Alex Bowman faced a major setback after the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval race when his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet was disqualified due to being underweight. The post-race inspection found that Bowman’s car did not meet NASCAR’s weight requirements, falling below the allowed 0.5 percent tolerance. As a result, Bowman is now out of the driver playoffs, and the No. 48 car has been eliminated from the owner’s playoff.
The disqualification allowed Joey Logano to advance to the driver’s playoff, joining his already-qualified No. 22 car. In addition, the 23XI Racing No. 45 car advanced to the next round of the owner’s playoff, alongside driver Tyler Reddick, who had already secured his spot.
NASCAR did not provide detailed specifics about the weight discrepancy, citing the possibility of an appeal. However, Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran addressed the media, explaining that the car’s weight was under the allowed tolerance. Despite being given multiple opportunities to meet the minimum weight, including refueling and adding water, the No. 48 car remained under the required threshold.
The inspection process involves a detailed review of the top-five finishers and all playoff cars, including the use of an optical scanning station for precise measurements. It was during this process that the No. 48 car was found to be too light, leading to the disqualification.
Reflecting on the incident, Bowman acknowledged hitting a rub block on the track hard during the race, potentially contributing to the car’s weight issue. He admitted the impact was significant, describing it as the hardest hit he had ever experienced, even though he avoided a crash. This event, along with the subsequent disqualification, marks a challenging end to Bowman’s playoff hopes, while NASCAR continues its strict enforcement of weight regulations.
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