Entering the Charlotte Roval, Alex Bowman was 26 points above the elimination cutline. He maintained his spot as a playoff driver finishing 18th at the Bank of America Roval race, qualifying for the Round of 8 in the final spot. This also meant that Joey Logano’s hopes of winning a third Cup Series championship were over. However, the HMS driver’s happiness was short-lived.

Post-race inspection revealed an anomaly in the No. 48 Chevrolet – it was too light. A NASCAR executive explained that all attempts were provided to Bowman and his team to bring up the weight by the allowed methods. However, it still didn’t meet the minimum weight requirements. It led to his disqualification from the race and knocked him out of the Cup Series playoffs. However, a recent revelation on social media sent ripples of hope among HMS fans.

Brad Moran, the managing director of the Cup Series talked about the disqualification and the process that led the organizing authority to make the decision. He said, “Unfortunately, the No. 48 had an issue and did not meet minimum weight. We put the car to the side. We continued on. We gave them the opportunity to fuel the car as well as purge the water system and add water.  So we gave them every opportunity to make minimum weight.”

According to the Cup Rule Book, the race car’s weight post-race “must be within 0.5% of the minimum overall vehicle weight” at the beginning of the race. Moran added, “We ran them back through. Unfortunately, they were light again. They are allowed a 0.5% weight break, which is for usage of fluids and so on. That’s about 17 pounds.” Bowman’s No. 48 car fell short of the required 17 pounds as managing series director Brad Moran underlined. But there may still be hope left.

A Hendrick Motorsports fanatic dropped a glaring piece of evidence acquitting Alex Bowman. The video is a clip from the in-car camera of Michael McDowell’s No. 34 Ford. As he zooms through the racetrack and maneuvers a tricky turn, he passes the No. 48 Chevy. The HMS driver slows down by the barrier as McDowell passes him. Just before it, we see what appears to be an object coming loose from Bowman’s car.

It’s possible that the dislodged piece was responsible for the weight discrepancy that got Bowman disqualified and ended his season.

This evidence may be crucially useful for Hendrick Motorsports‘ possible appeal. The team released an official statement regarding this: “We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal.” The expedited appeal would have only one hearing, and the National Motorsports Appeals Panel can take the final call.

Chances look slim as Moran mentioned that opportunities were given to meet the minimum weight, including refueling, running the pumps, plugging in the water, etc. Even after that, Bowman’s car still felt light. However, in light of the dash cam evidence, there are high chances that HMS and Bowman may get a reprieve.

NASCAR fans root for the 48’s reprieve

Bowman secured a playoff spot after winning the Chicago Street Race earlier this year. Following the win, Bowman recorded four top-10 and two top-5 finishes. This run of form carried into the Cup Series which saw him reach the Round of 12. Just before the playoffs, the NASCAR community was engulfed in a debate about Bowman’s future. Rumors of his ejection from the HMS Cup seat spread. But the driver gathered the most points in the postseason among his playoff rivals, proving his mettle.

And he would have been celebrating a place in the Round of 8, if not for the weight issues with his car. As the footage from the dash cam was shared, fans were quick to notice pieces of debris flying in the air and rolling on the ground – suggesting that that led to the No. 48’s loss of weight. So now gearheads are praying for a smooth appeal process against NASCAR’s penalty.

One fan commented hopefully on the new piece of evidence: “If that piece they went rolling around is from his car, they got a good shot at winning the appeal.” Another fan manifested Bowman’s victory in this ordeal: “Nice. HMS winning that appeal.”

This disqualification also means HMS will fall short of having all four drivers possibly make history by reaching the Championship 4. Kyle Larson emerged victorious at Roval, William Byron finished third and Chase Elliott ended up in fifth. Having Bowman reach the Round of 8 would have meant they would have had four teams out of eight increasing the possibility of an HMS Championship 4.

The removal of Bowman from the playoff picture allows Joey Logano to sneak into the final spot in the Round of 8. Logano finished eighth in the race and was out of the Cup Series after the initial result. But Bowman’s NASCAR ruling means he is still in with a chance to win it all.

Michael McDowell‘s camera evidence left fans in no doubt that an appeal could be successful. One fan claimed to even hear the No. 34 Ford stumbling on Bowman’s debris: “Oh my goodness, you can even hear McDowell striking the debris/weight.” Somebody else inspected the video closely and ascribed part of the incident to Ty Gibbs as well. “Definitely stuff flying out of the car, even looked like Gibbs hit something which could’ve contributed to his mechanical failure possibly.”

Another fan noted that NASCAR has no option but to overturn the decision, in case HMS decides to appeal. They noted, “Yeah if Nascar rejects this appeal they’re gonna look stupid.”

Evidently, the community is now rooting for a swift delivery of justice for Alex Bowman. Let us wait and see if the appeal gets through or not.

Update: In a surprise turn of events, HMS decided against appealing NASCAR’s disqualification of Bowman. In a statement on Monday, the team said, 

“Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the disqualification of the No. 48 car following Sunday’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL. NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre-and post-race weight. After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement. Although unintentional, the infraction was avoidable. We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners.” Could this be an indication of the team moving away from Bowman in 2025?