There’s been a lot of talk about Hendrick Motorsports this season. Most of it sounds the same every week. People say Chase Elliott isn’t racing like he should. They wonder if he needs a new crew chief or if the whole team needs changes.
Others ask what happened to Kyle Larson, saying he was fast early in the year but has faded since May. And then there’s William Byron, who keeps getting praise for being steady.
But race legend Kyle Petty wants people to slow down. He says too many are quick to talk about replacing Bowman in the No. 48 Chevrolet without really looking at how he’s done.
“Every time we talk, Hendrick Motorsports, we hear all about Chase Elliott. He’s not running the way he should. They need a crew chief change. They need to change everything on that team, or whatever happened to Kyle Larson. Kyle Petty of NASCAR noted.
“He showed up the first of the year, but we haven’t seen him since May. That’s the talk we hear. William Byron continues to be their steady driver, their steady horse. But I want to talk about the 48. I want to talk about Alex Bowman,” he added.
Alex Bowman Has Been Better Than People Think
Petty says Bowman’s year hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been as bad as people make it sound. In fact, he’s even done better than Elliott during some weeks.
“He has not performed this year, not to the level that the other teams have, but he has outperformed Chase Elliott for a block of weeks. So let’s go back to that. He gets knocked out in the first round, and the cries are, Should Hendrick replace Alex Bowman in that car? Should he do this? Should he do that?”
Petty reminded fans that every big race team has ups and downs. He’s seen it before.
“I’ve been around this sport a long time. I remember when Rick had one car. I remember when Rick had two cars. I remember when Rick had three cars, and one of them never could hit a lick of a black snake, never ran good at all.”
Even now, Hendrick isn’t perfect. “They always have one car that lags behind a little bit. The 48 team seems to be the team since Jimmie Johnson left that lags behind a little bit. I don’t know why. I don’t know what the reason is. That’s just the way it is.”
Don’t Be So Quick to Replace Him
Bowman is just the latest driver to be in the hot seat. Petty thinks that’s not fair.
“Alex Bowman just happens to be the driver of the moment or the flavour of the month. Now, should they get rid of [him]? In the perfect world, if you own…”
Petty didn’t finish that thought, but the message is clear: Hendrick shouldn’t be in a rush to make big changes. Bowman may not be winning every race, but he’s shown fight, and sometimes that’s what a team needs. Instead of pushing him out, maybe it’s time to give him a little more credit and a little more time.
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