Alex Bowman to Replace Jimmie Johnson in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 Car

Alex Bowman will replace Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Chevrolet after the end of this NASCAR Cup Series season, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, will no longer race full time after this year.

"It's definitely pretty similar, you go from [replacing] the most popular driver of all time to [replacing] arguably the greatest of all time," Bowman told the AP.

"It's just an honor for me to get to drive another car with a great number. I know I'm going to get a lot of the same questions I've answered the last couple of years, just replace Jimmie Johnson for Dale Earnhardt Jr. For everyone who has the confidence in me to do it just means the world to me."

The 27-year-old, who is currently sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, has experience replacing the sport's legends. Of note, he inherited the No. 88 car from Dale Earnhardt Jr. full time in 2018.

Bowman's crew chief, Greg Ives, will also be moving to the No. 48 car.

There is no concrete plan for replacing Bowman in the No. 88 car as of yet, but the AP reported that Kyle Larson is the top candidate.

NASCAR suspended Larson indefinitely in April after he used a racial slur during an iRacing event.

Bowman should have a bright future ahead of him in the No. 48 car if his past performances are any indication. He's steadily improved since he started racing full time on the NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, going from 16th to 12th and now sixth this year. 

He has two career wins, including one at the Auto Club 400 this season.