Rick Hendrick’s ace Alex Bowman issues injury update hours before the Pocono race: “It was like the most pain I’ve ever had”

Hendrick Motorsports racing driver, Alex Bowman, who is suffering from lower back pain and soreness since the Michigan race, recently called it the hardest hit of his career. Bowman also revealed that he is feeling 'better than last week', going into the NASCAR Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 22.

The 32-year-old racer finished fourth last weekend at the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 race. He was suffering from pain because of a nasty crash he had at the Cup Series race in Michigan earlier this month.

Bowman wasn't sure of participating in the race in Mexico City till the last moment, and, to add to it, driving it for a hundred laps. The driver also didn't want to leave the race due to a decline in his form in the last three races before Mexico.

Moving into the next NASCAR Cup Series race at the Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 22, Alex Bowman provided an update on his injury.

"There were times last week that it was the most pain I've ever had through anything. Last week was the worst for me, but this week is a little bit annoying, so way better than I was last week. It's not like I'm running right now or squatting right now, but other than that, I can mostly do everything that I would normally do," Alex Bowman said via NBC Sports' Dustin Long on X.

Bowman will start the race in Pocono from 25th on the grid. He would expect a strong performance as he remains in the NASCAR playoffs qualification contention. However, finishing fourth in Mexico last week would surely boost the driver's confidence.

Kevin Harvick lauds Alex Bowman's performance at Mexico amid pain and discomfort

Alex Bowman's ride at Mexico was not a comfortable one, as he had a wild wreck a week prior in Michigan. The driver went banging into the wall at a speed of 150 mph.

The driver admitted that he was unable to walk till Wednesday, two days after the incident. He expressed that he had to miss all of his routine activities, including team meetings and sim racing, just to get back to full fitness.

Despite all of these issues, the No. 48 car driver overcame all of these physical and mental barriers to deliver a strong result by finishing fourth at the Cup Series race in Mexico. This performance did not go unnoticed, as the former champion Kevin Harvick lauded the Arizona-based driver's performance.

"It was a good day for the 48 to overcome all the things he had to deal with physically. They show flashes of brilliance in moments like this, where we know they can go out and win races and do what they need to do. Good for Alex going out there and making it through the weekend and having a good result to go with it,” Kevin Harvick said via the Happy Hour podcast.

Alex Bowman is currently ranked 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, scoring 376 points in the first 16 races. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will hope to clinch a race victory at Pocono to secure his playoff qualification.

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Edited by Sumeet Kavthale