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NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin recently discussed the Alex Bowman penalty that ended the latter's Round of 8 hopes after a post-race inspection. The Hendrick Motorsports driver racked up enough points to advance to the next playoff round, but was stripped of the opportunity when he failed to meet the minimum weight guideline after the road course race in Charlotte.
The Bank of America 400 ROVAL race witnessed Kyle Larson securing his sixth victory of the season and all four of Rick Hendrick's drivers advancing it to the next round. However, a post-race inspection took away the joy of the winningest organization of the NASCAR Cup Series. HMS' #48 Chevy driver Bowman's hope for the Cup Series championship title lasted briefly after the officials discovered an infraction.
Reflecting on the likelihood of the stockcar going underweight during the race, Joe Gibbs' driver Hamlin, in an episode of the Actions Detrimental Poscast, shared his thoughts on NASCAR's decision. He said:
"It was in weight on Saturday. A lot of things happened between Saturday and Sunday... I don't know. I'm uneducated in this moment. Again, we're 30 minutes from the news. You'd have to lose a pretty heavy component.
"I'm not sure how it could. Lose significant weight. I mean, I know there's a way. I just don't know how or why," he added.
Furthermore, the 2024 Cup Series championship contender Hamlin talked about how officials give a "buffer" to the race cars. He said:
"And so the problem is that I just don't think NASCAR cares. That's why they give you that buffer. It's just like speeding on pit road. You know, if you speed on pit road, you weren't 0.3 miles per hour over the speed limit. You were 5.3 miles per hour over the speed limit. That's why they give you that buffer. They don't expect you to take that. It they're allowing for things to happen on the racetrack that could alter the way to your car."[1:10]
As a result, the two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano was reinstated for the Round of 8 replacing Bowman. However, things might change if and when Hendrick Motorsports decides to appeal the penalty.
"Will make a decision Monday," Rick Hendrick's team on appealing Alex Bowman's penalty
Alex Bowman has garnered eight Cup Series wins in his seven seasons with Hendrick Motorsports. His most recent triumph was at the Chicago Street Race, which helped him secure a spot in the 2024 playoffs.
However, after an unfortunate event for the 31-year-old Arizona native, the hopes for his maiden championship title have tarnished. Nevertheless, there might still be hope for Bowman if HMS appeals his penalty and NASCAR revokes his disqualification.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), HMS wrote:
"We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal."
With a slight chance to overturn the events, the possibility of four Hendrick Motorsports drivers inside the Round of 8 is still on the cards.
