We've tweaked the criteria on the rules page for the Hard Charger Award.
After studying the results from recent seasons, we've seen a decent number of instances where drivers not only won races, but also collected the lead-a-lap, lead-the-most-laps, and Hard Charger bonuses. In other words, the old triple-bonus situation. The changes we made should reduce these instances. Additionally, drivers can now skip qualifying and remain eligible, as part of the strategery. Penalized drivers remain ineligible.