Bowman, 29, crashed on Lap 97 of the 334-lap race at Texas Motor Speedway on September 25th. Although damaged, he continued on and finished the race.
A few days later, he announced plans to skip the Cup race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway after experiencing concussion-like symptoms.
Bowman, who was already below the cut line before being sidelined, had hoped to return for the Round of 12 cut-off race at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval this weekend. With Tuesday’s news, he will now be among four drivers eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday.
Noah Gragson will again fill-in for Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The NASCAR Xfinity Series title contender started seventh and finished 19th in his first race with HMS. Although it is a long shot, Gragson could still potentially help the No. 48 car advance in the owner’s playoffs.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Bowman said: “With my health continuing to be my number one priority, I will not return to racing this weekend at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I am continuing to make strides in my recovery to make sure I can return to competition at 100%.
“I appreciate Noah (Gragson) stepping into the No. 48 Chevrolet again and will be cheering hard for my Ally Racing team this weekend. Thank you to everyone for your support during this time. It has not gone unheard or unseen and I’m overwhelmed by your support.”
Bowman is the second Cup driver to be sidelined with a concussion this year, with the other being Kurt Busch, who remains out of the car after crashing at Pocono (P.A.) Raceway on July 23rd.
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