before returning to the race car.”

While it's likely that Bowman will receive a medical waiver from NASCAR to remain eligible for the Chase, that eligibility is fast looking as though it will be irrelevant.

The 32-year-old only managed to collect 23 points from the first three races of the season, which will remain his total through at least five races after he misses the Vegas event.

He is already 77 points behind 16th-placed Brad Keselowski and the postseason cut line, a number which can only increase this weekend – possibly into three figures, foreshadowing a steep uphill battle for the rest of the year.