NASCAR takeaways: Alex Bowman DQ'd from playoffs, Joey Logano gets Round of 8 spot

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kyle Larson didn’t get to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, missing a race that contributed to him coming up short for the regular-season title.

His victory Sunday at the track solidified him as the championship favorite.

Larson led 62 of the 109 laps for his sixth Cup victory of 2024 as he cruised to the triumph on the Charlotte road course, a combination of the oval and an infield portion of the facility.

While Larson’s win wasn’t dramatic, other parts of the race — and postrace inspection — were as his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman was disqualified for his car failing to meet postrace weight requirements. The 38th-place finish for Bowman resulted in him not advancing to the next round of the playoffs. The team can appeal the decision, and the appeal would be heard this week.

With Bowman being eliminated, Joey Logano moved into the final advancement spot to the Round of 8 (NASCAR’s version of a semifinal round).

William Byron entered the race as the only driver locked into the semifinal round, where he will be joined by Hendrick teammates Larson and Chase Elliott; Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell; Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano; and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick.

Eliminated from the playoffs were Bowman, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Chase Briscoe.

Takeaways from Charlotte:

Bowman Disqualified

Bowman thought he had advanced with an 18th-place finish, but his car was too light in postrace weights. 

"We are working to understand the issue and will make a decision Monday about whether to submit an appeal," Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement.

NASCAR Cup Series rules require the car to be 3,400-3,500 pounds, depending on the weight of the driver.