NASCAR's statement as Alex Bowman disqualified and eliminated from playoffs

Alex Bowman thought he had secured his spot in the Final 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after a gritty performance at the Bank of America Roval 400.

But, in a shocking twist, Bowman was disqualified post-race, dashing his playoff dreams. Despite crossing the finish line in 18th and clinching Stage 2 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which seemingly guaranteed him a place in the round of eight as the playoff field shrank from 12, a dramatic turn of events unfolded hours later.

The Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 car underwent a mandatory brake check, where it failed to meet NASCAR 's minimum weight requirement during the post-race inspection. This led to Bowman's disqualification , plummeting him to 38th in the Roval 400 standings and stripping him of the points needed for the playoffs, thus eliminating his chances of reaching the Round of 8.

• Michael Jordan's feelings for Bubba Wallace clear after NASCAR star's strong Roval 400 finish
• NASCAR's Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick show true colors after tense moment at Roval 400

Joey Logano , on the other hand, found fortune smiling upon him as he was bumped up into the top eight, joining the ranks of Roval 400 victor Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott.

Brad Moran, NASCAR's Cup Series managing director, shed light on the inspection process and its severe consequences for Bowman's championship aspirations, stating: "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 weight. We ran them back through. Unfortunately, they were light again. They are allowed a 0.5 percent weight break, which is for usage of fluids and so on.

"That's about 17 pounds. 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 48 didn't, and that ends up in a disqualification."

Moran is keeping his comments guarded due to the potential for an appeal from Hendrick Motorsports. "If the appeal happens, it'll be expedited, so it'll probably happen in the next couple of days," he added. "So really can't get into all the details of the information, but the car was light, and that's where we ended up."

Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsport has informed their followers on social media that they will decide on whether or not to file an appeal when the time is appropriate.