Amid previous reports that NASCAR was moving away from the Charlotte Roval and returning to the oval surface, Speedway Motorsports confirmed the news on Tuesday, February 3. The news was first reported by The Athletic.
After eight seasons of the Charlotte Roval being the second of two races at the facility, NASCAR confirmed on Tuesday that the Charlotte Motor Speedway will be returning to its usual oval configuration for this year’s fall race weekend.
The news of the change from the Charlotte Roval back to the oval configuration was first reported by Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic. Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., confirmed the news in a recent episode of the “Dale Jr. Download.”
In the episode of the retired NASCAR star’s podcast, Smith explained the decision behind the move. At the time of the Roval’s debut in 2018, Smith said fans were itching to have more road courses on the schedule and felt it was the right move.
However, with the change to the NextGen car in 2022 and NASCAR’s method of officiating, Smith felt it was time to return to the traditional oval for 2026.
“I think the new car and the way NASCAR officiates the racing isn’t as exciting as it had been, initially. We want to deliver excitement and a great event with fantastic competition,” Smith said.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Hosted Roval Since 2018
Up until 2018, the Charlotte Motor Speedway was known for hosting two oval races a year. One being the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race of the season, traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend. The other being the Bank of America 500, which normally took place in October.
Yet, in 2018, NASCAR shook things up and converted the traditional 1.5-mile oval surface into a 2.28-mile road course configuration, which was commonly called the Charlotte Roval.
Ryan Blaney won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Roval after Jimmie Johnson tangled with Martin Truex Jr. battling for the lead coming to the finish line. Chase Elliott went on to win at the Roval in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, Kyle Larson wheeled his way to victory at the Roval, while Christopher Bell took the win in 2022. A.J. Allmendinger captured the victory in 2023, while Larson won his second Roval race in 2024.
Last year, Shane van Gisbergen wheeled his way to victory and will, for now, be known as the final Cup Series winner at the Charlotte Roval.
No Road-Course Races in The Chase in 2026
The Charlotte Roval was unique in more ways than one, with one major reason being it was the sole road-course race in the NASCAR playoffs.
Now, with the confirmation of the news that NASCAR won’t return to the Roval, this year’s newly reintroduced Chase will not have a road-course race this season.
All three major series will return to the Charlotte oval for this year’s fall Chase race, scheduled for the weekend of October 11. For the Cup Series, the Bank of America 400 is scheduled for October 11 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. The race can be watched on the USA Network or listened to on the Performance Racing Network.
NASCAR’s Bold Roval Decision Becomes Official