Hendrick Motorsports has chosen not to appeal Alex Bowman's disqualification from Sunday's NASCAR Cup playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Roval.
Originally, all four Hendrick drivers had advanced into the Round of 8, with Bowman set to join team-mates Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Elliott until in post-race technical inspection his #48 HMS Chevrolet failed to meet minimum weight requirements.
Per Brad Moran, the managing series director for Cup, Bowman's car was weighed multiple times and the team was given the chance to both fuel up the car and add water.
Bowman was disqualified and the subsequent loss of points resulted in him being eliminated from the playoffs after a season that has to date netted a single victory on the Chicago street course.
In a statement released on Monday, HMS explained that it accepted the penalty.
"NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre- and post-race weight," it said in a statement.
"After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement.
"Although unintentional, the infraction was avoidable.
"We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologise to our fans and partners."
Bowman's misfortune put two-time NASCAR Cup champion and Team Penske driver Joey Logano back in. At the checkered flag, he was out by four points.
This also changed the owner's championship, as the #45 23XI Racing Toyota was originally eliminated there, but is now back in as well.
The next three races at Las Vegas, Homestead and Martinsville will determine the quartet that contest the Championship 4 title decider in Phoenix on 10 November.
Victory for any of the eight drivers remaining in playoff contention will automatically lock in their place.
Round of 8 points
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4052 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4032 |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 4029 |
| 4 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4023 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 4019 |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4015 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4014 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 4012 |
