How NASCAR expedited the process to get Snider into the No. 48 at COTA

Myatt Snider was approved on the fly Sunday to be allowed to jump in the No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports and finish the Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas in relief of Alex Bowman.

As explained on the newest episode of "Hauler Talk," NASCAR’s official podcast, Cup Series managing director Brad Moran and senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer received a text message during the race from Hendrick Motorsports VP of Competition Chad Knaus, asking for Snider to be approved to get in the car, as Bowman was ill and unsure he could finish the event. The request needed to be made as per the protocol of relief drivers, but also because Snider was not approved, at the time, for Cup Series competition.

NASCAR held a meeting on the spot via radio. The conversation was held by Chad Little (race control), John Probst (the chief racing development officer), Sawyer and Moran.

“So, the four people that need to weigh in on the decision were all in the same room, all wearing these Riedel headsets and could break down and look up what needed to be discussed as far as Myatt Snider’s resume, which is pretty robust,” said NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde. “He has extensive experience in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, does have a win in that series at Homestead and importantly – I don’t think this has been discussed either – he needs to also have a license.”

Snyder had an active license to compete as well as a drug test on file. along with having his gear at the racetrack and ready to go should he be needed somewhere.

“He was fit, as least from all the procedural parts, to be in that car,” Forde said. “Then from a skill level, approval level that hadn’t happened yet but looking at his resume and everything he accomplished, we decided in race control he would be OK to race a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series, which is really the first step. When you’re going through each of the series, the first approval you’re typically approved for is road courses; next is short tracks, then intermediates and then superspeedways.”

Snider has 112 starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 36 in the Craftsman Truck Series, running at least one full season in each series, which gave him seat time at all types of racetracks. Furthermore, he’s competed in the ARCA Menards Series and Whelen Euro Series.

Sunday, he was pit spotting for Jamie Little on FOX Sports. The role is one Snider has been doing quite frequently the last few years, particularly with his father, Marty Snider, at NBC Sports.

“If this was anywhere but COTA or Martinsville or maybe even Phoenix, probably he would not be qualified to run,” Forde said. “If this was Darlington, Homestead, certainly Daytona and Talladega, we probably would have had to tell Hendrick Motorsports that they need to find someone else.”

NASCAR felt comfortable that Snider had enough success and experience in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, combined with the fact that the race was on a road course, to let him get in the car. The driver swap came in the garage when Bowman pulled the car in with around 24 laps to go.

There has been little detail about what was ailing Bowman. In a statement issued by Hendrick Motorsports after the race, it was described as an unexpected situation that came only suddenly. Bowman was seen and released by the infield care center before leaving the racetrack.