At Mexico City, Alex Bowman returned to the track while still feeling the effects of a recent crash at Michigan International Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver displayed his discomfort as he exited his car following two practice sessions, clearly not fully recovered. Despite the lingering pain, Bowman remained focused on his comeback amid Mexico race pain as he readied himself for the upcoming event.
Bowman Reflects on His Pain and Recovery Progress
Bowman spoke candidly about his condition, sharing the challenges he faced earlier in the week.
“I was in a lot of pain on Wednesday, but I got a lot of help from people, and got back on my feet pretty quickly after Wednesday morning,”
he said before heading into qualifying. He added,
“Just thankful that I had as much help and support as I did. But yeah, there were points this week that it was like the most pain that I’ve gone through.”
This latest injury differs from past ones, as Bowman previously missed races due to a concussion and a broken back in 2022 and 2023. Fortunately, this time, no bones were broken, but the pain has been notably worse. He acknowledged the challenge ahead, mentioning the possibility of missing the race.
“I’m glad that nothing’s broken and that I’m as OK as I am,”
Bowman explained.
“I think going to a road course right after probably makes it tougher than an oval would. But, not a big deal.”
He described the crash impact as the most painful of his career, surpassing even his broken back.
“I’ve just been the test dummy lately, and everything did its job, right? Like, everything moved a lot and I don’t know if on paper, that’s the biggest one I’ve taken, but it’s the most painful one I’ve ever taken, for sure, even compared to when I broke my back. It’s way more pain than that was.”
Physical Therapy and Challenges Behind the Wheel
Throughout the week, Bowman underwent extensive physical therapy to prepare for the demanding 100-lap race on a road course he is still becoming familiar with. One of his main difficulties involves sitting in the car seat, as the positioning exacerbates his discomfort.
Nonetheless, Bowman’s experience and determination remain strong as he seeks to turn around a difficult stretch. The driver has struggled recently, with seven finishes of 27th place or worse in nine races, and he is intent on improving his performance during the Mexico City event.
Goals and Outlook for the Mexico City Race
Bowman set a clear objective for the weekend: to complete all laps of the race.
“I would say for me, my goal is to make all the laps this weekend. That’s kind of first and foremost,”
he confirmed. He also noted that his performance will depend on adjustments to his car and the unpredictable factors during the race, such as brake overheating and temperature fluctuations.
“Our car didn’t have a lot of raw speed, but I think we’re on the good side of some of those other issues that other people had; definitely an opportunity for us to go run well. It’s been a pretty miserable two months, and just trying to kind of get things turned back around and pointed in the right direction,”
Bowman said.
Looking Ahead to the Viva Mexico 250
Bowman’s qualifying session was affected by rain, limiting him to only three laps. As a result, he will start 29th for the inaugural Viva Mexico 250, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and broadcast on Prime Video along with coverage from MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Despite the setbacks, Bowman is aiming to secure a second straight postseason berth and is focused on overcoming the physical and competitive challenges in front of him.
