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Alex Bowman to drive Hendrick No. 48 car through 2023

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Nashville may be welcoming back the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time in 37 years, but as Nate Ryan explains, the history of racing and the "Music City" are inextricably linked.

Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday that Alex Bowman has signed a two-year contract to drive the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Bowman’s contract aligns with Ally’s own contract with HMS. Both deals now run through 2023. He had previously signed a one-year extension last year.

The announcement occurs on the weekend of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

HMS has now signed all four of its drivers - Bowman, reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and William Byron - through at least 2022.

Last September, Byron signed a contract extension through 2022. Last October, Larson signed a multi-year contract to drive for HMS. Elliott signed his own extension through 2022 back in June 2017.

Additionally, Bowman now joins Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) as drivers to sign new deals as their current ones were set to expire after this season.

Hamlin and sponsor FedEx signed extensions on Feb. 1. Truex himself followed suit on Feb. 10.

Bowman replaced seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 car this season following Johnson’s move to the NTT IndyCar Series.

Bowman first drove for HMS in 2016. He ran 10 races in place of an ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was dealing with concussion symptoms.

After working primarily in simulation and on-track testing for HMS and Chevrolet in 2017, Bowman took over the No. 88 car full-time in 2018 following Earnhardt’s retirement.

With two wins this season at Richmond (Apr. 18) and Dover (May 16), Bowman is virtually guaranteed a Cup playoff berth for a fourth consecutive season.