Alex Bowman regaining racer’s feel after recovery from back injury

On the cusp of a full recovery from a back injury that hampered his results last year, Alex Bowman hopes for a bright future as he regains his ability to feel his car on the track.

Bowman agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2026 in mid-February last year and then missed four weeks of the NASCAR Cup season after fracturing a vertebra in an April 25 sprint car crash in Iowa. He returned for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte after testing at North Wilkesboro and seeing how his body reacted.

“When I was recovering right afterwards, it really was more just trying to not hurt (my back) or piss it off, I guess,” Bowman told NBC Sports after the season. “…When I tested at North Wilkesboro and felt pretty good, that was good.

“Honestly, the hardest part was getting in and out of the race car. That was super painful. Being in the race car wasn’t that bad. So the 600 was totally fine. And then I went to get out, couldn’t hardly get out of the car.”

Denny Hamlin knows the pain that Bowman felt last season, as well as the toll it took, despite driving for a different organization. Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in 2013 after a crash at California Speedway. He also missed four races in the No. 11 and he struggled after returning.

The two back injuries were not identical. The recovery processes and timelines were similar. Hamlin and Bowman both needed rest early before turning their attention to their respective cores.

Hamlin’s own experiences helped him better empathize with his fellow driver, one with whom he had a memorable run-in battling for a 2021 win at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin is pulling for a comeback by Bowman but knows well that the recovery is lengthy.

“Obviously, we go through a lot of spine load as it is sitting in that car,” Hamlin told NBC Sports. “Our cars are very, very stiff, and we don’t have much shock so we’re kind of really pushing down on our spine to begin with.”

Like Bowman last season, Hamlin did not simply get back in the car in 2013 and immediately begin contending for wins. He dealt with considerable pain as he recovered. Hamlin lost the ability to fully feel the intricate movements of the car, which is crucial to achieving success on the track regardless of era.

“When (fans) see us go around the racetrack, you can see it, and it looks like the car is just planted to the track,” Hamlin said. “It’s not flat. You slow it down in slow-mo and you can see that we’re constantly driving the car on the edge or sliding it, right?

“So if you don’t have the feel or that level in your system, or in your bottom end that tells you when your car is about to slide, you’re not able to correct in time.”

The results for Bowman and Hamlin after their injuries are indicative of lacking that feel.

After opening last season with six top 10s in the first seven races, Bowman had only four top 10s in the 22 races after returning…