Hendrick Motorsports has been the kingpin of the NASCAR Cup Series. After starting out on humble footing in 1984, the team has acquired 312 wins over 40 years – with Kyle Larson adding the latest last weekend at the Charlotte Roval. A mountain glue binds this team together as it continues to achieve its milestones. That same glue also ensures the team’s tackling of problems that arise – including Alex Bowman’s heartbreaking disqualification at the Roval.

The No. 48 Chevrolet driver was on a roll since the postseason began. Bowman proved himself as the driver, consistently amassing the highest stage points in every playoff race of the playoffs. But his post-race car weight failed NASCAR’s requirement, and his team bizarrely avoided appealing against the penalty. However, that decision was not a fluke, as Brad Keselowski’s spotter reasoned.

Alex Bowman’s team knows best

Granted, that decision came as a surprise to many. Rick Hendrick had previously faced NASCAR’s wrath when Kyle Larson attempted the Double. After a four-hour delay at the Indy 500, Kyle Larson flew back to Charlotte – but could not start the Coca-Cola 600. HMS appealed for a waiver to attain Larson’s playoff eligibility, and soon enough got it. Alex Bowman set out on a mission to prove rumors about his ejection were wrong. HMS was with him. However, the team chose not to fight when NASCAR brought down the weight penalty on the 48 – but Hendrick’s stellar team would not back out without a solid reason.

Some fans produced a video of Alex Bowman’s car supposedly losing debris that contacted with Michael McDowell’s ride. In a recent ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ video, Freddie Kraft said that HMS officials must have downplayed its viability. “A lot of people saw that video of Bowman jumping the curb and something flying off…if that was the case, you would have seen a fight from the Hendrick people.” The No. 48 Chevy crossed the allowed margin of around 17 pounds. As per Brad Moran, the managing series director for Cup, the car was weighed multiple times, and the team was given the chance to both fuel up the car and add water.

Brad Keselowski’s spotter, TJ Majors, argued that the HMS team must have found it impossible. Such a brilliant team with 14 championships in its name would not lightheartedly let go of its driver’s playoff bid. “Some of the smartest people in the sport work there. And they know what they’re doing. If they knew enough to not appeal…if it was even close, they would have tried. But obviously, in their eyes, it wasn’t worth the time and effort to do that. They came out and said it was a mistake on their part. They miscalculated some things, and it was just an error, so it happens.”

As Alex Bowman nurses his DQ wounds, his replacement, Joey Logano, is on Cloud 9 at present.

Bowman falls, Logano rises

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Alex Bowman made way for Joey Logano, a Cup Series driver who drummed up little expectations about even making it into the playoffs. Before the postseason, he owned only 10 top-tens and 4 top-fives besides a lone Nashville victory – hardly the recipe for a championship contender. But he played the pieces at the right times – he shocked audiences with a Las Vegas victory, locking himself into the Championship 4 race. Even as people are flabbergasted by Logano’s vast turn of fortunes, Brad Keselowski’s spotter shaved off any doubt about Joey Logano’s teamwork.

T.J. Majors compared Joey Logano with Chase Elliott – if the latter had been in Logano’s place, people would have cheered more. “I know we’re not happy because he’s done it like this. But he’s got three wins at the right times. How do you fault him for it? If this was Chase Elliott, everyone would be like, ‘Oh, that’s great. These guys are awesome. They did the right thing.’ I mean, what’s the difference?” Even Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, heaped praise on the 22 team. “I knew the minute they got in [to the Round of 8] Sunday night post-Charlotte, I wrote them into the final four first. Write it down. Joey Logano is going to find a way. It’s that simple. That team — it’s a team sport, so I don’t want to single Joey out. I think it’s a testament to how they do business.” 

Evidently, Joey Logano is living off quite well of Alex Bowman’s tragedy. As the playoffs draw to the last chapter, let us see how far Team Penske can continue to marvel at us.