"It also told me, they were guilty" - Kevin Harvick critiques Jeff Gordon's choice not to appeal NASCAR's ruling on Alex Bowman

Kevin Harvick was surprised by Hendrick Motorsports' decision not to appeal Alex Bowman's disqualification from the Round of 8 cut-off race at the Roval. Bowman's #48 Chevy failed the post-race inspection for not meeting the minimum weight requirements, resulting in his elimination from the playoffs.

Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon explained the decision not to appeal Alex Bowman's disqualification, acknowledging that the #48 team "cut it too close" to the minimum weight requirement. Gordon described the situation as "pretty embarrassing," since it prevented all four HMS teams from advancing into the Round of 8.

In the latest episode of Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, the former NASCAR champion, Kevin Harvick, said that Bowman's team was "guilty" of pushing the car close to the limit, and paid the price. Reflecting on Gordon's statement, Harvick emphasized that HMS couldn't build a strong enough case to overturn the disqualification, hence they chose not to appeal the decision.

"I was surprised, but it also told me that they were guilty, right? At that point when you know you don't have a leg to stand on, you just have to kind of go and say, 'Okay, well we messed up.' I love the fact that Jeff Gordon just said, 'Hey, we cut it too close and we put ourselves out there and that's it'. That was kind of end of the story," Harvick said [from 42:07]

"As you go through and listen to everything that happened, it sounds like they rolled through right on the number, and you get a tolerance after the race and that number was lower than NASCAR was giving the teams...It's a tough calculation, but I think when you put yourself in those positions of cutting it that close, you have to know the consequences, and this consequence was big," he added.

Bowman's disqualification from the playoffs allowed Joey Logano to advance to the Round of 8. Logano quickly capitalized on the opportunity by winning at Las Vegas, securing his spot in the championship-deciding race at Phoenix.

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Kevin Harvick lauds Alex Bowman's gritty playoff run

Kevin Harvick praised Alex Bowman's grit and courage in playoffs, highlighting how he delivered strong performances despite the distractions. Before the playoffs began, rumors swirled about Bowman potentially losing his seat, which Jeff Gordon eventually dismissed. After fighting his way into the Round of 8, Bowman's championship hopes were ultimately crushed by the disqualification.

Recovering from the heartbreak of playoff elimination, the 31-year-old bounced back with a strong fifth-place finish at Las Vegas. Harvick commended Bowman's recent performance.

"What a year, talking about losing his job, getting thrown out of playoffs after you make the playoffs, and all the things that he's had to mentally go through. Guy's obviously mentally tough, because he went to Vegas this week this week and ran well, showed up to perform, and did what he was supposed to do from his standpoint," Harvick said. [from 43:30]

"What a tough position to be in from a driver's standpoint to deal with everything that he's dealt with this year, and still go out on a race track and perform," he added.

Bowman and the #48 HMS have three more weekends at Homestead, Martinsville, and Phoenix, to close out their 2024 NASCAR campaign on a high.