Alex Bowman and Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports, addressed the media at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following the announcement that the 2027 season will be Bowman’s final full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Bowman said the decision had been on his mind for years and that he wanted to finish his career on a stronger note than the current season has provided.
“Yeah, I mean, I think for me, it’s always been in this time frame. I would say like kind of this three-year block. Whether it was 2026, ‘27 or ‘28, that’s something we’ve talked about for a really long time and what I’ve always had circled. I think with what went on in March, I feel like in my head, I had looked at this year being it quite a bit. But yeah, just trying to make the best decision for me and obviously the best decision for Hendrick Motorsports. I think I really want to end on a more positive note than kind of how this year has been, so that gave me a little more motivation to come back and go one more year. I think it is better for me, personally. It’s better for Hendrick Motorsports.”
While injuries have been part of Bowman’s career, he said they were not the primary factor in his decision to step away.
“I think for me – health-wise, mental health-wise, kind of everything – this is what I needed to do that was best for me and things I want to do outside of the car. I think also, if it was my choice, I wouldn’t have made a retirement announcement. I would have just raced until the end of next year and disappeared, but that’s not how this sport works.”
Later, Bowman reiterated that retirement was always part of his long-term plan.
“This really isn’t a physical thing. I think if I would have had no injuries over the last 10 years, this time frame was still going to be this time frame. This is kind of always what I wanted. This sport has given me a lot. I love this sport, obviously. I love NASCAR racing. I think the guys that race forever, that’s super cool. That just was never going to be me. I’m excited for what the rest of my life holds. I’m honestly really just ready to be a normal person, in a lot of ways.”
Following his driving career, Bowman said he expects to remain with Hendrick Motorsports in a performance-related role while also pursuing opportunities to race other types of cars.
Transcript from Chevrolet Racing.