Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick Accused of ‘Sabotaging’ Alex Bowman’s Season Amid Penalty Appeal Drama

Although Joey Logano might feel like Christmas came early this year, it was at the expense of Alex Bowman. After securing his spot in the Round of 8 with a P18 finish at Charlotte Roval, Bowman’s #48 car failed the technical post-race inspection due to not meeting the minimum weight requirements.

Discussing the incident, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace brought the issue to his mini-chat show on X, delving into what might have gone wrong with Bowman’s car. He suggested it was likely a slip-up by Bowman’s team, including his crew chief.

Wallace stated, “I can promise you. Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, they had no idea. And I can guarantee you they were as shocked as anybody. […] Here’s what most likely happened: They messed up! Human error.”

But since Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon chose not to appeal the disqualification of the #48 car, the decision sparked criticism among fans who blamed them for Bowman’s misery.

Addressing this issue, Wallace suggested the reason for the backlash: “Because they won’t say the crew chief’s name and I’m not going to say either. Because I know it was a bad deal. And I know they didn’t do it on purpose.” However, not all fans were placated by Wallace’s explanation.

Fans upset with Bowman’s disqualification

Comments on his video post showed a mix of frustration and conspiracy theories. One fan expressed disappointment, saying, “Because without appealing they failed Alex…. They didn’t even TRY.” Another suggested foul play: “Because they sabotaged him. They don’t want him to outrun the other three. He will get shit cars the rest of the year and will be at Spire next year.”

One fan summarized why Hendrick and Gordon were under fire: “I wouldn’t want to be a car owner who had employees working for me who weren’t trying to get everything they could out of these cookie-cutter cars.” Another fan stated,

“I don’t blame Rick or Jeff or think there was a conspiracy to sideline Alex given the rumors of 2025. However to be that incompetent with so much on the line for something like weight, someone needs to be demoted or lose their job! You can’t have that level of failure.”

Denny Hamlin openly criticizes NASCAR’s decision to penalize Bowman

During the latest episode of his podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver discussed the controversy surrounding Bowman‘s penalty, clearly disapproving of NASCAR’s actions. He commented, “It was in weight on Saturday. A lot of things happened between Saturday and Sunday… I don’t know.”

Hamlin went on to add that one has to lose a pretty heavy component from the car to lose that weight. Expressing his confusion and skepticism about the situation the #11 stated that NASCAR’s decision wasn’t fair at all.

While the response from the #48 driver is still pending, it remains to be seen whether he will point fingers or chalk it up to human error.