Hendrick Motorsports Online Warriors Rally Behind Alex Bowman With Proof of Innocence for the Resurgent Driver

NASCAR’s judicial axe fell on Hendrick Motorsports this time. Entering the Charlotte Roval, Alex Bowman was 26 points above the elimination cutline. He maintained his spot as the playoff driver who accumulated the most points, winning stage 2 and finishing 18th at the Bank of America Roval race. Bowman was supposed to be in the final playoff spot entering the Round of 8, but then NASCAR came in the way.

Post-race inspection revealed an anomaly in the No. 48 Chevrolet – it was too light. A NASCAR executive explained that all attempts were provided to Bowman and his team to bring up the weight by the allowed methods. But Bowman failed all the steps. However, a recent revelation on social media sent ripples of hope among HMS fans.

Alex Bowman may have a sliver of hopeADVERTISEMENT

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Joey Logano had dejectedly accepted defeat by the end of the Roval race. He was ready to join the spoilers’ bandwagon – “We can still spoil the party a little bit [and] we will fight for that.” But Alex Bowman’s descent into misery instantly uplifted Logano into the playoffs. According to the Cup Rule Book, the race car’s weight post-race “must be within 0.5% of the minimum overall vehicle weight” at the beginning of the race. And Bowman’s No. 48 car fell short of the required 17 pounds as managing series director Brad Moran underlined. But there may still be hope left.

A Hendrick Motorsports fanatic dropped a glaring piece of evidence acquitting Alex Bowman. The video is a clip from the in-car camera of Michael McDowell’s No. 34 Ford. He zooms through the racetrack and while maneuvering a tricky turn he passes the No. 48 Chevy. Bowman slows down by the barrier as McDowell passes him. But fans were quick to notice one detail. Pieces of debris could be seen flying in the air and rolling on the ground – suggesting that that led to Bowman’s loss of weight.

This evidence may be crucially useful for Hendrick Motorsports‘ appeal. The team released an official statement regarding this: “We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal.” The expedited appeal would have only one hearing, and the National Motorsports Appeals Panel can take the final call. Chances look slim as Moran mentioned that opportunities were given to meet the minimum weight, including refueling, running the pumps, plugging in the water, etc. Even after that, Bowman’s car still felt light.

However, the NASCAR community is hopeful that the online HMS warrior’s evidence would help out Alex Bowman.

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NASCAR fans root for the 48’s resurgenceTrendingHow the tables have turned – just before the playoffs, the NASCAR community was engulfed in a shadow of doubt about Bowman’s future. Rumors of his ejection from the HMS Cup seat spread. But Alex Bowman worked very hard – he gathered the most points in the postseason among his playoff rivals. So now gearheads are praying for a smooth appeal process against NASCAR’s penalty. One fan commented hopefully on the new piece of evidence: “If that piece they went rolling around is from his car, they got a good shot at winning the appeal.” Another fan manifested Bowman’s victory in this ordeal: “Nice. HMS winning that appeal.”

Michael McDowell‘s camera evidence left people awestruck at the glaring issue. One fan claimed to even hear the No. 34 Ford stumbling on Bowman’s debris: “Oh my goodness, you can even hear McDowell striking the debris/weight.” Somebody else inspected the video closely and ascribed part of the incident to Ty Gibbs as well. “Definitely stuff flying out of the car, even looked like Gibbs hit something which could’ve contributed to his mechanical failure possibly.” Now that this evidence is out in public, NASCAR should reconsider Alex Bowman’s playoff predicament. One fan put pressure on the sanctioning body: “Yeah if Nascar rejects this appeal they’re gonna look stupid.”

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Evidently, the community is now rooting for a swift delivery of justice for Alex Bowman. Let us wait and see if the appeal gets through or not.