Charlotte disqualification, playoff elimination continues Alex Bowman's Next-Gen woes

When NASCAR's Next-Gen car was introduced in 2022, it brought an era of change to the sport unlike any it had ever seen.

In the three seasons since the car debuted, NASCAR has played host to record levels of parity and chaos.

Unfortunately for Alex Bowman, the dawn of the Gen-7 car in 2022 has brought forth a series of misfortunate events so unbelievable, that it's easy to wonder if a cruel Hollywood director is spending his Sunday afternoons behind the scenes with the No. 48 team.

Bowman's 2022 season started off in normal fashion. A win at Las Vegas locked him into the playoffs, and while the team slumped during the summer months, Bowman advanced to the Round of 12 in the playoffs.

However, a concussion suffered in a routine accident at Texas forced Bowman to miss the second race of the Round of 12 at Talladega, and eventually, five of the final six races of the season.

The No. 48 team came out with guns blazing in 2023, as Bowman held the points lead following the seventh race of the season at Richmond. However, a 60-point penalty issued to Bowman and teammate William Byron knocked Bowman out of the points lead.

Soon, another crushing blow befell Bowman and the No. 48 team, as Bowman sustained a back injury while competing in a sprint car race. Bowman only missed three races, but the damage was done, as the once white-hot No. 48 team failed to qualify for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Then came 2024, a year in which Bowman consistently finished well, broke a long winless streak at Chicago, and advanced to the Round of 12 for the sixth time in his sixth playoff appearance.

And, immediately following Sunday's race at the Charlotte Roval, it appeared that Bowman had advanced to the Round of 8 for the first time since 2020, putting all four Hendrick Motorsports entries into the penultimate round of the playoffs.

Bowman was disqualified in post-race inspection for failing to meet minimum weight requirements, knocking him out of the playoffs and gifting Joey Logano a Round of 8 berth instead.

To add insult to injury, Hendrick Motorsports announced on Monday that would it not attempt to appeal Bowman's disqualification, eliminating the only shred of hope the No. 48 team had of advancing.

It's a disappointing end to a stellar playoff run for Bowman, who will have to run the final four races of the season while watching his three teammates compete for the championship.

As Bowman and the No. 48 team look towards 2025, it's rather heartbreaking to look back at all of the unfortunate occurrences that have bitten Bowman in the Next-Gen era, none of which have been of his own doing.

Life and racing may be unfair, but the hits just keep coming for a driver who continues to earn his keep in the Cup Series.