Joey Logano, initially believing he hadn’t made the Round of 8 after finishing eighth at Charlotte Roval, expressed his disappointment. During his post-race interviews, Logano discussed what he anticipated for the remainder of the season, assuming his playoff run was over. This was before the announcement of Alex Bowman’s disqualification was made.
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When asked about what he could have done better on the track to advance to the next round, the #22 Team Penske driver remarked, “I could have finished seven spots better uh what’s next for the rest of the season besides winning races yeah owner championship fight four.”
He added, “Just to confuse everybody on how that all works we still got a lot to to fight for. We may have a chance to win the silent Championship that still pays really well.”
While driver standings shine the spotlight solely on individual drivers, owner points are tied to the car, charter, or crew that a team owner controls. The financial rewards distributed by NASCAR at the season’s end hinge significantly on a team’s performance in these standings.
Bob Pockrass, clarified what Logano referred to regarding the owner’s championship.
“Logano mentioned the 22 is in the owners points championship and the 45 is not (the 45 did not have as many playoff points in owners because it didn’t win the regular-season owners title, the 5 did). The owners’ points is where all of the season-ending bonus money is.”
Logano mentioned the 22 is in the owners points championship and the 45 is not (the 45 did not have as many playoff points in owners because it didn't win the regular-season owners title, the 5 did). The owners points is where all of the season-ending bonus money is.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 13, 2024
However, the response from fans to NASCAR’s system for the owner championship was less than favorable. One critic labeled it “That’s a really stupid system.” Another added, “NASCAR reminds me more everyday of the local bowling league going on in bowling lanes across the country every week. Multiple income and outgo streams and amateurs running the league.”
One fan remarked dismissively, “Cool…I guarantee 0 fans care. No offense, Bob.” Another echoed this sentiment, asserting that interest in the owner’s championship is virtually nonexistent among fans: “He can cope however he likes but I promise nobody besides him and Roger care. (And also they don’t have the speed to win that anyways)”
Now that Logano has made it into the Round of 8, sitting in P8 with an 11-point deficit, it would be intriguing to hear his strategy for tackling the upcoming race in Las Vegas.
What led to Alex Bowman’s disqualification?
Alex Bowman, who had initially driven his #48 car to a P18 finish at the Charlotte Roval and seemed set for the Round of 8, hit a snag during the post-race inspection.
His Chevrolet was found to be below the minimum weight required by NASCAR, resulting in his disqualification and dropping him below the cutoff line.
Brad Moran, Managing Director of the NASCAR Cup Series, unpacked the details of the inspection during a press conference. He noted that the Hendrick Motorsports team was given sufficient time to refuel the car and tweak the water system to make weight, yet the car still came in light.
“They are allowed a 0.5% weight break, which is for usage of fluids and so on. That’s about 17 pounds. [We] took it off the scales, put it back on and it was the same weight, so the car had a weight issue,” Moran clarified.
With Bowman’s exit, both Team Penske drivers—Ryan Blaney and Logano—have advanced to the Round of 8, though they still remain in a precarious position.
