Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon has opened up about the team’s difficult decision not to appeal Alex Bowman’s disqualification from the Charlotte Roval, which cost Bowman a chance to continue in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet was found to be too light in the post-race inspection, a penalty that knocked him from 18th place to last in the final standings and eliminated him from the postseason.
The disqualification pushed Joey Logano into the Round of 8, dashing what could have been a historic day for Hendrick Motorsports, which had three of its drivers advancing into the next round. Until the penalty was handed down, Bowman was in prime position to join Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott in the next stage of the playoffs.
“We looked at all the factors and you saw early on in that race the 48 car launched up into the air and got into the wall,” Gordon told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We wanted to really inspect the car fully to see if there was enough damage or if something got dislodged from the car.”
Despite examining Bowman’s Chevrolet in detail at NASCAR’s tech center, Hendrick Motorsports could not identify any damage or dislodged parts that might have caused the weight discrepancy. As a result, Gordon admitted the team had to take responsibility for the car being underweight.
“In this case, the 48 car, they just cut it too close and missed it,” Gordon continued. “That’s on us and pretty embarrassing by it. It’s very disappointing after what was looking like a historical day for us, and that all got wiped away.”
A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR APPEAL
Although disappointed, Gordon explained that the team ultimately saw no grounds for a strong appeal. Hendrick Motorsports explored whether Bowman’s earlier contact with the curbing at the frontstretch chicane, which launched the car into the air and into the wall, had contributed to the car being underweight. However, after a thorough inspection, NASCAR and the team found no evidence of that.
“We looked at all the facts, and we didn’t feel there was anything that we felt comfortable appealing,” Gordon said. “We’re going to move on.”
This was especially tough to swallow for Bowman, who had been one of the most consistent performers in the playoffs up to that point. Before the disqualification, Bowman had earned the most points of any playoff driver and averaged a 12th-place finish in the first six postseason races.
AN EMOTIONAL SWING FOR HENDRICK
Hendrick Motorsports was riding high after Sunday’s race, where teammate Kyle Larson took the victory. The team was celebrating what they thought would be a historic moment with four cars advancing to the next round. But the disqualification of Bowman brought those celebrations to a screeching halt.
“We were celebrating until about 6 p.m. Sunday,” Gordon reflected. “It was probably one of the greatest days in the 40-year history of Hendrick Motorsports, with the win by the 5, a home race, and what we thought was getting all four cars through to the next round. But obviously, pretty disappointed to hear the news that we failed on the weights in post-race inspection.”
The ruling is a significant blow to Bowman, the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who is now out of championship contention. But with the remaining trio of Hendrick drivers advancing, the team remains focused on the final stretch of the playoffs, despite the disappointment of losing Bowman.
For Gordon, the disqualification serves as a sobering reminder of how fine the margins are in NASCAR, particularly when it comes to the technical regulations. With so much hard work going into each race, missing the weight minimum by even a fraction of a pound can result in devastating consequences. “It’s pretty devastating with all the hard work and effort that’s put in,” he admitted.
As Hendrick Motorsports looks ahead to the final rounds of the season, the team will be hoping to avoid any further missteps as they continue their pursuit of the championship with Larson, Byron, and Elliott leading the charge.
