NASCAR teams are always looking for ways to get ahead, and sometimes that means bending the rules. Alex Bowman’s #48 team, however, pushed too far at the Roval race, with NASCAR officials finding the car underweight in the post-race inspection. This violation cost Bowman his playoff spot just as he was finding his stride.

Though some thought the team might appeal, they accepted the penalty. While reactions have been mixed, Chase Elliott stepped up to defend Bowman’s team, pointing out that the weight issue likely didn’t impact his race performance.

Chase Elliott clearly disappointed by NASCAR’s call

Setting up the race cars is one of the crucial factors that can make or break a driver’s fortunes on the racetrack. Team engineers and crew chiefs try their best to find that extra bit of performance with their skill set. Back in the day, you could clearly identify the top running teams based on speed and their set-up. However, in the Next-Gen era and parity racing, it is hard to find that differentiating factor.

Everyone is running with the same parts spruced by NASCAR’s licensed third-party vendors. So, the team setting up the cars has little space in how they can find that extra bit of edge over the competition. It’s hard to guess if Blake Harris and the team intentionally tempered with the weight of the #48 Chevy, but given the verdict, it’s evident that they pushed beyond the limits.

For some, this is appalling, but for a regular like Chase Elliott, this is how the game is played. But was disappointed to see his teammate being on the bitter end of things after the Roval race. “It’s a delicate line, but one that us as competitors across the sport, you have to push the boundaries as much as you can because there’s performance in different areas, and you have to do that, and everyone’s doing that. So trying to find that balance.”

“Still a rule that is pretty black and white and is not something you can do a lot about when you go across the scales and that happens. I’ve been on that side of things before, and it sucks. And at the end of the day, it wasn’t anything on Alex; it wasn’t his doing,” Elliott added. While Bowman is out of the playoff race, his job isn’t done just yet. And Elliott reminded him what he should do next that could contribute to the HMS’s cause.

Alex Bowman can still help HMS win the championship during their 40th anniversary

“I will tell you this. Rick and I really, really want this championship on our 40th anniversary year.” Rick Hendrick’s wife Linda had made this appeal to all four of the HMS drivers going into the playoffs. Now a numerical advantage would’ve been huge for the team in the Round of 8, but Bowman’s elimination certainly was a jolt to the team’s ambition. With three Chevys, three Toyotas, and two Fords, the playing field is even.

However, Elliott feels Bowman can still contribute to the team: “I hope he can keep his head up and continue to perform and do the things that they’ve been doing because we’re all doing good things at the track for HMS, and so we can all continue to put that effort in and get the results we’ve been getting.”

Kyle Larson and William Byron are seen as clear favorites to make it to the Championship 4. But Elliott certainly won’t count himself out of the race with three attempts lined up in front of him.