Alex Bowman on staying motivated during recovery from injury: “I gotta get back for Mr. Hendrick”

After suffering from a back injury that derailed his season, Alex Bowman recently revealed what helped him stay motivated throughout the recovery process.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver fractured his vertebrae after suffering from a crash during the Iowa race in April. He missed out on four weeks of racing action.

Bowman returned during the Coca-Cola 600 race in Charlotte. However, the process of recovery wasn't easy for him. His struggles extended beyond the race itself, with the Cup Series driver facing difficulties getting in and out of the No. 48 Chevrolet and grappling with persistent pain that persisted throughout the season.

In a recent interview with NASCAR.com, Alex Bowman offered a glimpse into the mental and physical hurdles he encountered during his recovery. He reflected on the challenges he faced, acknowledging the moments when he felt the process was dragging on longer than anticipated.

Bowman said:

"I think I got like a little extra motivation just knowing that I did it to myself in a situation I didn’t have to be in. Sprint car racing was something I wanted to do, but I was doing it for me, right?"

Referring to team owner Rick Hendrick, Bowman said:

"So I was going and having fun and did it to myself, and I think that was like, ‘Man, I gotta get back for Mr. (Hendrick) and for Jeff (Gordon) and everybody at HMS."

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Pain management was the key during the recovery process, says Alex Bowman

Pain management emerged as a critical aspect of Alex Bowman's recovery process. Bowman revealed the strategies he employed to navigate the physical challenges. He revealed:

"I kind of started off with these air bands that kind of cut off circulation and make it harder to train with low weights. The doctor was pretty adamant that I couldn’t hurt it any worse than it was already hurt. It was just going to be about managing the pain."

The Hendrick Motorsports driver admitted to falling off the recovery routine at times but emphasized the ongoing battle to regain his pre-injury form. He said:

"I kind of fell off a little bit, obviously, when I got hurt. And I never got back to all the way where I was before I got hurt.

"I mean, maybe at the end of the season, I felt like I was back there but it just took me longer than I would have wanted," Alex Bowman added. "Not all of that was injury. Some of it was just life getting in the way of spending much time on (recovery)."

Alex Bowman aims to return to full fitness in 2024.