The Charlotte Roval will still put Cup Series drivers to the test in ways they aren’t used to facing in the playoffs, but it will be a shorter day behind the wheel than first thought.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers will tackle a road course for the first time in the playoffs later this fall thanks to the road course layout that will be used at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will make its NASCAR debut. Called the ‘Roval’ because it utilizes part of the regular oval at one end, the track was going to be used for a 500-kilometer race.
Except now it isn’t.
As reported by Motorsport, the race that was being promoted as the Bank of America 500 has been shortened by 100 kilometers. It’s new length of 400 km works out to just under 250 miles, or 109 laps around the 2.28-mile Roval layout.
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Motorsport also notes that NASCAR had never officially confirmed the length of the race anyway, and that the new length fits in better with the two existing regular season road course races:
"The change would put the September race on par in length with the Cup series’ other road course events at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International."
Plenty has been in flux for the Charlotte road course race from the start, as the layout has already been through a change or two based on feedback from driver test sessions at the track in preparation for the race, which is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30. Not only is the race in the playoffs, it’s the cutoff race for the Round of 16 following races at Las Vegas and Richmond, making it crucial that NASCAR and the track get things as right as possible.