In a statement released on Monday, HMS gave the following explanation for their decision to accept the penalty: “Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the disqualification of the No. 48 car following Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Roval. NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre- and post-race weight.
“After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement. Although unintentional, the infraction was avoidable. We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners.”
Originally, all four Hendrick drivers had advanced into the Round of 8 after Kyle Larson’s victory on Sunday. But in post-race technical inspection, the No. 48 HMS Chevrolet failed to meet minimum weight requirements, which includes a tolerance around 17 pounds. Per Brad Moran, the managing series director for Cup, the car was weighed multiple times and the team was given the chance to both fuel up the car and add water.
Bowman was disqualified and the subsequent loss of points resulted in him being eliminated from the 2024 NASCAR Cup playoffs. Bowman’s misfortune put two-time NASCAR Cup champion and Team Penske driver Joey Logano back in. At the checkered flag, he was out by four points. This also changed the owner’s championship, as the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota was originally eliminated there, but is now back in as well.
The official Round of 8 points grid:
Pos.
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Points
1
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
4052
2
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
4032
3
Tyler Reddick
23XI Racing
Toyota
4029
4
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
4023
5
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
Ford
4019
6
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
4015
7
Chase Elliott
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
4014
8
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
4012
Source : Motorsport.com