NASCAR insiders react to Jeff Gordon defending Alex Bowman, hot seat talks after Homestead loss

Alex Bowman has been the black sheep at Hendrick Motorsports over the past couple of seasons. He had a chance to make a statement at Homestead-Miami Speedway over the weekend, but the No. 48 wheelman came up short, falling to his teammate Kyle Larson in the Sunshine State.

While Bowman has struggled at times over the past couple of seasons, his teammates have excelled, and that’s led many to wonder if a change could be coming at Hendrick. However, Jeff Gordon made sure to point out the team’s confidence in Bowman on Sunday: “This is our guy,” Gordon said, per Kelly Crandall. “We’re happy to see [the 48] doing well.”

That didn’t stop the crew on The Teardown from evaluating where Bowman stands at the moment. Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi seem confident that the No. 48 wheelman will remain with the team, but there’s always a bit of doubt if you’re not winning races for arguably the best team in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“You’re always on the proverbial hot seat at Hendrick. The expectations are the expectations. Unless you’re winning a bunch of races and you’re winning championships, there’s always going to be scrutiny,” Bianchi stated, regarding Bowman’s status at Hendrick. “Even Chase Elliott right now is getting it a little bit, because that team isn’t performing to the level that we’re accustomed to seeing. It goes with the territory. Bowman, you know, wins a race, makes the playoffs. That’s kind of been the path for him recently. But it’s not the same level as his teammates, so there’s that pressure.

“They do like him a lot. They’re comfortable there. They, you know — it’s a good fit, but he has to produce. That’s what it ultimately comes down to. If he continues to run like he is — he’s third in points right now. We need to mention that. If he continues to run well in points and win races, he’s not going anywhere. His sponsor likes him. [Hendrick] likes him. It’s a good fit across the board. He does have a contract, we should say, through 2026. He’s got a year left on his deal after this. So, there is no reason to get rid of him.”

Even if Bianchi believes there’s no reason for Hendrick to get rid of Bowman, it’s easy to see why the questions continue to rise. It remains to be seen what the future holds, but the 31-year old can keep the doubt away by piling up solid performances week after week.

“When you go back to a year ago, and William Byron is winning a bunch of races. Kyle Larson is Kyle Larson. Chase Elliott has a championship sitting on his mantle, and is still, you know, running very well. You’re Alex Bowman, and you’re flirting with missing the playoffs,” Bianchi added. “You’re not doing these things. Like, that’s hard to reconcile. So that’s where a lot of that comes from, ‘What’s wrong? Do we need to make a change? Is it the driver? Is it the team? What is it? What can be different here?’

“At the end of the day, this is a performance-based business, when you drive for a team like Hendrick, if you produce, you’re going to be okay. If you don’t, then that’s when it bubbles up. Alex, right now, is doing what he needs to do. He’s had a very good start to the year. He’s winning, you know, he’s leading laps and doing all those things. He has to continue that. This can’t just be like a blip or a stretch. This has to be a prolonged run of success.”

All told, Jordan Bianchi laid it all out for Alex Bowman, and the writing is on the wall for the Hendrick Motorsports wheelman. Winning fixes everything, and he came close at Homestead-Miami Speedway — but he’ll be hoping to get to Victory Lane sooner rather than later.