Bowman Named to No. 88 Hendrick Chevrolet in 2018

Alex Bowman has been tabbed to take the reins of the iconic No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as Dale Jr.'s successor in full-time Cup Series competition in 2018.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 20, 2017) – The biggest question of the year - and for 2018 - has been answered.

Alex Bowman, the 24-year-old Arizona native who ably filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 10 races last season while Earnhardt Jr. was recovering from concussion, was today named the full-time driver of the iconic No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series competition for 2018.

Nationwide Insurance, a partner of Earnhardt Jr. and his family for better than three decades, will remain in a primary sponsorship role for Bowman and the team, as will Axalta, a Hendrick Motorsports partner since 1992.

“Ever since I was a kid, racing is all I’ve wanted to do,” Bowman said. “I’ve had so many people believe in me along the way. My family has sacrificed a lot and always been behind me. I would never have this chance without the support of Dale and everyone involved with the No. 88 team. To be part of Hendrick Motorsports and for Mr. Hendrick to have this confidence in me, it’s just amazing.”

Bowman’s first start in the No. 88 last season was at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In nine other starts, he logged three top-10 finishes and earned the pole at Phoenix International raceway in the penultimate race of the 2016 season. He led 194 of the 324 laps that day from the pole before finishing sixth.

“Alex impressed the heck out of us last year with his talent, poise and professionalism,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He stepped up in a very demanding situation and showed that he can run with the best and compete for wins. His ability to stay focused through it all, and the way he’s handled himself since then, has shown a lot of character. Greg and the team loved working with Alex, and that dynamic will get even better with more time together.”

For his career, the young driver has made 81 starts in NASCAR’s top series. In 2014, he started all 36 races for BK Racing and in 2015 he made 35 starts for Tommy Baldwin Racing. His sixth-place run at Phoenix in the No. 88 marked a career best. Bowman also made nine Xfinity starts with Earnhardt Jr.’s own team, JR Motorsports, in 2014 and 2016.

Rampant speculation prior to the selection had Bowman, who has spent the 2017 season as a test driver for HMS, battling with other drivers as the replacement for Earnhardt Jr., who announced in April that 2017 would be his final season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor. Bowman has been an integral part of the team’s simulation program and is comfortable with crew chief Greg Ives and the rest of the No. 88 squad.