“We are extremely disappointed”: HMS takes the unwanted step with Alex Bowman's Charlotte infraction

Hendrick Motorsports has taken the unwanted measure amid Alex Bowman's Charlotte post-race infraction, deciding not to appeal NASCAR's ruling. The #48 Chevy failed to meet the minimum weight requirements following which Bowman was stripped of his Round of 8 advancement.

After netting an 18th-place finish at the Bank of America ROVAL 400, the HMS driver joined his teammates- Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott- in the Round of 8, slated to kick off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. However, the moment of joy was short-lived and turned into a disaster.

NASCAR inspected the NextGen cars, including all HMS machines among other teams' assets. While every other driver passed the post-race screening, Alex Bowman didn't. Moreover, the officials "gave them every opportunity" to meet the minimum required weight, but unfortunately, Rick Hendrick's team failed to do so.

As a result, Alex Bowman was kicked out of the championship fight, paving the way for Joey Logano's re-entry. HMS expressed they'll take the call on Monday (Oct.14), about whether to appeal their driver's disqualification. Moving forward, the team has made an unwanted decision and has decided not to appeal the ruling.

"Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the disqualification of the No. 48 car following Sunday's race at the Charlotte Roval. NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre-and post-race weight. After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement. We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners," HMS stated via AOL.

That said, three drivers of Rick Hendrick remain in the playoffs with Larson atop the standings.

Alex Bowman's Charlotte dismay revived Joey Logano's title hopes

Joey Logano had lackluster runs in the Round of 12. He wrapped the opening race, the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, in 14th place, and succumbed to a DNF after getting trapped in NASCAR's modern era's biggest wreck at Talladega Superspeedway. Thus, he had to perform optimally at the newly-repaved Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, to keep his championship fight alive.

Even though the #22 Ford kicked off from fourth, posted a second-place finish in Stage 1, third in the second stage, and an eighth-place overall outcome, the Team Penske driver was robbed of the title battle, as Tyler Reddick surpassed the former by four points.

However, the tables turned, as Alex Bowman's disqualification stripped of the points earned, creating a gap of 20 points to the playoff cutline. Thus, the two-time Cup Series champion is back for another shot at his third title. Placed eighth, Logano will enter the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an 11-point deficit.