With just four races left, the NASCAR Cup Series is racing against time and distance, crisscrossing the country in a final push to crown a champion next month. The pressure is mounting as the miles pile up and the competition intensifies.
This Sunday, the series returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400, marking the first of three races in the Round of 8. With the championship on the line, every move counts.
Last week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval saw Kyle Larson clinch his series-best sixth win, doubling the victory total of any other driver this season. It seemed like all four Hendrick Motorsports teams would advance to the next round, but post-race inspections brought a stunning twist.
Larson’s teammate Alex Bowman, who crossed the line with the No. 48 Camaro, was disqualified after his car was found to be too light. As a result, Bowman was relegated to last place in the 38-car field, knocking him out of the top eight. Joey Logano of Team Penske was promoted to the eighth spot, keeping his hopes for a third Cup title alive.
Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion and NASCAR legend, acknowledged the team’s fault in the disqualification and decided not to appeal the decision.
“Pretty embarrassed by it and very disappointing after what was looking like a historic day,” Gordon said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We didn’t feel like there was anything worth appealing, and we’re going to move on.”
The disqualification was a harsh blow for Bowman, who had been in a strong position to advance after a solid performance at Talladega. Sitting fourth in points with a 26-point cushion, Bowman’s playoff hopes vanished with the disqualification.
This latest twist is a reminder of the strange and unpredictable nature of the NASCAR playoffs. While Bowman fell victim to a technical misstep, the incident harkens back to a more infamous moment in NASCAR history—2013’s “Spingate” scandal.
In the final laps of the Richmond race that year, MWR’s Clint Bowyer, already locked into the playoffs, appeared to spin intentionally. The caution that followed allowed his teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Brian Vickers to move up in points and make the playoffs, while drivers Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman were left out.
NASCAR later ruled Bowyer’s spin intentional, putting Gordon and Newman back into the title chase and elevating Logano as well. Now, over a decade later, Logano is once again in the hunt for a championship.
While Larson has won three of the past seven races at Las Vegas, Logano has taken one of the other four and has three victories at the track. With two championships under his belt and a strong record at the remaining tracks, Logano is a serious contender.
As the series heads to Vegas, it’s clear the stakes are higher than ever. With a championship on the line, the competition is heating up, and only the best will make it to the final round.
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