Kevin Harvick reacts to Alex Bowman monster impact, troubling season to date

Alex Bowman took what he called the hardest hit of his stock car racing career in Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway. Bowman hit the outside wall head-on on Lap 67, resulting in NASCAR issuing the red flag.

At the time, Bowman was racing in the back of the pack. Austin Cindric and Cole Custer made the initial contact with one another, which sent Bowman up the track and into the wall. Kevin Harvick said on Tuesday’s “Happy Hour” podcast that he would be concerned about Bowman’s performance if he were the 48 team, saying that “you get yourself in these wrecks by being around those cars [in the back].”

“I don’t think that it’s anything different than the way that it’s been for him the last couple years. It’s like they get these little bursts and then all of a sudden, they’re just flat again,” Harvick said. “Definitely, if I was them, I would be concerned, because you get yourself in these wrecks by being around those cars, and you run with the squirrels and get your nuts cracked, right? But, you know, you get in those positions where you got four-wide, the racing the further you get back, the more difficult it becomes, and you wind up in positions like this.

“So, nothing of his doing, but you’re just around the wrong cars. And let me rephrase this, you’re in the wrong part of the pack. It could be the cars up in the front next week that are in the back of the pack. It’s just the back of the pack, no matter which cars there are, it’s just difficult.”

Alex Bowman’s 2025 struggles continue at Michigan

Bowman has taken his share of big hits throughout his racing career. He suffered a fractured vertebra in April 2023 after his Sprint Car flipped during a High Limit Racing event. Bowman missed four Cup Series races as a result of the injury.

Unfortunately for Bowman, the wreck meant a third DNF of his 2025 season. It’s been a struggle of late for Bowman, as he’s finished 27th or worse in seven of his last nine starts. Suddenly, he’s 13th in the points standings and hanging out on the playoff bubble.

“Yeah, that hurt a lot. Probably top of the board on hits I’ve taken, and unfortunately, I’ve taken a lot of hits,” Bowman said. “So, hate that for the Ally 48 team, obviously, Ally’s from here. Yeah, it looks like, I don’t know, the 41 got loose or the 2 got into him or something. Then, yeah, at that point you’re just along for the ride. Couldn’t really do anything except think about, ‘Oh, shit, this is about to hurt really bad.’ Yeah, hate that for our team, and it’s been a rough two months. So, just gotta keep digging.”