Alex Bowman will have support from longtime Dale Earnhardt Jr. sponsors Nationwide and Axalta for the "bulk of the season" next year when he takes over the No. 88 Monster Energy Cup Series Chevy, according to Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com. Hendrick Motorsports on Thursday announced a "one-year deal" with Nationwide, which will serve Bowman's primary sponsor for 19 races. Axalta, which has a "long-running partnership with Hendrick," will have 15 races. Bowman "shared substitute driving duties with Jeff Gordon when Earnhardt missed 18 races with a concussion last year." Earnhardt had "publicly endorsed Bowman as his replacement, although Hendrick has spent the last few months seeing who else was available." Nationwide's one-year extension deal is "significant in that Hendrick was able to keep" the insurance company "while going with a driver with limited experience." Nationwide "cut its number of races by two, while Axalta added two" (ESPN.com, 7/20). NBCSPORTS.com's Dustin Long noted Hendrick announced in January '16 that Mountain Dew would "serve as a primary sponsor of Earnhardt’s car for three races" through '18 while also "serving as a primary sponsor for Chase Elliott’s car in two races annually and Kasey Kahne’s car for one race per year" (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/20).
BOWMAN'S BEST: In Charlotte, Mike Reader notes Bowman is a "relative unknown who has never won a race in 81 career Cup starts." However, he "showed enough promise once he got a chance in Hendrick’s top-notch cars that he reportedly turned down several offers to drive full-time in the Cup Series this season." Bowman is an alum of the NASCAR Next program and had been "helping Hendrick Motorsports with on-track testing simulations" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/21). USA TODAY's Brant James writes the No. 88 "figured to be the first and most important" seat to fill heading into the '18 season. The move "ends one avenue for veteran Matt Kenseth." It also gives 19-year-old William Byron "another season to marinate" in the Xfinity Series (USA TODAY, 7/21).
