Hendrick Motorsports made the announcement earlier this week. It finalizes one of the missing puzzle pieces in the NASCAR rumor mill known as “Silly Season.” That’s when fans speculate on what driver will fill open seats next season.

Bowman, who already pilots the No. 88 for Hendrick should be familiar with his situation. Two seasons ago he took over the No. 88 Chevrolet for then Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt has since moved to the broadcast booth for NBC sports.

“It’s definitely pretty similar, you go from (replacing) the most popular driver of all time to (replacing) arguably the greatest of all time,” Bowman told the Associated Press. “It’s just an honor for me to get to drive another car with a great number.”

Johnson and Bowman have a similar path to the Cup Series. Johnson was a young driver working his way up looking for a competitive ride when he approached Jeff Gordon for advice before a race. Gordon – already a seasoned driver and partial owner – must have been impressed.

Those conversations turned into Hendrick and Gordon starting the No. 48 team just for Johnson to pilot. Johnson drove the car in all but one race (737) since the team’s inception. He missed one race due to a positive COVID-19 test. Justin Allgaier filled in for him.

Bowman’s path to the Cup Series is somewhat similar. He made several starts in lower series before taking a chance for a part-time opening at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team which is associated with Hendrick. The move paid off with several Xfinity starts. When Earnhardt was sidelined due to concussion concerns, Bowman filled the Cup Series seat for ten races.

Once that door closed, Alex Bowman stayed with Hendrick as their test simulator driver for an entire season. When Earnhardt stepped away from the No. 88, Hendrick announced him as the new driver.

Since then, he’s won two Cup Series races and made the Playoffs battling for a Championship.

“Every season, Alex gets better,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “Not only do we see it in the statistics, but his confidence and leadership have truly blossomed. Today he’s a proven winner and playoff contender, and his best years are ahead.”

Jimmie Johnson, who will run a limited schedule in the Indy Car Series next season, added his thoughts to Hendrick’s remarks.

“He earned his way into the (No.) 88 car through hard work and dedication and doing the stuff nobody else wanted to do,” Johnson said. “He’s been running great and he deserves the opportunity to drive the 48.”

Bowman reflected on becoming a piece of history on becoming only the second full-time driver of the No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports. And on the fact that he’s been tapped by Hendrick – once again – to step into the car of a legendary driver

“I know I’m going to get a lot of the same questions I’ve answered the last couple of years, just replace (the name) Jimmie Johnson for Dale Earnhardt Jr,” Bowman said. “For everyone who has the confidence in me to do it just means the world to me.”

However, “Silly Season” continues! When Alex Bowman moves his helmet from one end of the Hendrick garage to the other to the No. 48 – who drives the No. 88 next season?

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Then, a few days later… he tested clean for the virus… twice!

NASCAR protocol for COVID-19 includes social distancing, masks, drivers staying away from garage areas, and regular testing. Johnson failed a test heading into the Brickyard 400 race weekend which forced him from the driver’s seat ending his “Iron-man” style streak of consecutive Cup Series races.

It was an emotional week as both he and his wife tested positive. His wife was feeling bad, probably sinus issues according to some familiar with the incident. They both were tested with results showing they had the virus.

“My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” Johnson said. “I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very hard to watch from the sidelines when I’m supposed to be out there competing.”

Then, approximately three days later, Johnson was tested twice again as NASCAR requires two positive tests in a row before he could return to the track. This time, both tests came back negative showing the virus was gone. Sadly, Johnson had already missed The Brickyard and the streak of 663 races was broken.

The good news was Johnson said he never felt sick. He returned to his car the following weekend for the Kentucky race as well as the mid-week All-Star race where he finished 17^th Wednesday night

Johnson, when asked, refused to worry about possibly having received false test results. He said the safety of others was more important.

“Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones. Be smart,” Johnson said.

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