What’s Happening?

Dirty Mo Media’s Door Bumper Clear made headlines last week by hinting that Alex Bowman could be out at Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman denied these comments, having gone to the source, HMS, himself to ensure his job security. However, this week on DBC, Host Brett Griffin addressed the backlash by suggesting there’s more at HMS than meets the eye.

• The initial rumors surrounding Bowman involved his performance prior to winning the Street Circuit race in Chicago. However, Bowman, coming off back-to-back injury-affected seasons, is performing better than most drivers this season.
• These rumors came to a head on last week’s episode of Door Bumper Clear. Co-host Brett Griffin suggested Bowman needed a deep playoff run to maintain his seat. At NASCAR Playoff media day, Bowman addressed the rumor, saying that he is sure he would be at Hendrick Motorsports next season.
• The hosts addressed backlash from the rumors this week on Door Bumper Clear. Rather than deny the rumors, Griffin suggested that there is more to his prior statements than the idea that Bowman would get fired.

DBC’s Response

On this week’s Sept. 9 episode of Door Bumper Clear, fans tuned in to hear what the hosts would say about the Alex Bowman rumors and the subsequent backlash from their episode last week.

Brett Griffin was upfront in his response, claiming that he didn’t say that “Alex was getting fired.” Griffin even asked co-host Freddie Kraft, “Has there been an announcement as to who is going to drive the seven [car], or did I miss it?”

These comments are in reference to the rumor that Bowman would be in the No. 7 for HMS associate team Spire Motorsports next season. Kraft even went as far as to deny that DBC did not start the rumor, saying, “That’s the rumor that’s out there. We didn’t create it; we just mentioned it, and to say we started it is ridiculous.”

However, an interesting part of the conversation came early on. Kraft asked Griffin, “How many drivers are under contract at Hendrick Motorsports next year?” Griffin responded, “More than four.”

Of course, this set off many questions about what it could mean for Bowman, HMS, and the free agent market. However, it may not be as complex a rumor as it is made out to be.

What Could This Mean?

Hendrick having “more than four” drivers under contract can mean literally anything. In regards to Bowman, yes, it could mean that HMS is leasing Bowman to another car while keeping another contracted driver in-house.

But there are options outside of Bowman. While Kraft and Griffin mentioned this during their conversation about Bowman, it does not mean anything directly about Bowman.

It could, in all likelihood, refer to HMS having a young driver like Rajah Caruth on a developmental contract. Rajah gained support from Hendrick through sponsorship of his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Truck Series entry.

It’s not uncommon for teams like HMS or Joe Gibbs Racing to have developmental drivers under contract while fielding what appears to be a full-time lineup of long-term drivers. For example, Joe Gibbs Racing, prior to this season, looked to have a locked lineup for years to come but still had Chandler Smith under contract.

This is how Chase Elliott’s development was. Elliott was under contract at HMS, while Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jimmie Johnson looked to be at Hendrick for years to come. In Elliott’s case, his chance came with Jeff Gordon’s retirement.

Having the four Cup Series drivers and Rajah under contract is not a wild idea, as Caruth’s development could take some time. While Door Bumper Clear has a reputation for flagrant rumors, this one may not be as wild.

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