“No points penalty”: Alex Bowman’s championship dream resurrection "path" demonstrated by NASCAR insider

Alex Bowman's Cup Series title dream might not be over just yet, as NASCAR insider Toby Christie outlined a rule, that could possibly save the ailing Hendrick Motorsports driver. Bowman initially qualified for the playoffs but was stripped of his feat after officials discovered an infraction during the post-race inspection.

The #48 Chevy driver stood as the worst HMS finisher. Kyle Larson aced the Bank of America ROVAL 400, with William Byron and Chase Elliott settling in 3rd and 5th, respectively. Bowman was out of the top 10 and finished P18. Nonetheless, he advanced to the Round of 8, while two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano couldn't, courtesy of Tyler Reddick's 4-point surplus over the Team Penske driver.

However, things took a drastic turn after the HMS driver's #48 Chevy failed to meet the minimum weight requirements. As a result, Bowman was disqualified and his final score at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course stood at P38. It opened the path for Logano's title bid as the #22 Ford driver has been reinstated in the playoffs.

But Toby Christie expressed that Bowman could be saved from the misery if HMS proved missing ballast (added weights to the car) from the NextGen car. According to the NASCAR Rulebook, the crew chief, car chief, and head engineer would receive a four-race suspension, if a ballast is separated or lost during the race.

Notably, a point reduction is not accounted for, which means the #48 driver could resurrect in the title fight. Taking to X, Christie wrote.

"For those curious, per the #NASCAR Rulebook, the penalty for the separation of ballast from a car in the Cup Series is a four-race suspension of the Crew Chief, Car Chief, and Head Engineer. No points penalty. If the 48 can prove that’s what happened, that may be a path," he tweeted.

Joey Logano is in the playoffs thus far, but if HMS wins their appeal, the Team Penske driver will return to his status quo and Alex Bowman will revive from his 20-point deficit.

NASCAR Cup Series managing director explains why Alex Bowman was slapped with post-race infraction

As part of their post-race inspection, NASCAR inspected several NextGen cars that made the playoffs, including the top 5 finishers and Bowman's #48 Chevy. While all drivers passed the test, the last-placed HMS driver failed.

NASCAR Cup Series managing director, Brad Moran said the officials gave ample opportunities to Bowman and his #48 team, but they couldn't attain the required minimum weight. Moran expanded on the "issue" with the eight-time Cup race winner's car and said, via NASCAR.

“Unfortunately, the 48 had an issue (and) did not meet minimum weight. 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," Moran said.

Alex Bowman hasn't bagged a title since marking his debut Cup Series season in 2014 for BK Racing. His best ranking thus far is a sixth-place finish during the 2020 season, where he collected the Auto Club Speedway win, six top-5s, and 15 top-10s.

It will be interesting to see how the next couple of days go as HMS will decide on Monday (14 October), whether they'll appeal NASCAR's decision.