NASCAR: Alex Bowman decision could end his teammate’s season

NASCAR: Alex Bowman decision could end his teammate's season

As a dedicated NASCAR fan with years of trackside experiences under my belt, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Alex Bowman and his team at Hendrick Motorsports. The penalty issued to the No. 48 team after the Roval race has certainly thrown a wrench into their playoff hopes, potentially costing them a spot in the Championship 4.

It’s possible that Alex Bowman isn’t the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who could miss out on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs following the penalty given to team No. 48 after the Roval race at Charlotte Motor Speedway a couple of weekends back.

In the race at Charlotte, it was discovered that Bowman’s car, the No. 48 Chevrolet, was underweight. This infraction resulted in him forfeiting his spot in the round of 8 to Joey Logano from Team Penske.

In the Round of 8, it would have been the first time for Bowman since 2020. However, despite appearing to be knocked out, Logano managed to keep his title contention ongoing.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern in my racing career – I’ve made it to the championship finals only during even-numbered years, and this streak started with the new format in 2014.

In 2018, 2020, and 2022, the driver of car No. 22 successfully secured his position by triumphing in the first round of the playoffs, also known as the round of 8 opener. Unsurprisingly, he repeated this feat in 2024, clinching the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, transforming from an eliminated contender to a member of the Championship 4 in just seven days.

Bowman penalty could cost his teammate

If Bowman hadn’t lost his spot in the round of 8 and it had been awarded to Logano instead, he would have begun the semifinal round with a total of 4,007 points. This was due to the seven playoff points he accumulated from his regular season victory at the Chicago Street Course (5 points) and two playoff stage victories (one point each).

After that, he tallied 37 points in Las Vegas and an additional 32 points at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This means he’d have accumulated a total of 4,076 points as he prepares for the final round 8 race at Martinsville Speedway.

If Logano hadn’t moved forward in Las Vegas, his win wouldn’t have altered the playoff scenario. In that case, Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing, having won at Homestead-Miami last Sunday, would be the sole driver assured of making it to the Championship 4.

When it comes to the current points standings, Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing is in the lead with a total of 4,132 points. Following closely behind are teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports, with 4,110 and 4,103 points respectively.

Other drivers vying for the championship include Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing with 4,092 points, Ryan Blaney of Team Penske with 4,072 points, and Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports with 4,067. If Bowman had progressed, he would have been below the qualifying threshold, potentially needing a race win at Martinsville to stay in contention.

To put it another way, if Bowman had progressed, then Byron and Larson would have found themselves outside the Championship 4 playoff boundary, joining Bell, since only one position from the Round of 8 victor, Reddick, could be within.

Consequently, since Bowman hasn’t progressed but Logano has, there are currently only two positions filled by drivers in terms of points. The cutoff line separates Byron from Larson, with Larson trailing Byron by seven points to secure the fourth position.

If Bowman were in the race and Logano were out, Byron would lead by 18 points over the cutoff line, with Larson trailing by 11 points. Bell’s advantage would increase to 40 points compared to his current 29, while Larson would find himself below the cutline instead of being ahead, and Hamlin would be the one on the verge of elimination rather than Larson.

It’s quite plausible that due to an indirect consequence, Bowman’s penalty might lead to the elimination of one of his teammates. This is because Logano has already secured a spot in the Championship 4, which he wouldn’t have otherwise, and this spot was destined not to go to Bowman even without the No. 48 team’s penalty.

Listen to NBC this coming Sunday, November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time for the live telecast of the Xfinity 500 from Martinsville Speedway. Blaney is the current race champion, but Byron triumphed there back in April.

2024-10-28 15:02

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