NASCAR driver disqualified after Roval race because….read more
CONCORD, N.C. — The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Alex Bowman, was disqualified following a post-race inspection after the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday. Bowman initially finished in 18th place, which provisionally allowed him to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR playoffs by nine points. However, post-race inspection revealed the car was underweight, leading to its disqualification and dropping Bowman’s final position to 38th, eliminating him from playoff contention.
Brad Moran, managing director of the NASCAR Cup Series, explained that the No. 48 car failed to meet the minimum weight requirements during the inspection. Despite multiple efforts to remedy the situation, including allowing the team to add fuel and water, the car still did not meet the weight standard. NASCAR allows a 0.5% weight break for fluid usage, equating to around 17 pounds, but the No. 48 remained too light. “We backed the car back off the scales, ran it back on, and unfortunately, it was the same weight. So the car had a weight issue. All the other cars cleared inspection. The 48 didn’t, and that ends up in a disqualification,” Moran said.
He declined to provide further specifics about the car’s weight, citing the potential for an appeal from Hendrick Motorsports. If the team chooses to appeal, Moran noted that the process would be expedited within a few days. The car will remain at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, pending the outcome of any potential appeal.
Hendrick Motorsports responded on social media, stating, “We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal.” The disqualification means that Bowman, who earned his spot in the playoffs with a win at the Chicago Street Course in July, will not advance to the next round.
As a result, Joey Logano now takes the final spot in the Round of 8, alongside other advancing drivers. Meanwhile, Bowman joins Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez, and Chase Briscoe as those eliminated from playoff contention.
The next race in the Round of 8 is scheduled for Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where drivers will compete in the South Point 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
