Hendrick makes the right call selecting Alex Bowman to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Alex Bowman earned the No. 88 Chevrolet last season. He gets to have it for himself beginning next season.
Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that the 24-year-old, in-house prospect — a 10-race replacement when Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the second half of the 2016 season because of concussions — will become the full-time driver of the car next season upon the veteran’s retirement.
The No. 88 job figured to be the first and most important lever of the annual unofficial speculation fest that is the NASCAR free agency period.
The appointment of Bowman, who has made 81 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, abruptly gums up the works of several rumored machinations. The move also ends one avenue for veteran Matt Kenseth, as he predicted, after he was displaced at Joe Gibbs Racing by Furniture Row Racing rookie Erik Jones, beginning next season.
Importantly for Hendrick, 19-year-old William Byron, who has two wins and is second in points in the second-tier developmental Xfinity Series , has another season to marinate, unless team owner Rick Hendrick divests himself of the final season of Kasey Kahne’s contract to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet. And Bowman, who proved his worth as a simulator specialist, test driver and as an understudy, becomes the embodiment of the team-player mentality seven-time and defending series champion Jimmie Johnson described last week in declaring Bowman a top choice.
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Bowman’s first two Cup opportunities, with BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing, produced the type of unremarkable results than can squelch a young career. But his eventual path to the job of his life came when Earnhardt signed him to contest two Xfinity races for JR Motorsports in 2014 and then lined him up to run nine more races for his Xfinity team in 2016.
While asserting that he would offer an opinion on his replacement only if asked by Hendrick and sponsors, Earnhardt often openly lobbied for Bowman, who stayed with Hendrick when he couldn’t secure funding for a ride this season.
Initial support has been effusive.
Retired four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, who spent his entire career at HMS, deemed Bowman ready. Earnhardt's loyal battalion of fans were overwhelmingly in support on SiriusXM radio on Thursday, many citing his three top-10s in 10 races in the No. 88 Chevrolet last year. In the penultimate race of last season, Bowman won the pole at Phoenix Raceway, led a race-high 194 laps and finished sixth. As a pole-winner, he earned a spot into the 2017 season-opening Clash exhibition, finishing third in the No. 88 Chevrolet.
In multiple ways, it seems as if Hendrick got this one right. Whereas Kenseth would have brought experience and ability — he won 14 races with JGR since 2013 — he would have been a comparatively short-term solution — assuming Bowman is ready. That Nationwide extended its sponsorship another season to cover 19 races and Axalta added two to increases its total to 15 suggested a comfort and a made for a logical decision for Hendrick.
“Alex impressed the heck out of us last year with his talent, poise and professionalism,” Hendrick said. “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.”
Bowman will have to continue showing it. Because earning this job is only the beginning.
Follow James on Twitter @brantjames
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