In a shocking turn, Alex Bowman and the #48 Team from Hendrick Motorsports have been eliminated from the NASCAR Playoffs. The #48 Car failed to meet post-race weight requirements. Bowman finished the race in 18th place, with an average finish of 13.3. The team was given a last-place finish, allowing Joey Logano to slide back into championship contention.
NASCAR’s Brad Moran held a session with the media explaining the penalty and the circumstances. NASCAR allows the teams to refresh all the fluids in the car, and there is a 17-pound break for the teams. However much the car weighed, it seems like the team was well off from the required weight, though no weight has been announced.
NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran explains the disqualification of the No. 48 car at @CLTMotorSpdwy. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/xpV10waL6e
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 14, 2024
Hendrick Motorsports has announced that they are still understanding the situation before they submit an appeal. The appeals process is expedited due to the NASCAR Playoffs, so a hearing will be within the next coming days.
How do you fail post-race weight?
There are lots of theories circulating as to why Bowman’s car failed to meet the weight. The leading theory is that the car lost a tungsten weight during the race. Early in the race, the #48 hit one of the sausage curbs on the front stretch chicane, launching the car and brushing the wall. The airborne moment was caught by the in-car camera of Michael McDowell, and some debris is seen and heard hitting the #34.
Not quite the early highlight @Alex_Bowman was looking for! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/3xnRID9Zs7
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2024
Tungsten is an incredible dense metal. A small block of tungsten can add a serious amount of weight to a race car. But with that comes strict rules about how this ballast is secured. In 2020, Denny Hamlin lost a tungsten ballast during the pace laps of the Coke 600. The ballast was 35 pounds and it’s improper securement resulted in an immediate 4 race suspension for his crew chief, car chief, and engineer.
Former Cup Series driver and NASCAR personality Kenny Wallace took to his twitter to speculate about the situation. Wallace ran 344 races in the Cup Series, and has never seen a car fail weight in the Cup Series. Wallace referenced when Scott Bloomquist failed weight at Eldora. Bloomquist hired a scale company to check the scales, and told viewers to watch what Hendrick does in the appeals process.
BREAKING DRAMA @NASCAR NEWS from the @SteaknShake in Arnold Missouri.. pic.twitter.com/qb2weNPBP1
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) October 14, 2024
Alex Bowman’s 2024 Season.
Following a tough 2023 season in which he broke his back and missed the playoffs, Alex Bowman has rebounded. He earned a win at the Chicago Street Course, breaking his long winless streak, and locking into the playoffs. Rumors began circulating about whether he would be returning to Hendrick Motorsports in 2025. These rumors lit a fire inside Bowman.
He finished the first round with an average finish of 10.6, with a top-five at Atlanta and scored the pole at Bristol to close the round. Again he had a 13.3 place average finish throughout the round of 12.
Hendrick Motorsports fans were beaming with excitement as the round of eight heads to three tracks that the Hendrick cars are incredibly strong at. Bowman, Larson, and Byron have all won at Las Vegas. Byron and Larson both have wins at Homestead Miami, and Byron won the spring race at Martinsville this year, with Larson and Elliott right behind him.
An all Hendrick Final looked to be possible, something that would cap off the 40th season of competition for HMS. But now we will wait and see what happens in the appeals process.
