Mike Joy apologizes to Alex Bowman for misspeaking about medical incident

Mike Joy issued an apology to NASCAR driver Alex Bowman for an on-air mistake he made during Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix.

Bowman was sidelined from Sunday’s event at Phoenix Raceway, this after he was forced to exit the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA the week prior due to experiencing vertigo symptoms. But during Sunday’s Fox broadcast, Joy claimed Bowman’s vertigo was not the reason for his absence in Phoenix, which turned out to be misinformation. Earlier this week, Joy posted a correction on social media.

For some who asked for details..
I mistakenly said Alex Bowman’s vertigo that sidelined him for PHX wasn’t related to the COTA situation. It was a continuation of that.
I intended to say it wasn’t related to a prior concussion (per HMS’ Jeff Andrews), and that got crossed up.

— Mike Joy (@mikejoy500) March 10, 2026

“For some who asked for details,” Joy wrote. “I mistakenly said Alex Bowman’s vertigo that sidelined him for PHX wasn’t related to the COTA situation. It was a continuation of that. I intended to say it wasn’t related to a prior concussion (per HMS’ Jeff Andrews), and that got crossed up.”

Andrews is the president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, who has supported Bowman as he takes time to prioritize his health.

“We’re encouraged by the progress he’s making, but we have to prioritize his health above all else,” Andrews said in a statement about Bowman. “It’s obviously frustrating for him because he’s a competitor and wants to be in the race car, especially at his home track. We’ll continue to support Alex and look forward to his return as soon as he’s medically cleared.”

Joy’s mistake seemed genuine, and it’s reasonable to understand how he could have mistakenly claimed Bowman’s absence wasn’t due to the vertigo he experienced a week prior, when the 76-year-old Fox NASCAR announcer intended to state the driver wasn’t being sidelined because of a prior concussion. But in the moment, it left viewers confused. Joy added that he plans to correct the mistake on-air during this Sunday’s broadcast from Las Vegas Motor Speedway.