The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Round of 12 elimination race on the road-course layout. With only two drivers already punching their ticket to the next round, eight drivers will compete for the remaining six spots Sunday at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Before this weekend’s showdown, check out some important details.
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TRACK DETAILS
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, known as the Roval, was adopted by NASCAR in 2018. The 2.28-mile course features 17 turns with anywhere from two- to 24-degree banking in the corners and zero- to five-degree banking on the straights.
Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott are the winners of the two Cup Series races at the track.
STAGE LENGTHS
Stage 1 will end at Lap 25, Stage 2 at Lap 50 and the Final Stage at Lap 109.
STARTING LINEUP
Denny Hamlin earned the Busch Pole Award for the second consecutive race, following his win at Talladega Superspeedway. Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Alex Bowman complete the top five.
The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.
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RULES PACKAGE
The Cup Series will use the adjusted 2020 package for short tracks and road courses, featuring a reduced rear spoiler and front splitter with engines remaining optimized to produce a targeted 750 horsepower.
GOODYEAR TIRES
Teams will be provided with eight sets of Goodyear Eagle Road Course Radials for the race.
Despite running a section of the main Charlotte Motor Speedway oval, this week’s focus is set to zone in on maneuverability and tire pressure for right-hand turns.
“We treat the Roval as a road course from a tire construction perspective,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “But the Roval is distinct from other, more traditional road courses that these teams run. Running the majority of the oval, inserting the two chicanes and then having the infield portion of the road course really provides its share of challenges. As on other road courses, the front tires will have higher pressure recommendations to handle the hard braking into the corners and acceleration off the corners. In deference to the oval, the right-front tire position will have the highest pressure recommendation to handle the loads on those sections.”
PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW
– Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott are tied for the most road wins among active drivers with four apiece. Elliott has won each of the last three Cup Series road-course races dating back to 2019.
– Heading into the Round of 12 elimination race, no driver has locked into the next round on points only. Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch secured advancement with wins.
– Alex Bowman has the best average finish of all Cup Series drivers at the Charlotte Roval: 3.0. He and Clint Bowyer are the only drivers to finish inside the top five in both races.
– Martin Truex Jr. has led laps in the last 10 road-course races, tied for the second longest streak in series history. Despite not always coming out on top, he has arguably been in a good position to win the last nine.
Source: Racing Insights
INTERACTIVE COVERAGE
For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).
Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line app.
2019 RACE WINNER
After starting 19th, Chase Elliott worked his way through the field by showcasing his dominant speed and continued road-course prowess. Leading the pack on a Lap 65 restart, Elliott missed Turn 1 and dove nose first into the barrier, sending him to the back of the field in the final stage with just 44 laps to go. The No. 9 team regrouped and ran down the field as Elliott powered his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to Victory Lane – perhaps the most iconic win of his career.
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ACTIVE ROVAL WINNERS
Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott (one win each).