The NASCAR circuit is no stranger to drama, and the Bank of America Roval 400 was no exception. In a stunning turn of events, Alex Bowman was disqualified despite advancing ahead in the championship. The unexpected ruling has ignited intense debate, splitting the racing community and social media into two fiercely divided camps.

Shifting the onus of responsibility

A stage 2 win along with a 18th position at the Bank of America Roval 400 marked Bowman’s advancement. However, post-inspection of the car revealed that it was 17 pounds lighter than the required weight percentage. Consequently, Bowman was pushed from the 18th to the 38th position. He lost out on 28 points and was ultimately disqualified from the playoffs. 

Team Hendrick did have 24 hours to appeal for reconsideration post the final announcement of disqualification. However, the team released an official statement that made it clear that they would not pursue the same. The statement read that after a review from team officials, it was evident that the car did not meet the post-race requirements. This stance by the team made the internet go crazy and fans started pouring their blame on Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon. A fan reacted to the same saying, “We all know it was JG’s fault”. Another fan in the same thread mentioned “Sucks for Alex, he has done great this year. I didn’t see anything fly off the car after it went airborne on the curb, but then again the NBC cameras aren’t the greatest”. 

While fans showed their solidarity for Bowman, blaming the management, Kenny Wallace took to YouTube to share his point of view. He said, “People get with it now. It’s like blaming your boss for something that you screwed up in a factory. However they are the leaders and in the big you know responsible world, well he is like the captain of the ship, he’s in control of his men. He’s not. You can’t talk like that. The captain can tell his workers what to do on the ship but if they mess up, they mess up….I can promise that Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick had no idea and I can guarantee you that they were as shocked as anybody. I don’t believe in a million years they cheated. I believe in a million years that they messed up. Everybody knows that the car is going to get weighed next”.

Wallace further mentioned that blaming Hendrick and Gordon for the disqualification is akin to blaming the captain for his crew’s inefficiency. He hinted, without naming names, that it’s the crew’s responsibility to take ownership and verify the car’s weight. NASCAR requires a post-race inspection for all top-8 finishers. Exceeding the weight limit, even by a margin, suggests significant incompetence on the part of the crew. However, this is not the first time claims have surfaced about differences between the No. 48 Chevy driver and Hendrick Team Management. Last month, rumors of Bowman being ousted from the team before the end of his 2026 contract were refuted. Both the team and Bowman explicitly stated that the rumors were baseless. Although Hendrick Motorsports dropped one position in the Top 8, three other drivers from the team remain in the lineup. Kyle Larson secured the top spot, giving the team a reason to celebrate. He will be joined by Chase Elliott and William Byron at Vegas Speedway to compete against the Top 8.

And well, Bowman’s disqualification did end up giving a second chance to a driver. As they say- one person’s bad luck is another person’s good luck, right?

Bowman’s misfortune blessing in disguise for Logano?

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After the no. 48 Chevy did not match up to the weight requirements set up by NASCAR, he stood disqualified. However, this has turned into a blessing in disguise for Joey Logano, who has now moved his way to Vegas. Throughout the Charlotte Roval race, Logano managed to accumulate 17 stage points, which brought his total points to 47. Without Bowman’s unintended help, Logano thus could not have made it into the top 8.  

Talking about how his Roval efforts proved to be fruitful, Logano mentioned, ”No matter how you call the race, you put yourself in a spot where you’re going to be at a disadvantage on tires or be way back in the pack. We were at one point, and I was able to kind of manage and I think we’re second and third in the stages. So we did good with that”. Logano finished the Bank of America Roval 400 in the 8th position. Logano was in the Top 10 for both Stage 2 and Stage 3. In the latter, he secured the 3rd position right after Bowman and Allmendinger. The strong finishes allowed Logano to collect points; however, he lost control in the final stage. He finished with a total of 48 points but didn’t then make it to the Top 8. 

The disqualification of Bowman and the team’s decision to not appeal strengthened Logano’s position in the top 8. Will Logano be able to redeem himself at the Vegas Speedway by making most of this chance?