標籤: Hendrick

NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman is having a tumultuous year, struggling on the track and missing time due to concussions. All of this has happened in a contract year, creating more uncertainty about his future in the No. 48 car with Hendrick Motorsports.

Fox Sports’ Bob Pokrass and The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi reported this week that teenager Connor Zylisch is a possible replacement for Hendricks if the decision is made to replace Bowman for the 2027 season.

Read more: NASCAR prospects whose stock is rising

Bowman was already seen on the hot seat entering the season. Things got off to a bad start, with the veteran driver finishing 40th at the Daytona 500, 23rd at Echo Park Speedway, and then had to retire from the car at COTA due to dizziness-like symptoms.

Unfortunately for Bowman, medical issues have been a subject for him in recent years. He had previously missed time due to neck and back problems as well as injury, resulting in long absences. It appears retirement is imminent, creating even more uncertainty over who will drive the No. 48 car next season.

Will Hendrick Motorsports replace Alex Bowman?

One thing that has become clear is that Kyle Busch will not be joining Hendricks next season as a potential Bowman replacement. This realistically leaves HMS with three options, barring anyone else being available.

Hendricks may decide to use 2027 as a development year for top prospect Corey Day. The 20-year-old will become a Cup Series rookie at the age of 21 and can use the entire season to learn to drive the next-gen car.

However, this comes at a cost. As Zilleisch’s rookie season has shown, there is a steep learning curve at the highest series. In reality Day will not have much of a chance of winning the race in 2027 and it will be a place in The Chase that HMS will probably not be able to earn.

Alternatively, Hendrick could buy Zylisch out of his contract with Trackhouse Racing and then put him behind the wheel of the No. 48 car. This would make the team one of the top emerging drivers in NASCAR, but it would also leave an uncertain future for Day.

There is an alternative option that may work for everyone. Bowman could re-sign with Hendricks on a one-year deal, his last chance to prove he belongs in the Cup Series with a top team. If he doesn’t perform up to expectations in 2027, Hendricks could either put a more experienced Day behind the wheel or pursue Zylisch as a free agent.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Corey Day is coming off his first win, driving to victory at Talladega Superspeedway and proving he is one of the top prospects in racing. With a seat potentially opening up next season in the Cup Series at Hendrick Motorsports, there has been some speculation that Day might get a ride at only 21 years old.

Speaking on Day’s win on the latest episode of Action Detrimental, future Hall of Fame driver Denny Hamlin was asked if he thought Hendrick’s top prospect could race in the Cup Series next season.

“Next year? Oh man, that’s quick. I wouldn’t recommend it, but you never know.”

Denny Hamlin on whether Corey Day can reach the Cup Series in 2027

RELATED: Denny Hamlin eyes revenge on fellow driver

• Corey Day Statistics (O’Reilly Series): 399 points, 1 win, nine top-10s, four top-5s, 1 pole, 1 DNF, 191 laps led, 8.09 average starting position, 8.36 average finishing position

Day, who won’t turn 21 until November, is widely viewed as one of NASCAR’s top prospects in 2026. He signed a development contract with Hendrick through 2024 and ran 11 races with the team in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last season.

The young driver of the No. 17 Hendrick car got off to a poor start in his first full-time season in the O’Reilly Series. After qualifying sixth, Day finished 27th at Daytona to start the season. However, in the last 10 races he has finished 12th or better in every race with an average finishing position of 6.5.

Between Day being out at OARS and Alex Bowman having a disastrous contract year, it seems likely the young driver will take over the No. 48 car at least next season. It would be a short-term gamble, but Hendrick can see it as a long-term move to prepare Day for his future with a top team and he will gain valuable experience racing in a consistent Next Gen car.

However, Connor Zylisch is a perfect example of why HMS wants to play slowly with Day’s development. The 19-year-old had a historic dominance in the O’Reilly Series last year, winning 10 races and leading 1,013 laps. Now driving the No. 88 for Trackhouse Racing in his rookie season, he has the third-worst average finishing position (27.0) and fourth-worst average starting position (28.3) among full-time Cup Series drivers through 10 races.

The car and support staff that Day will have in the No. 48 car will certainly be better than the one that worked with Zillisch this season at Trackhouse. However, this could ultimately be detrimental to the young driver as expectations would be higher and his early struggles racing in a top-flight car would be more pronounced.

Hamlin’s advice that Day should spend two full seasons in the O’Reilly Series, with perhaps a few Cup starts mixed in, is probably the right approach for the rising player. If all goes well and he continues to sharpen his racing with experience in OARS, he will soon be in the Cup Series.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Hendrick Motorsports 车手 Alex Bowman 在合同年进入 2026 NASCAR 杯系列赛赛季，需要再次证明自己，以长期保持 48 号赛车的驾驶。不幸的是，对于鲍曼来说，健康问题（眩晕）已经成为他不幸运气的最新例证。由于本赛季结束时他很可能成为车队中唯一错过追逐赛的车手，因此下赛季感觉有必要寻找替代者。

让我们深入了解 2027 年 NASCAR 赛季亨德里克 48 号赛车中鲍曼的潜在替代者名单。

凯尔·布​​施

Hendrick Motorsports 可能会将 Corey Day 视为 48 号席位的长期选择，但这位 20 岁的车手需要学习如何在 O’Reilly 汽车配件系列赛中比赛而不造成严重破坏，然后才能成为最高级别的全职车手。可行的是一个继任计划，由凯尔·布希在未来两年接替鲍曼。这位未来的名人堂成员在理查德·柴尔德里斯赛车队中取得了灾难性的成绩，杯赛系列赛中连续不胜的记录已经达到了三位数，这就是证明。 Busch 之前曾与 Hendrick 合作，在卡车系列赛中驾驶过 7 号赛车。一份两年的合同可以让他有机会在退役前增加几场胜利。到那时，戴就可以准备好了。

阅读更多：2026 年最佳 NASCAR 比赛，本赛季每场 NASCAR 比赛排名

卡鲁斯图

现在还处于赛季初期，但拉贾·卡鲁斯正在充分利用他在桨队的机会。他在前 10 场比赛中的 3 场都取得了前 10 名的成绩，本赛季在椭圆形比赛中平均每场比赛得到 37 分。亨德里克在这里会进行一场赌博，特别是考虑到卡鲁斯在 6 月份才年满 24 岁，但他已经在奥莱利系列赛中参加了 50 多场比赛，其中在卡车系列赛中参加了 75 场比赛。卡鲁斯进入 48 号赛车的机会当然取决于他本赛季余下时间的表现，但他可能是亨德里克目前最好的内部选择之一。

罗斯查斯坦

如果罗斯查斯坦拥有更好的设备和拥有更多资源的团队，他能完成什么？他在 Trackhouse Racing 中完成了他所能做到的一切，使球队成为季后赛常年竞争者，在过去四个赛季中每个赛季都至少取得一场胜利。 Chastain 在进入 2026 年的过去三年中总共获得了 40 次前十名。然而，很明显 Connor Zilisch 很快就会成为球队的新面孔。下个赛季可能是查斯坦离开的最佳时机，他有机会真正展示他驾驶 48 号赛车的能力。

泰勒·雷迪克

Hendrick Motorsports 是否想为 23XI Racing 制造一场令人不安的竞购战？这才是真正的问题。鉴于泰勒·雷迪克刚刚创造了历史，成为第一位赢得本赛季前三场比赛的纳斯卡杯系列赛车手，我们不认为超级激进的竞争对手和亿万富翁迈克尔·乔丹会让任何人在雷迪克身上花费超过他。话虽如此，如果亨德里克想冲向围栏，雷迪克是目前合同到期的最佳车手，没有紧随其后的第二位。

相关：NASCAR 内部人士揭示了泰勒·雷迪克 (Tyler Reddick) 与 23X Racing 的未来

克里斯·布舍尔

如前所述，亨德里克赛车运动目前并没有完全考虑内部选择。这至少可以让鲍曼有机会将 48 号赛车再保留一个赛季，因为车队认为本赛季是一次洗礼，并且对系统中任何未经证实的车手都没有信心。然而，克里斯·布舍尔可能正处于合同年。 2027 年他将进入 34 岁的赛季，因此也许一份为期三年的合同对双方都有利。近几个赛季，Buescher 一直是 RFK Racing 车队积分前 10 名的车手，绝对最大限度地发挥了他在 17 号赛车上所提供的一切。这对他来说是一个很好的情况，但拥有亨德里克资源的 48 号球队将为他提供更加稳定和更多胜利的机会。如果有人能将布舍尔从 RFK 手中拉走，那一定是英国皇家海军。

马特·约翰逊 (Matt Johnson) 是《Sportsnaut》杂志《NFL》和《大学橄榄球》的高级编辑。他的工作包括每周 NFL 和大学……有关马特·约翰逊的更多信息

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman enters the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season in a contract year, needing to prove himself once again if he wants to keep his ride in the No. 48 car long-term. Unfortunately for Bowman, medical problems (vertigo) have become the latest example of his terrible luck. Since this season is likely to be over and he will be the team’s only driver to miss The Chase, a replacement next season seems necessary.

Let’s take a look at our list of potential replacements for Bowman in the No. 48 car at Hendrick for the 2027 NASCAR season.

kyle busch

Hendrick Motorsports may look to Corey Day as a long-term option for the No. 48 seat, but the 20-year-old needs to learn how to race without a glitch in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series before becoming a full-time driver at the highest level. What could work is a succession plan, with Kyle Busch replacing Bowman for the next two years. The future Hall of Famer has had disastrous results with Richard Childress Racing, as evidenced by his lack of wins in the Cup Series approaching three points. Busch has partnered with Hendrick before, driving the No. 7 in the Truck Series. A two-year deal could give him a chance to add some wins before retiring. By then, Day could be ready.

Read more: Best NASCAR races 2026, ranking every NASCAR race this season

carruth diagram

It’s still early in the season, but King Carruth is making the most of his opportunities at OARS. He has finished in the top 10 in three of his first 10 races, averaging 37 points per race on ovals this season. Hendrick may be gambling here, especially since Carruth will turn just 24 in June, but he will have driven more than 50 races in the O’Reilly Series along with 75 races in the Truck Series. Carruth’s chances of moving into the No. 48 car should certainly depend on how he performs the rest of this season, but he’s probably one of the top homegrown options for Hendrick so far.

Ross Chastain

What could Ross Chastain accomplish with better equipment and a team with more resources? He has achieved virtually everything he can at Trackhouse Racing, leading the team to become a perennial playoff contender with at least one win in each of the last four seasons. Chastain also boasts 40 combined top-10 finishes over the past three years leading up to 2026. However, it also seems pretty clear that Connor Zylisch will soon be the new face of the team. Next season may be the right time for Chastain to depart, giving her a chance to really show what she’s capable of in the No. 48 car.

tyler reddick

Does Hendrick Motorsports want to create an uncomfortable bidding war for racing the 23XI? This is the real question here. Given that Tyler Reddick made history as the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win the first three races of the season, we don’t envision any scenario where ultra-aggressive competitor and billionaire Michael Jordan allows anyone but Reddick to overtake him. That said, if Hendricks wants to swing for the fences, Redick is the best driver on an expiring contract right now, and there isn’t anyone else around him.

RELATED: NASCAR insider sheds light on Tyler Reddick’s future with 23X Racing

Chris Buescher

As mentioned earlier, Hendrick Motorsports isn’t swimming in interior options right now. This could at least give Bowman a chance to keep the No. 48 car for another season, with the team seeing this season as a waste and not feeling confident with any unproven drivers in the system. However, Chris Buescher could be in a contract year. He will enter his age-34 season in 2027, so perhaps a three-year deal could work for both parties. Buescher has been a fairly consistent top-10 points driver in recent seasons for RFK Racing, fully maximizing what he’s been given in the No. 17 car. It’s a good situation for him, but the No. 48 team with Hendrick’s resources will provide him with even more consistency and a chance for more wins. If anyone could pull Buescher away from RFK, it would be HMS.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson