After careful consideration, Hendrick Motorsports has chosen not to appeal Alex Bowman’s disqualification from the October 13 Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That means the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet will not progress to the next round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since the car failed to reach the minimum weight requirement during post-race technical inspection.
Joey Logano of Team Penske, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, was the first driver below the
After the race, the winner will advance to the Round of Eight, where they will compete over the next three races for a spot in NASCAR’s “Championship Four.”
Hendrick Motorsports issued the following statement at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on October 14:
“Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the disqualification of the No. 48 vehicle from Sunday’s race at Charlotte ROVAL. NASCAR provides a clear buffer to accommodate for the difference in pre- and post-race weight.Following a comprehensive examination by our team and the sanctioning authority, we simply did not provide for enough time to complete the post-race requirement. Although inadvertent, the offense was avoidable. “We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners.” NASCAR made its decision three hours after Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports won Sunday’s Bank of American Roval 400. At the time, all four NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing for Hendrick Motorsports were in the Round of Eight. Afterwards, team owner Rick Hendrick was questioned if he would push the team to get all four drivers to the Championship Four, which is impossible now that the team has accepted the NASCAR penalty.
“I don’t think you can push them,” Hendrick said. “They push themselves. You’ve got to show up and do the best you can. You’re going to have problems. You’re going to have a pit stop. You’re going to have things that happen out of your control, restarts. You can’t control all of that.
“As the field gets down to eight, you’ve got a good shot at getting someone, hopefully more than one, in the final four. “Right now I think we’re running good enough to get — I won’t say we’re going to be lucky enough or even, you know, we get to all four in the final four. That would be an ideal thing if we could do that, but as long as we can show up and be good every week and hopefully have better luck than bad luck, then that’s our job.”
Hendrick also spoke of Bowman’s accomplishment in what appeared to be making the Round of Eight for the second time in his career, but it was nullified by the DQ.
“I think if you look back at Alex getting hurt and breaking his back and then he has a new — they were new together,” Hendrick said. “Alex is healthy. He is confident. “You can’t drive one of these cars hurt. I mean, you can, but it takes 100 percent every lap. When Chase Elliott broke his leg and he got back in the car, it took him a while to get the rhythm going. You don’t get hurt and get back and be as strong as these guys that have been in every week.
“So I think Alex just having an opportunity to be healed up, feeling good. He and Blake Harris (crew chief) are clicking. I think that’s been the secret there. I mean, I wish he hadn’t gotten hurt. I think we would be way ahead. Now they’re in a stride, and he’s doing a heck of a job.
“Every race track he’s doing a good job.”
Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott are the three Hendrick Motorsports drivers that have advanced to the Round of Eight after winning the race on Sunday.
Larson won the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, while Elliott won the title in 2020.
Hendrick Motorsports is attempting to win its first NASCAR Cup Series championship since Larson won three years ago.
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