Hendrick Motorsports Subtly Slips In a Testament of Innocence Amid Chaos Around Contradictory Penalty Verdicts

Hendrick Motorsports has been in the news for the past few weeks. Unfortunately, it is for all the wrong reasons, because the organization has gotten itself into a lot of trouble. It all started when all four HMS cars were hauled up for illegal modifications. As per the usual protocol, the team was slapped with hefty penalties, but the saga didn’t end there. HMS appealed and managed to squeeze out a lighter sentence from the Appeals Board.

Then, a new complication arose when they were pulled up for a different kind of infraction. This time, the victims were the #24 and #48 Chevys of William Byron and Alex Bowman, respectively. Following the race at the Richmond Raceway, the #24 and #48 teams were handed L1-level penalties each, meaning that 60 driver and owner points as well as five playoff points were docked. Additionally, crew chiefs Brian Campe and Greg Ives faced a 2-race suspension and each was fined $75,000.

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What did Hendrick Motorsports do wrong, and how did they respond?

The supposed infraction had to do with illegal modifications to the cars’ greenhouses. For the uninitiated, the greenhouse refers to the area above the door and between the front and rear windows. Surprisingly, Hendrick Motorsports elected not to contest the penalties and just let sleeping dogs lie. As per the organization’s statement, one could tell that they were getting tired of running around from pillar to post.

Instead, they have opted to accept the penalty without too much of a fuss and move on. After all, their precious time and energy are better spent focusing on the ongoing Cup Series campaign. The move could also be perceived as strategic, as Byron has already qualified for the Playoffs. So there was likely no point in contesting any point penalty, and Bowman has also shown a decent pace this year. In other words, a win for Alex Bowman could be on the horizon, which could render the penalty moot.

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