With Connor Zilisch stepping into the NASCAR Cup Series, some drivers are excited, while some might be apprehensive of the young gun’s foray into the top division. Recently, a NASCAR enthusiast speculated that Zilisch‘s grooming by Trackhouse Racing might lead to internal shifts, possibly positioning him to replace a current team member or even sparking a move to Hendrick Motorsports in place of Alex Bowman.
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However, the NASCAR community quickly dismissed the notion of Bowman exiting, pointing to his performance last season. Instead, the spotlight might shift to Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, whose seat could be in jeopardy if his results don’t measure up this season.
While Suarez won a race last year, he concluded the season in P12 place with three top-5s and five top-10s. Bowman, on the other hand, also secured a win but ended the season in P9 place. Notably, if not for disqualification at Roval, Bowman could have broken into the top 8.
Fans, countering the rumors about Bowman’s future, clarified their stance in the comments, “I don’t think Bowman is going any where this year, there is a clear plan that Zilisch will replace Saurez if Saurez doesn’t improve.”
Another enthusiast chimed in, “I think TrackHouse is fast-tracking him to Cup for that exact reason. I expect Zillisch to replace Suarez next year because if he doesn’t, Hendrick would not hesitate to steal him.”
none of them, hendrick steals him for the 48 https://t.co/Bp9PyolExc
— Tyler Pennell (@_nascartyler) February 28, 2025
Another fan delved deeper into the discussion, remarking, “Why would HMS go for a different team’s development driver when they already have Hocevar, Caruth and now Corey Day, in their own pipeline? You seem to be coping at the fact that HMS failed to sign Connor before someone else.”
Yet another comment read, “Suarez will be out. I think with pitbull leaving, it’s obvious.”
Suarez signed his contract extension with the Trackhouse Racing team back in August 2024, along with Freeway Insurance, which maintained its support by electing to sponsor the #99 car for a third of the 2025 season, including the Daytona 500 race.
Despite this reinforcement, the notion of Suarez departing the team he joined at its inception in 2021 seems far-fetched, yet the statistics tilt more favorably toward Bowman.
Meanwhile, Bowman’s tenure with Hendrick Motorsports is secured through the 2026 NASCAR season, which hasn’t quelled the persistent rumors about his future within the team. After missing the playoffs in 2023, Bowman entered 2024 driven to reclaim his standing.
His victory in Chicago last year momentarily quelled his critics, but the pressure remains for Bowman to elevate his game. In a team where he is routinely measured against the performances of teammates Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron, maintaining pace is imperative.
