Hendrick Motorsports icon dodges question as chairman reportedly follows Joe Gibbs’ controversial route

A series of unfortunate events seem to have hit Hendrick Motorsports drivers recently. Initially Chase Elliott was sidelined with a recreational injury and then Alex Bowman suffered a similar fate. However, Bowman’s injury was not recreational, but instead occurred during an after-school sprint car race.

Lately, rumors have swirled around a potential policy reassessment within the Hendrick Motorsports team. Rumors suggest a possible ban on drivers participating in after-school racing events. This speculation arose after a reporter asked Bowman about his stance on such a potential policy change, particularly regarding sprint car racing.

Hendrick Motorsports icon dodges question about extracurricular activity reassessment

Would he push back if HMS President and Managing Director Jeff Andrews decided to limit pilots’ off-track activities? This question sparked a new debate in the racing community, considering that it was Joe Gibbs who had chosen a similar controversial path earlier.

Answering the question, Bowman replied, “Nobody really told me anything. I’m very grateful to be at Hendrick Motorsports. I’m going to do whatever they’re comfortable with and support me for.

“Obviously I really enjoyed the sprint car races last year,” he said, adding that he could continue with sprint car racing, either as an owner or a driver.

“I don’t know, we’ll just have to wait and see, and cross that bridge once we get there“, he concluded.

However, one thing is for sure, he might not have had such freedom had he been a driver at Joe Gibbs Racing, or so Christopher Bell’s recent comments suggest.

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What is the controversial path Joe Gibbs is heading down?

Several Cup drivers choose not to limit themselves to a single series. They choose to diversify their experiences and participate in various racing series. Previously, Christopher Bell, himself an avid dirt racer, had vehemently expressed his annoyance when his team owner decided to scale back all racing activity outside of their primary engagement.

A few months earlier, Bell had expressed his penchant for competing in dirt races, a sentiment apparently not shared by his team owner. During an interview, Bell discussed the matter saying: “Joe Gibbs has been extremely vocal about his – I don’t want to use the word hate – but it’s pretty close to hating track racing. He doesn’t like track racing or racing at all. with open wheels.

Additionally, following Bowman’s injury in an off-track race, Hendrick Motorsports may consider adopting a policy similar to that of Joe Gibbs. While such a move would be aimed at preventing a Cup Series season from being derailed due to injury, it could also be seen as restricting drivers’ freedom to engage in extracurricular racing activities.