Alex Bowman Disqualified; Will Not Advance to Round of 8 in NASCAR Playoffs
Alex Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports will not continue in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro has been disqualified from Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 for failing to meet the minimum weight requirement in post-race technical inspection.
When the checkered flag was displayed, Bowman was scored 18th, which along with his triumph in the race's second stage, would have netted him 29 points, more than enough to advance into the 'Round of 8' in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Bowman will be demoted to 38th in the final rundown and awarded a single championship point, taking his nine-point advantage over Joey Logano and smashing it to pieces, which in turn will award the Team Penske driver with the final spot in the semi-final round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
With the No. 48 being disqualified, AJ Allmendinger will be the official winner of Stage 2 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, with Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five. Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin will complete the new running order in the top-10.
Logano will join the likes of Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs 'Round of 8'.
Brad Moran, Managing Director of the NASCAR Cup Series, addressed members of the media following the announcement of Bowman's disqualification.
"As we were running them through [post-race inspection], unfortunately, the No. 48 had an issue and did not meet minimum weight. So, we put the car to the side and continued on," Moran said. "We gave them the opportunity to make minimum weight, we ran them back through and unfortunately they were light again."
"They are allowed a five percent weight break, which is for the usage of fuel and so on, that's about 17 pounds. [We] took it off the scales, put it back on and it was the same weight, so the car had a weight issue. All the other cars cleared inspection, the No. 48 didn't, and that ends in a DQ."
In a statement, Hendrick Motorsports says: "We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal."
