Jeff Gordon Takes Responsibility for Alex Bowman's Disqualification at Roval

Hendrick Motorsports agreed to the disqualification of No. 48 Chevrolet driver Alex Bowman after post-race inspection at the Charlotte Roval this weekend.

The deadline to appeal the DQ passed at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, and Hendrick chose not to challenge the ruling.

Bowman was disqualified because his car did not meet the minimum weight requirement after the race, resulting in him losing his spot in the Cup Series playoffs' Round of 8. Hendrick vice chairman Jeff Gordon told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday that Bowman's team had "pushed the limits too far."

"You look at this race and the amount of contact, we wanted to fully inspect the car to see if there was enough damage or if something had come loose," Gordon said. "NASCAR was great throughout the process. We couldn't inspect much at the track, so we weren't sure, but they took it to the tech center, examined it thoroughly on Monday, and found nothing.

"So, to be honest, it's just one of those situations where NASCAR has minimum pre-race and post-race weights, and our teams know that in order to have the best performing cars for our drivers, we need to stay as close to those minimums as possible. In this case, the 48 car pushed it too far and missed the mark, so that's on us."

If Bowman's original result had stood, all four Hendrick teams would have qualified for the Round of 8. Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott are still in the running for the season-long championship.

"I'm pretty embarrassed and disappointed after what was shaping up to be a historic day and one of the most exciting days we've had at the track, being a home race and all, and celebrating in victory lane with all four teams," Gordon said. "But it all got taken away. We looked at all the facts and didn't feel comfortable appealing, so we're moving on."

Gordon praised Bowman and his team for their performance throughout the season.

"It's a shame to take away that momentum and opportunity, and I know they're disappointed too. But they have points to gain and can still finish high in the standings, depending on how this next round plays out," Gordon said. "They can gain a lot of points, keep the momentum going, win races, and carry that into next season to hopefully start off on the right foot."

Joey Logano took Bowman's place as the eighth and final driver to advance to the next round of the playoffs.