Tag: Alex Bowman

‘I guess I choked that one away’ – Bowman at Homestead

Alex Bowman gave the win away Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway but continued one of the hottest starts to a Cup Series season he’s ever had. Bowman finished second in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 after giving up the lead with seven laps to go. …

Alex Bowman gave the win away Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway but continued one of the hottest starts to a Cup Series season he’s ever had.

Bowman finished second in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 after giving up the lead with seven laps to go. He led Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson into Turns 3 and 4 when his Ally Chevrolet caught the wall, allowing Larson to make up the remaining gap and drive past for the victory. It was Bowman’s first top-five finish of the season after leading 43 laps and his best finish in Southern Florida.

“I guess I choked that one away, for sure,” Bowman told Fox Sports. “I just kind of burned my stuff up; saw the [No.] 5 coming, so I moved around a little bit. Not when he passed me, but the time before that, I hit it pretty hard with the right front and ended up just bending something enough that I lost a lot of right front feel, and then I pulled it off the wall too far right there and ended up hitting the fence pretty bad.”

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Bowman apologized to his team on the radio after the checkered flag, but the return message from crew chief Blake Harris was about the positives: Bowman started from the pole, led laps, and had a shot at winning at a racetrack the team needed to improve on.

“I hate that for this Ally [No.] 48 group,” Bowman continued. “They deserve better than that, and just a couple of mistakes there. I felt like we were okay all day. That last run was the best we were. Hats off to Ally and Blake [Harris] and everybody for supporting this [No.] 48 team. I hate it for Mr. Hendrick — congrats to Kyle – and we’ll go try to get another one this week.”

Sunday was the most laps Bowman has led in a race this season. It was also his fourth consecutive top-10 finish — he’s finished in the top 10 in five of the season’s six races. He moved to third in points.

“It was a good day for the No. 48 Ally Unrivaled League Chevy team,” Bowman said. “We have some work to do, for sure, but overall it was a really good weekend for us at a racetrack that hasn’t been very good to us in the past.”

Bowman pips Berry to Homestead-Miami Cup Series pole

Alex Bowman stole the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway late in Saturday’s session when he went to the top of the board at 168.845mph (31.982s). Bowman was the third to last driver to make a qualifying lap. The pole is …

Alex Bowman stole the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway late in Saturday’s session when he went to the top of the board at 168.845mph (31.982s).

Bowman was the third to last driver to make a qualifying lap. The pole is the sixth of his career and first of the season. It’s also his first pole at Homestead-Miami.

“We’ve overcome a lot this year,” Bowman told Prime. “I think a lot of people don’t realize the amount of things we’ve had go wrong throughout our races, and honestly, those seventh-place finishes are pretty good, all things considered. We just need to have everything go right and execute all day.

“I feel like we’ve got some work to do for tomorrow on the long run, for sure, but at least we’re starting up front. We’ll have a good pit stall and put our best foot forward so far.”

Josh Berry continued his strong start to the season by qualifying second. Berry clocked in at 168.460mph to tie his career-best starting effort from the spring 2024 race at Bristol.

Noah Gragson qualified third at 168.219mph. He was sitting on the provisional pole before Bowman made his run. A third-place qualifying effort ties a career-best for Gragson from the 2024 spring race at Kansas.

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Chase Briscoe qualified fourth at 168.140mph, William Byron fifth at 168.046mph and Ryan Blaney sixth at 168.010 mph.

John Hunter Nemechek ran seventh at 167.853mph, Austin Cindric eighth at 167.738mph, Bubba Wallace ninth at 167.645mph and AJ Allmendinger 10th at 167.629mph.

The rest of the top 15 in qualifying were Chris Buescher (11th), Joey Logano (12th), Ty Gibbs (13th), Kyle Larson (14th), and Carson Hocevar (15th). Christopher Bell, the 2023 winner in Miami, qualified 16th.

Further back in the starting grid will be Chase Elliott (18th) and Tyler Reddick (20th). Reddick is the defending race winner in Miami.

Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin will start outside the top 20. Busch qualified 22nd and Hamlin 23rd.

Erik Jones did make a qualifying run and clocked in 28th fastest. Jones reported he ran over something in practice, and there was a hole in the underbody of the car that needed to be repaired.

Brad Keselowski qualified 32nd.

NEXT: Straight Talk Wireless 400 at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.

Litany of issues following Bowman’s Roval DQ sends focus into high gear

Alex Bowman did not have a good Sunday night after leaving the Charlotte Roval and it wasn’t just because he was kicked out of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bowman was sitting by his pool when he heard from crew chief Blake Harris that there might …

Alex Bowman did not have a good Sunday night after leaving the Charlotte Roval and it wasn’t just because he was kicked out of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Bowman was sitting by his pool when he heard from crew chief Blake Harris that there might be an issue with the No. 48 Chevrolet in post-race inspection. A little while later, it became official that the car failed for being too light, and Bowman was disqualified from the race, which eliminated him from the postseason.

“I proceeded to throw my phone in the pool, and my phone proceeded to call 911 and tell them I was in a car crash,” Bowman said Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the Round of 8 begins. “So my Sunday night wasn’t very good. But it couldn’t happen to anybody else that way, right?”

Bowman clarified he didn’t throw his phone in anger but more tossed it as he walked back inside. It was a proactive move to distance himself from the device and anyone trying to reach him.

“It hit the bottom of the pool and I walked away and 20 minutes later, I’m like, ‘OK, I should probably go get my phone out of the pool,’” Bowman said. “I just knew my phone was about to start blowing up, and I really didn’t want to see any of it at that point, right? Luckily, your phone doesn’t have service from the bottom of the pool, so nothing came of it.

“But I guess they have a new thing where they report that you’ve been in a car crash if the phone feels something. So that happened. It’s a true story.”

The phone still works.

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NASCAR gives teams a tolerance to make weight, which is about 17 pounds. Neither NASCAR nor Hendrick Motorsports detailed how far off the tolerance Bowman’s car was or why it failed inspection. Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman, said earlier this week the team cut it too close and expressed disappointment and embarrassment.

Bowman didn’t have any more details to share, either, although he did say the weight issue wasn’t something he felt behind the wheel during the race, and that the car became damaged after launching over the curbing in the frontstretch chicane.

The unfortunate turn of events brought a range of emotions, but if the last few years have taught Bowman anything, it’s dealing with the highs and lows of racing. He believes most of the bad things that have happened to him have ended up working out for the better. In this case, although it’s going to sting for a while, he’s focused on moving on and trying to find more success before the season ends.

“We win and lose as a team,” Bowman said. “We’ve worked really hard and done a lot of things right and unfortunately, in that situation, we did something wrong and there’s really no way around that. Really all we can do is continue to run well the rest of the year and continue to do what we’ve been doing. I think this is a good place for us to go try to win, and hopefully we’ll have a shot at it.”

Of course, the story doesn’t end there. The morning after his disqualification, Bowman walked into his garage and found a crack in one of his car windows. He also had to get his roof repaired during the week because it was leaking.

“It’s been a week, man,” he said.

Hendrick Motorsports explains decision to not appeal Alex Bowman’s DQ

Hendrick Motorsports explains the decision to not appeal Alex Bowman’s disqualification in Charlotte. Find out Hendrick’s reasoning!

[autotag]Hendrick Motorsports[/autotag] let the deadline for filing an appeal pass by on Monday afternoon. After [autotag]Alex Bowman[/autotag] was disqualified from the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL, the team decided against appealing, taking the blame for the penalty. The disqualification officially eliminated Bowman from the 2024 Cup Series playoffs.

Following the decision, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon hopped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and discussed why the organization decided against an appeal for Bowman.

“Quite honestly, it’s just one of those things where NASCAR has minimum pre-race and minimum post-race weights and our teams, in order to just make the best performing race cars every week for our drivers, we know that we’ve got to stay as close to those minimums as possible,” Gordon said. “In this case, the No.48 car, they just cut it too close and missed it.”

“So that’s on us, and pretty embarrassed by it and very disappointing after what was looking like a historical day and one of the most exciting days that we’ve had the racetrack, and it being a home race and everything, and celebrating in victory and all four (advancing) and that all got wiped away. We looked at all the facts and we didn’t feel there was anything that we felt comfortable appealing and we’re going to move on.”

Bowman has not discussed the disqualification yet, but he will get some questions as NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 48 car had a very strong playoff run before the Charlotte ROVAL, making this development even more disappointing. Now, Bowman will focus on winning races to close out the 2024 Cup Series season.

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No. 48 team ‘cut it too close’ before Roval disqualification – Gordon

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon says that the organization didn’t see anything they were comfortable enough to build an appeal around for Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team. Bowman was disqualified from Sunday’s race at the Charlotte …

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon says that the organization didn’t see anything they were comfortable enough to build an appeal around for Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team.

Bowman was disqualified from Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Roval because his Chevrolet was too light in post-race inspection. There have been no details from NASCAR or Hendrick Motorsports regarding how far out of tolerance the car was, or what caused it to be too light. After crossing the finish line 18th, Bowman was moved to last place in the finishing order and credited with one point for the event.

But the most significant penalty was Bowman being eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bowman fell behind Joey Logano on points after the penalty, which moved the Team Penske driver back into the Round of 8.

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“When we looked at all the factors and you saw early on in that race the 48 car launched up into the air and got into the wall, and you just look at this race in general and the amount of contact, we wanted to really inspect the car fully to see was there enough damage or was there something that got dislodged from the car,” Gordon told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“NASCAR was great through the whole process; you can’t really inspect much of it at the racetrack, so we weren’t really sure, but they took it over to the tech center and looked at it yesterday and thoroughly examined it and didn’t find anything.”

Bowman ran over the curbing at the exit of the frontstretch chicane, launched into the air, and landed in the tri-oval. The momentum of the incident took Bowman to the outside wall, which he hit with the right side of his Chevrolet.

“Quite honestly, it’s just one of those things where NASCAR has minimum pre-race and minimum post-race weights and our teams, in order to just make the best performing race cars every week for our drivers, we know that we’ve got to stay as close to those minimums as possible,” Gordon continued. “In this case, the No.48 car, they just cut it too close and missed it.

“So that’s on us, and pretty embarrassed by it and very disappointing after what was looking like a historical day and one of the most exciting days that we’ve had the racetrack, and it being a home race and everything, and celebrating in victory and all four (advancing) and that all got wiped away.

“We looked at all the facts and we didn’t feel there was anything that we felt comfortable appealing and we’re going to move on.”

Bowman is the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who is no longer championship-eligible. Until inspection was complete, Hendrick Motorsports accounted for half of the eight drivers advancing into the third round of the postseason, with teammate Kyle Larson having won Sunday’s race.

“We were celebrating until about 6 p.m. Sunday,” Gordon said. “It was probably one of the greatest days in the 40-year history of Hendrick Motorsports with the win by the No.5, a home race, and what we thought was getting all four cars getting through to the next round and making history.

“But obviously pretty disappointed to hear the news that we failed on the weights on the post-race inspection. It’s pretty devastating with all the hard work and effort that’s put in. Really disappointed that that happened.”

Gordon admitted one of the biggest reasons it’s tough to swallow is because of the performance of Bowman and his team. Bowman, prior to the disqualification, had earned the most points of all playoff drivers. His average finish in six playoffs races (before the disqualification) was 12th.

Hendrick Motorsports won’t appeal Alex Bowman’s DQ at Charlotte ROVAL

Hendrick Motorsports announces it won’t appeal Alex Bowman’s disqualification at the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday afternoon.

[autotag]Hendrick Motorsports[/autotag] has made a decision regarding [autotag]Alex Bowman[/autotag]’s disqualification at the Charlotte ROVAL. On Monday afternoon, Hendrick Motorsports announced it won’t appeal NASCAR’s decision to disqualify Bowman for being underweight in the post-race inspection. The organization took the blame for the No. 48 car being underweight.

Bowman initially finished in 18th place and clinched a spot in the Round of 8. After the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s disqualification, Joey Logano re-entered the NASCAR playoff picture. Logano failed to make it on points after Tyler Reddick drove through the field on fresh tires during the last green-flag run on Sunday afternoon.

It is a disappointing reality for Bowman, who did everything right through the first five playoff events. Hendrick Motorsports will have three drivers in the Round of 8 instead of four, which still gives them a great shot at making the Championship 4. Unfortunately for Bowman, he will be on the outside looking in for the last five races.

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NASCAR addresses Alex Bowman’s disqualification at the Charlotte ROVAL

NASCAR addresses Alex Bowman’s disqualification at the Charlotte ROVAL. Find out what NASCAR said about Bowman’s No. 48 car!

[autotag]Alex Bowman[/autotag] crossed the start-finish line in 18th place at the Charlotte ROVAL, securing a spot in the Round of 8. However, reality struck for Bowman and the No. 48 team about two-and-a-half hours later. NASCAR announced that Bowman was disqualified after the No. 48 car failed to meet the minimum weight. It knocked him out of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Brad Moran, the managing director of the Cup Series, addressed Bowman’s disqualification and the process the No. 48 car went through to determine that it was “too light” in NASCAR’s eyes.

“Unfortunately, the No. 48 had an issue and did not meet minimum weight,” Moran said. “We put the car to the side. We continued on. We gave them the opportunity to fuel the car as well as purge the water system and add water. So we gave them every opportunity to make minimum weight. We ran them back through. Unfortunately, they were light again. They are allowed a 0.5% weight break, which is for usage of fluids and so on. That’s about 17 pounds.”

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“We backed the car back off the scales, ran it back on and then, unfortunately, it was the same weight. So the car had a weight issue. All the other cars cleared inspection. The No. 48 didn’t, and that ends up in a disqualification.”

Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t announced if they will appeal the disqualification, but it would be an expedited process. It needs to be resolved before the race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is a reasonable ask. Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports hope his finish can be restored, but it all depends on whether they appeal the penalty.

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Why Alex Bowman was disqualified from the NASCAR playoffs despite initially qualifying

Some bad news for the No. 48 car and driver for Hendrick Motorsports.

We’ve got some controversy in NASCAR with playoffs continuing.

Alex Bowman drives the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports, and he finished 18th in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he was No. 8, all set to advance in the Round of 8 playoffs. He was all set to move forward … but then he was disqualified. What happened?

Here’s the answer: his car failed the post-race inspection given that it was too light.

“Unfortunately, the 48 had an issue (and) did not meet minimum weight,” NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran said, via NASCAR.com. “We put the car to the side. We continued on. We … gave them the opportunity to fuel the car as well as purge the water system and add water. So we gave them every opportunity to make minimum weight. We ran them back through. Unfortunately, they were light again. They are allowed a 0.5% weight break, which is for usage of fluids and so on. That’s about 17 pounds.”

All hope isn’t lost yet. If there’s an appeal — Hendrick Motorsports said they would submit one — then Bowman could come back if there’s a reversal.

But for now, Joey Logano advanced.

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Bowman eliminated from Cup playoffs after failing tech at Roval; Logano advances

Alex Bowman has been disqualified from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Roval for failing post-race inspection. Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed for being too light. He will be credited with a last-place finish …

Alex Bowman has been disqualified from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Roval for failing post-race inspection.

Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed for being too light. He will be credited with a last-place finish and receive one point.

Bowman crossed the finish line 18th in the Bank of America Roval 400. However, as a result of the disqualification, he has been eliminated from the playoffs. Joey Logano is now in the Round of 8 after initially being eliminated by four points.

Hendrick Motorsports can appeal the penalty.

Alex Bowman disqualified, eliminated in Round of 12 at Charlotte ROVAL

Alex Bowman has been disqualified by NASCAR at the Charlotte ROVAL. Bowman will the Round of 8 with Joey Logano taking his place.

In a stunning turn of events, the NASCAR Cup Series has a new field for the Round of 8. [autotag]Alex Bowman[/autotag]’s No. 48 car failed post-race inspection at the Charlotte ROVAL, disqualifying him from the event. Bowman’s 38th-place finish means he has been eliminated from the 2024 NASCAR playoffs, with Joey Logano taking his spot.

The No. 48 car was found to be “too light.” Bowman initially finished in 18th place and earned 29 points, so he lost 28 points by the disqualification. Hendrick Motorsports is expected to appeal but hasn’t made an official announcement on the situation yet. For Bowman, this is a disappointing development after having a very strong playoff run.

Logano, who was the last driver to miss the Round of 8, now has a second life as he looks to win his third Cup Series championship. The Team Penske driver will enter the Round of 8 with an 11-point deficit to the playoff cut-line. Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports will hope for a reversal this week, but the odds are that his championship hopes are over.

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