LEBANON, TENN. — Alex Bowman returned to NASCAR Cup Series competition Sunday night at the Cracker Barrel 400 in Lebanon, Tenn., after missing four races due to vertigo that began on March 1, 2026. The 33-year-old driver had not competed since exiting his No. 48 Chevrolet with about 20 laps remaining at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, where he experienced dizziness, nausea, and a spinning sensation.

Bowman was replaced by Myatt Snider for the remainder of that Texas race. Snider, who had been working as a pit spotter for the Fox broadcast, took over the car. In subsequent races at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Darlington, and Martinsville, Anthony Alfredo and Justin Allgaier shared driving duties in Bowman’s absence.

Bowman also opted not to compete in NASCAR’s second-tier series events at Darlington and Nashville, despite having a prior agreement with JR Motorsports to split races among five drivers.

The vertigo episode marked Bowman’s latest health-related racing interruption. He missed five Cup races in 2022 due to a concussion and three in 2023 after sustaining a broken back. He underwent a minor spinal operation related to that 2023 injury, which was later connected to balance issues contributing to his recent vertigo.

Before Sunday’s race, Bowman said, “I would say I’m as close to 100% as I’m going to get.” He added, “I was dizzy in the car and throwing up on myself in the car, spinning and kind of all that stuff.”

Bowman continues physical therapy to prevent a recurrence of vertigo. He has accumulated more than 360 career Cup Series starts since joining Hendrick Motorsports full time in 2018 and has qualified for the playoffs in all but one season during that span. His most recent victory came in 2024 at the Chicago street course, and he has posted two top-five finishes in 2026 at tracks where he previously struggled.

With 12 races remaining in the 2026 season, Bowman seeks to qualify for the Cup Series playoffs.