Posted on October 9, 2021 by Pat DeCola

Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
(⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s Round of 12 elimination race and 32nd points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Concord, North Carolina
Green flag: 2:30 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: The family of Sergeant Nicole Gee
Honorary Starter: Daniel Craig, portrayer of James Bond in “No Time to Die”
TV/Radio: NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. North wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph according to NOAA.gov.
Race Distance: 109 laps, 252.88 miles
Stages: 25 | 50 | 109
Pit-road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Roval 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

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Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

1. Here we are — the final road-course race of an unprecedented seven total in what has been a historic 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have been the class of the field on these tracks this year, with two wins apiece. Oddsmakers have the dynamic duo as the top favorites, but which one will snap the tie and claim the road-course crown for 2021? As the two-time defending winner of the race, the edge likely goes to Elliott, yet Larson has been the better driver overall this season with a whopping six victories. It’ll be fun to watch them duke it out, but, oh yeah, there are still another 37 drivers in the race with their sights on the checkered flag, too.

2. And one of them is Martin Truex Jr., Elliott’s previous road-course nemesis. After winning three over the span of five road-course races from 2017-19, the 2017 champ was perhaps the Ace to Chase’s King for a spell there, but has struggled to find similar success on them since. Since winning at Sonoma in 2019, Truex has strung together 10 winless starts, albeit with seven top 10s in that span. He led more laps — 59 — in that Sonoma race than every race since, combined. That said, if there’s any driver that can break up the Hendrick All-Stars, it’s Truex, who was within a few hundred feet of winning this race before.

3. Here we are focusing on who’s going to win the race, but perhaps the more important angle to come out of the Roval — who’s going to get eliminated? Three of the sport’s younger stars — Christopher Bell, William Byron and Alex Bowman — as well as one of its oldest in Kevin Harvick are currently the four that would tentatively be dropped from the playoff field after Sunday’s race. Harvick has a decent path to point his way in, but the other three have ventured into the neighborhood of must-win territory — and they each have a significant shot to win outright. Consider, too, that Elliott and Kyle Busch — the sport’s two most recent champs — are currently the last two in, and Sunday could easily get wild and unexpected in a hurry.

4. Talladega and the Roval to close out a playoff round — tough on drivers, tremendously entertaining for everyone else. Just as it was the case last week with the final superspeedway of the season, this weekend marks the final road-course race with the Gen 6 car. Road courses always tend to widen the field and really open the door for a surprise winner. Knowing that these chassis, uh, won’t need to be used again might tear the door completely off the hinges. We saw a surprise winner take away a guaranteed Round of 8 spot last year, and the chances are high again this weekend. Just for the heck of it, here’s a smattering of names of drivers that have finished in the top five in the first six road courses this year: Ross Chastain, AJ Allmendinger (twice, one win), Matt DiBenedetto. If you’re looking for an upset driver, pick from those three, one of which is still looking to pad his resume in search of a 2022 ride.

5. Speaking of resumes and 2022 rides, Sunday could potentially be Brad Keselowski‘s final race still in contention for the championship with his longtime organization Team Penske. After a brief summer lull following the announcement of his departure to Roush Fenway Racing in the late summer, the 2012 champ and the No. 2 crew have been on a steady rise and appear headed toward the Round of 8 and possibly beyond, but nothing is guaranteed given this weekend’s volatile nature. The spring Talladega winner is currently fourth in the standings and 20 points to the good, but also has a pair of finishes (31st, 18th) in the Roval’s three total races that might not be good enough this weekend. The other finish was a top five and he’s led multiple laps in all three races so I feel the chances are better than not that he does advance, but Sunday might end Keselowski’s last hope to bring Roger Penske one more title.

Race-day staples

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Power Rankings: Could Bell win way into Round of 8? | Latest rankings
• Paint Scheme Preview: Slick schemes for Charlotte Roval | See them here
• Playoff Pulse: Who’s hot, who’s not after Talladega | Full breakdown
• Debate: Can Harvick escape elimination? | Backseat Drivers
• Bubble Watch: Elliott has Roval right where he wants it | See the bubble breakdown
• Fantasy Fastlane: Start Chase, what about Larson? | Top plays, sleepers
• Busch Pole Award: Denny Hamlin to lead Roval field to green | Read more

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• What are the odds?: Betting odds for Roval | See them here
• NASCAR betting: Who could possibly beat Elliott at the Roval? | Read more
• The Action Network: Who to pick — Elliott or Larson? | Read more
• Talking playoffs: How Fantasy Live game works for the postseason | Read more
• No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot

Memories from the Roval

Before the Cup Series races at the Roval for the fourth time ever, take a look back at some important track history.

• Top 10: Laps led at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval | Who has led the most?
• Rulers of the road: All-time winners on road courses | See the list
• Recent roadies: Active road-course winners | See the list
• Remember when: Stewart, Dale Jr. put on a Charlotte show | Watch the 2001 UAW-GM Quality 500 replay
• That was cool: @nascarcasm: Coolest thing to happen at each Roval turn | Relive the moments
• Turn, turn, turn: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval turn-by-turn analysis | See the breakdown

Five fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• All seven playoff points in Talladega were won by non-playoff drivers.
• Ford is winless in the last eight playoff races. There is one Ford driver below the elimination line: Kevin Harvick.
• Kyle Busch has nine playoff wins — seven of the nine came in the last five years.
• Hamlin is the only driver to make the playoffs more than 10 times who has not won a Cup championship.
• Five drivers still in the 2021 Playoffs have won a championship in this current playoff format (2014-current).

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to the race.

• Win or get out: Byron’s Roval mission is simple — yet difficult | Hear his thoughts
• Leading by example: Ben Kennedy’s leadership role evolves at NASCAR | Read more
• Living the dream: ‘Surreal moment’ for Bubba Wallace at Diversity Awards | Read more
• Two of a kind?: Harvick, Hamlin share some playoff trends, differ in others | Read more
• Moving on: Round of 8 clinch scenarios for Roval | Read more
• The King speaks: Richard Petty’s Round of 12 finale preview | Watch more
• GIF Competition: @nascarcasm sums up how playoff drivers are feeling | Read more
• The eliminators: Winners of NASCAR Playoffs elimination races | See the list
• Survive, advance: Kyle Busch’s mindset going into the Roval | Read more
• Ruffled at the Roval?: Harvick isn’t sweating advancement | Read more

Say what?

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into the race.

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“I feel like we have just have had a good road course package. Like I’ve said for years now, I don’t feel like what I do is anything special. I just think we have a good package and Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) has done a really good job of honing in on the things that matter at a road course and we’ve just kind of hit on things that work. When you are a young guy and you come into new situations and the foundation is built there for you, it makes it a lot easier for a guy to learn. I think I came into a great foundation and I was able to really work on myself because we have a solid package and as we improve, the cars and I improve, I think we just landed in a solid place. Does that mean we will be good there forever? No, but I certainly feel that we can improve upon where we’ve been and I can do a better job. We will see where we shake out.” — Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

“I think the biggest challenge with the Roval is that you have to somewhat set up your car to run on the oval, especially Turns 3 and 4 of the oval. It kind of keeps you from setting up the car the way you want to for the infield, so it just makes it a big challenge. It always seems like the infield is pretty bumpy. It’s pretty narrow. There is a lot of undulations up and down. The car is never in the race track very good because the tires are hard for the oval. It’s just a big compromise. It’s really hard to get your car working right and it’s a real challenge to get around there.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

“The Roval has always been tough ever since we started racing there. I feel like every year it becomes a little bit more normal for us and we’re able to understand the race track a bit more and what to expect. The good thing is that I have the same amount of experience there as most of the field since it is a fairly new track. It’s difficult, though, because I feel like this is a race where there is always a lot more contact throughout the field and you can’t prepare for that other than to be ready for anything at any moment. We always have fast cars there, though, so we just need to go there and focus on getting the win. It’s going to be really difficult to worry about points, so a win is really all we’re worried about.” — William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Posted on October 9, 2021October 9, 2021 by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — The NASCAR Cup Series will add some European flair for select Cup Series events next season with the formation of Team Hezeberg for 2022.

The organization took the wraps off the Next Gen No. 27 Ford — dressed in orange to reflect the team founders’ roots in The Netherlands — on Saturday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The part-time effort is a joint venture among former sports-car driver Toine Hezemans, Dutch businessman Ernst Berg and Reaume Brothers Racing, which will manage operations from its Mooresville, North Carolina shop.

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion and points leader Loris Hezemans will serve as the primary driver, focused on entering the six road-course events on the 2022 schedule. The 24-year-old Dutchman is set to compete in his fourth career Xfinity Series race in Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the Charlotte Roval.

Hezemans said he caught his first glimpse of a Next Gen prototype during a stateside trip to celebrate his 2019 Euro Series championship at the NASCAR Awards ceremonies. Seeing the new Cup Series model in person and noting similarities to his current ride in Europe planted a seed, Hezemans said.

“We got interested in seeing what would be possible,” Hezemans said. “It’s incredible to now finally be here, yesterday finally seeing the car for the first time. I don’t even have words to describe it — a very exciting moment.”

The new team is set to participate in an organizational test Monday and Tuesday on the 2.32-mile Charlotte layout, with Hezemans splitting time with racing veteran Jacques Villeneuve in the two-day session. Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner, has spent parts of the last two seasons in the Whelen Euro Series and has made four Cup Series starts — the most recent one coming in 2013.

Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media

Hezeberg representatives left the door open for adding additional events to the team’s racing schedule, with the possibility that Villeneuve could also share driving duties next year.

Team owner Josh Reaume said Saturday that his group will house the Hezeberg operation alongside his current two-team effort in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He said his Reaume Brothers Racing group has not settled on its 2022 plans in Camping World Trucks, but was bullish about the new partnership.

“Everybody that’s found out that we are dabbling in Cup, they’re like, ‘Get ready, it’s a lot of work,’ ” Reaume said. “It’s a big schedule. Obviously, we’re starting small and we’re growing. I think that’s dynamic at the moment. There’s a lot of factors for us at Reaume Brothers Racing that are still up in the air. We haven’t signed anybody for next year for our trucks, but definitely there’s a big investment here. This is a great opportunity for us to grow and to learn and expand our business.”

It’s also an opportunity for NASCAR’s top division to find new talent, broadening its reach into the sanctioning body’s international circuits. The Whelen Euro Series — along with the Canadian-based Pinty’s Series and the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series — may not be thought of as a traditional development tour for NASCAR’s three national series. Chad Seigler — NASCAR vice president of international business — said he hopes that Saturday’s announcement is a step toward changing that perception.

“I think this obviously, this has definitely made people open their eyes, and it’s going to make our partners in Canada and our partners in Mexico start to look and say there’s a path,” said Seigler, NASCAR vice president of international business. “The big thing for us is really showing a path for the drivers. As I mention, we talk about the Daniel Suarez path (from the Mexico Series to Cup) a lot, but for a driver to be able to compete in the Euro Series and say there’s path for me to get to the U.S., I think that’s the big focus for us right now.”

Posted on October 8, 2021October 10, 2021 by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. will be reunited with Cole Pearn for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM), but with his longtime crew chief in a far different role.

Pearn will serve as an additional spotter for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, supplementing the work of primary spotter Drew Herring. Pearn was listed on the NASCAR team rosters for the race, which is the Round of 12 finale in the Cup Series Playoffs.

A JGR spokesperson said that Pearn’s appearance is a one-off, but that he still works remotely with the organization in a consulting role.

“Oh, it’ll be interesting. I’m sure I’ll have some smart-ass comments at some point in time,” Truex said during an availability before Sunday’s race. “So, look forward to that, and it’s been fun to see him this week around the shop. He’s going to be hanging around with us a couple days, so it’s been fun so far.”

Pearn helped guide Truex to 24 of his 31 Cup Series wins during a successful span from 2015-19. That run included the pair’s lone Cup Series championship in 2017 with the former Furniture Row Racing No. 78 team.

Truex enters the elimination race sitting fifth in the standings and +20 on the elimination line.

Posted on October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 by Zack Albert

The elimination-style nature of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is intended to tighten the screws on even the most unflappable race teams, with the ever-lurking possibility that title eligibility can be gone in the blink of a three-race set.

Kevin Harvick insists that postseason pressure hasn’t gotten to him or his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team, a veteran group at its core, ahead of Sunday’s latest elimination event — the Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM). Harvick enters Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual road-course challenge squarely on the bubble, sitting nine points back of the elimination line.

“The ins and outs of the day-to-day stress of playoff stuff doesn’t really … I mean, I’ve done it for so long that it’s just part of what you do,” Harvick says, “and you try to race the same way all year and not really say, ‘OK, playoffs have started. Let’s change what we’re doing it at this particular point and try to go in a different direction,’ because that kind of messes up the rhythm of the things that you’re used to doing.

“So I’m kind of a creature of habit, do the same things on a weekly basis, and it’s just another race. I know that sounds cliché and boring and all the things that come with that, but you just have to go out there and do what you do the best you can and see where it falls.”

If Harvick has a reputation for not letting pressure ruffle him, he also has a rich history of advancing when needed. His lone Cup Series championship came in 2014, the first year of the elimination structure. In the years since, he’s never been bounced out before the Round of 8.

This season stands out as a particular case, with five races remaining and the real and looming threat of his first winless campaign in 12 years. Harvick said he’s certainly had tougher seasons by comparison, and the No. 4 team’s consistency has been mostly on par with his most recent years — his 21 top-10 finishes compare favorably, though his eight top fives lag below his most recent clip.

“I think from a team standpoint, we also have learned a lot about the other side of the fence, as far as having to dig your heels in and do things that you haven’t had to do,” Harvick says, “and whether you like it or not, the race is coming up next week, and you’re gonna have to participate whether your car is slow or fast and you got to figure out how to make the most out of that. So I think for us, I know we’ve had 21 or 22 top 10s and you look at the top fives and they’re not where we would want them to be, but I think when you look at the overall picture and the grind that we’ve been through this year, I think everybody’s done a good job and I think a lot of that comes from the maturity and experience of the race team and having been together so long it didn’t tear it apart.”

Harvick also insists that his team’s ability to reach this stage of the playoffs hasn’t been solely accomplished by him willing the No. 4 Ford to better results. That’s where the team aspect has come into play, led by a tightly knit over-the-wall group and some savvy from atop the pit box from crew chief Rodney Childers, who re-signed with the Stewart-Haas organization last month.

“It’s really been a group effort, and honestly the group that’s carried us the most is the pit crew,” Harvick says. “Those guys have just been on point all year and helped with gaining track position while making huge changes to the race car. It’s really been a combination of a whole bunch of things, I feel like. I’ve made a couple of mistakes in the seat, but I think overall in the car, we’ve done a good job, Rodney’s made some great pit calls, and it’s just all those things just add up. I think that the pit crew has been the shining element of our season and really helped us stay in a lot of races.”

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bubba Wallace’s back hurt from kickball the night before, but his heart swelled with pride at Thursday’s 2021 NASCAR Diversity Awards ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

It’s been a whirlwind week for Wallace. After coming off his maiden NASCAR Cup Series victory Talladega Superspeedway on Monday, also the first for 23XI Racing, he had a late Monday night celebration, made virtual appearances on “CBS This Morning” and “Today” and played pitcher on the winning celebrity team in Corey LaJoie’s first annual Kickball Klassic Wednesday evening.

Upon receiving the National Series Driver Award on behalf of the Drive for Diversity program, the 28-year-old driver was able to take some time to reflect. Seeming as though the victory was still sinking in, Wallace stopped short of tearing up during his acceptance speech. As the ceremony concluded, even NASCAR President Steve Phelps took a moment to hold back emotion while talking about what Wallace had achieved, sparking Wallace to yell out, “I’ll cry with you,” from the crowd.

“It’s kind of surreal sitting there being a part of the awards today,” Wallace told NASCAR.com. “I appreciate the award that I received. But I remember when I was a kid, sitting there watching other drivers come through. Crazy how life can chew you up, spit you out, but also mature you in the same way and make you appreciate these types of things.”

Wallace had even more to be proud of as young protégé Rajah Caruth was also honored, joining Toni Breidinger in receiving the Development Series Driver Award. Wallace has gone from a kid hoping to make it to the top through the diversity initiative to being on top of the world this week. Caruth is now that same kid hoping for a similar chance.

“Man, I’m proud of Rajah,” Wallace said. “He had a hell of a run. It’s funny … I was sitting there after they called the race Sunday night (at Talladega). The ARCA (Menards Series) race from Salem (Speedway) was on. It was a re-run and I knew he finished third, but I was sitting there watching the race and I thought he did a really good job. It was kinda cool watching that going into our win on Monday.”

Caruth was the first Drive for Diversity driver to successfully transition from iRacing to real-life stock-car racing. Caruth has also done his fair share of winning, earning his first career late-model win last season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. This year, Caruth won three additional races in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and progressed to full-time racing in the ARCA Menards Series East.

Next season, Caruth will compete in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races for Alpha Prime Racing. In doing so, he’ll become the first Drive for Diversity driver since Wallace to compete on the national series level.

Wallace has served as a mentor for Caruth in his rise up the ranks, handing down advice and some funding to further the progress. Earlier this year, Caruth shared that Wallace helped him during his first start at Dover International Speedway and even called him before a practice session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Caruth doesn’t take for granted the time Wallace has taken out of his schedule to offer support.

“He’s been great to me” Caruth told NASCAR.com. “He paid for my helmet to get painted last year, helped me my first summer of legends cars. Really has paid dividends in helping me out in my development progress so far. … He’s been a great help to me and I’m really appreciative of him being there for me.”

While it took time, hard work, determination, mistakes and big breaks for Wallace along the way, he’s hoping the path he’s paved will speed up the process for the next generation.

“Takes a lot of hard work,” Wallace said. “It was 11 years ago when I was in his shoes, so I told them in there if they do things a little bit better, it might not be that long for them. Just gotta stick with it.”

Posted on October 8, 2021October 10, 2021 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 (2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

With the NASCAR Cup Series hitting its seventh and final road course of the season, Chase Elliott again finds himself at the top of the oddsboard, just as he’s been for the previous six races on these layouts. While 2-1 odds (+200) might not sound enticing, a price this short on Elliott is fair at the Bank of America Roval 400 (Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in Charlotte.

We’re oversimplifying the analysis here, but Elliott has won two of six road course races this season (Austin, Road America), a 33.33% clip, exactly the percentage implied by +200 odds. And looking back over the past four seasons, Elliott looks like a bargain at this price. Yes, we’re working with a small sample size, but he’s won seven of the 14 road course races since 2018, including the two most recent of the three total in the Roval’s history.

Elliott’s most formidable competition Sunday is his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who has also won twice on road courses this season and is the clear second favorite, listed at a consensus 9-2 odds (+450).

Here are odds to win the Bank of America Roval 400 from NASCAR’s three sportsbook sponsors – BetMGM, Barstool and WynnBET, plus the market-making SuperBook USA.

Driver	BetMGM	Barstool	WynnBet	SuperBook
Chase Elliott	+200	+210	+200	+200
Kyle Larson	+450	+450	+450	+450
Martin Truex Jr.	+600	+700	+700	+600
Denny Hamlin	+1200	+1200	+1200	+1200
Kyle Busch	+1200	+1200	+1100	+1000
William Byron	+1400	+1400	+1400	+1400
Christopher Bell	+1600	+1600	+1600	+1400
Joey Logano	+1800	+2200	+2200	+2500
Ryan Blaney	+1800	+2000	+2200	+2500
AJ Allmendinger	+2000	+1600	+1800	+2000
Kevin Harvick	+2500	+2800	+2800	+3000
Alex Bowman	+2500	+3000	+2800	+3000
Kurt Busch	+2500	+3000	+3300	+3000
Brad Keselowski	+4000	+4500	+4000	+5000
Chase Briscoe	+4000	+4000	+4000	+5000
Ross Chastain	+4000	+4000	+4000	+3000

Larson’s 108.6 average driver rating on roads, accumulated mostly with Chip Ganassi Racing, is third-best in Cup (behind Elliott’s 124.0 and Martin Truex Jr.’s 112.7), per DriverAverages.com. His 13th and 25th in two starts at the ROVAL are not outwardly impressive, but he won the first stage of both races, his 110.2 rating on this track is second to Elliott (124.5), and we expect more from him in Hendrick equipment.

So a bet on Larson at +450, a far nicer price than you’ll get on Elliott, is justifiable, and so is a play at +130 in a matchup prop against Elliott at Barstool. The No. 5 has finished ahead of the No. 9 in three of six road course races this season.

Other contenders

Truex, below Elliott and Larson on the oddsboard, knows how to steer his way around roads as well. In the 14 road-course races since 2018, his 8.14 average finish is second to Elliott’s 5.93 (among drivers with more than one start) and his aforementioned driver rating also shines. His performances on roads this season, however, have been spotty, and he’s finished seventh twice and 14th once on the Roval (although the 14th came after last-lap contact battling Jimmie Johnson for the win). If you envision the No. 19 competing Sunday, Barstool offers decent prices on Truex for a top-three finish (+200) and top five (-106).

Kyle Busch, meanwhile, may deserve a look at 12-1 odds in the outright market. He has four wins in 40 road-course starts, and his string of three straight top fives on roads this season was snapped at Indy. While Busch – in eighth place, just inside the elimination line for the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs – may benefit from a relatively conservative approach Sunday, we’re not sure that’s how he’s wired. If he has a chance to win, he’ll probably go for the checkers.

A bettor can also not be blamed for taking a flyer on Kyle’s brother, Kurt, at 30-1 odds or better. He tends to hang around on road courses, with four top-six finishes in six races this year and a fourth and fifth at the Roval. WynnBET offers +400 on a top-five finish for the No. 1 Chevrolet and +115 on a top-10.

Win and in

The Roval 400 is the last race of the Round of 12, and the four drivers below the elimination line figure to be aggressive Sunday as they look to advance to the final eight. While Kevin Harvick is just nine points below the elimination line, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Alex Bowman are more desperate and pretty much need a win to move on.

A case can be made for Bell, who won the Daytona Road Course this season and finished second at Road America.

While Byron has never finished in the top five in 14 career road course starts, his Hendrick teammate may pique a gambler’s interest. Even though Bowman has been 17th or worse in the three most recent Cup road races, he’s taken a liking to the Roval, with a second-, a fourth- and an eighth-place finish here. If he’s running near the front, watching The Showman push for the lead with a 30-1 ticket in your pocket might make for a fun Sunday sweat.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on October 8, 2021 by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

I love NASCAR road-course racing.

And when it comes to these circuits in the NASCAR Cup Series, Chase Elliott is the king of the road courses.

As RJ Kraft detailed for NASCAR.com, Elliott has dominated at this track type in recent years, posting six wins and nine top-five finishes in the past 10 road-course races, including back-to-back wins on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

As I alluded to, dominant.

But this season a new challenger has come for the road-course crown, and it is none other than Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

With this in mind, Barstool Sportsbook has pitted the two drivers against one another in a head-to-head matchup for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with Elliott a -167 favorite over Larson (+130).

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@PJWalsh24) for any additional bets I make for this weekend’s NASCAR action at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR at Charlotte Roval Betting Pick

*Odds as of Friday morning

So far this season, Larson has two wins, one runner-up and one third-place finish, compared to Elliott’s two wins, two runner-up finishes and a fourth-place run over the Cup Series’ six road-course races thus far. When it comes to results, these two are very evenly matched across that sample of similar races.

In addition, NASCAR’s loop data shows that Elliott and Larson are neck-and-neck at the road-course races this season as well.

Elliott’s 120.8 driver rating on these circuits is tops in the Cup Series this year, but Larson is right on his heels with the second-best rating (119.3).

In fact, Larson has led the most laps and has the best average running position in the series thus far on road-course layouts, with Elliott, of course, ranking second in each category. And wouldn’t you know it? When it comes to the most fast laps run over those six races, Elliott and Larson are tied for the most.

Based on the data above, this matchup seems like it should be close to a pick’em, but it’s not.

At +130, we need Larson to best Elliott 43.48% of the time to break even, while Elliott would have to finish ahead of his Hendrick teammate 62.55% of the time to warrant a wager on Chase.

Despite Elliott’s two straight wins on this circuit, I just can’t justify the -167 price as I see this driver matchup as essentially a coin-flip for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400.

Therefore, give me Larson at the very nice underdog price of +130.

The Bet: Larson +130 over Elliott

Posted on October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 by Jerry Bonkowski

One day, NASCAR star Robby Gordon hopes to be able to tell Elon Musk to go eat his heart out.

Gordon both admires and also takes inspiration from Musk, the developer of numerous businesses, most notably Tesla automobiles and SpaceX.

Borrowing pages from Musk’s business playbook, Gordon has embarked on the most ambitious project of his life, having recently introduced a new off-road vehicle known as the Speed UTV Robby Gordon El Jefe Edition. Gordon already has thousands of pre-orders – each at a cost of $45,000 – even before full production is set to begin in January.

UTV stands for utility task vehicle, an off-road truck of sorts.

“The comparison to Elon Musk is spot-on,” Gordon told NASCAR.com. “I mean, we’re going to be able to have a lot of fun and be able to do pretty much whatever we want.”

RELATED: Robby Gordon’s career stats

The UTV project is global in scope. Gordon is ever-expanding, with plants now in North Carolina and Texas and internationally in India and Vietnam.

“It took us just 18 months to go from concept to production vehicle,” Gordon said. “We even build our own tires, wheels, shock absorbers, engines and gearboxes, steering wheels, ECU computers and everything else.

“You know, of all the series I have raced on, off-road was my favorite. I started in off-road and I’m going to end in off-road. It really points to what I’m doing today.”

The new UTV is a hybrid four-wheeled ride Gordon has been dreaming about creating for much of his life, designed exclusively for off-road use. It also pays homage to Gordon’s late father, off-road racing legend “Baja Bob” Gordon, as well as the father of off-road and stadium racing, the late Mickey Thompson.

“Mickey was a supporter of mine,” Gordon said. “He knew my dad well, and he knew my talents as a race-car driver. … My dad raced with him since I was 6 years old. I knew guys like Mickey, Rick Mears, Parnelli Jones. I was very fortunate at a young age to be around the right players.”

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Gordon has achieved success in every form of motorsport he has taken part in. In fact, he’s the only driver in the world who has recorded race wins in NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, stadium and off-road racing (including the legendary Baja 1000), as well as several stage wins in the Dakar Rally.

Even now, Gordon continues his pursuit of checkered flags, most notably in off-road racing as well as the Stadium Super Trucks series that he founded in 2013 and still owns. Borrowing from Thompson’s playbook, Gordon created a niche that has proven to be both popular and successful.

“I came across a partner that was going to do a Cup car with me, and I said, ‘Why don’t we do Mickey Thompson all over?’” Gordon said. “For the same amount of money, for $15 million, we could go start up our own series, right? And so basically we started Stadium Super Trucks.”

Super Trucks are just part of Gordon’s business portfolio, also owning Speed RC (radio controlled) cars, Speed Tools, Speed SXS Parts and Speed UTV.

Since its inception, SST has attracted an all-star lineup of drivers, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and former NASCAR drivers Casey Mears and Greg Biffle, as well as the likes of Paul Tracy, Boris Said, Max Papis and Travis Pastrana.

Yet as busy as he is, Gordon still finds time to race both off-road and in the SST series, having taken the latter global with races in Canada, Great Britain and Australia, where it became so big and popular Gordon had to form its own race series to accommodate driver interest and participation.

“I don’t know how long I’ll continue to race for,” said Gordon, now 52. “(Spanish rally driver) Carlos Sainz is (almost 60) and he’s still racing. It’s all in the mind. I think when my eyesight and my body gets to the point where I can’t compete, that’s obviously time. But I’ve got a hot-rod young kid coming up right now that we’re having some fun with as well.”

Gordon is talking about his 13-year-old son, Max. Five years ago, when Max was only 8 years old, he competed in a UTV race alongside his father. Later the same year, Max became the youngest driver to ever compete in and finish the Baja 1000. He’s now racing part-time in his father’s SST series at the age of 13.

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While he has raced all over the world and racked up numerous wins and championships — including a record seven SCORE International off-road titles (five of those were consecutive, from 1986-90), plus three wins in the noted Baja 1000 and four victories in the Baja 500 — Gordon is known to many racing fans for his time in NASCAR.

From 1991 through 2012, Gordon made 396 NASCAR Cup Series starts, racing for several notables like Junie Donlavey, Robert Yates, Dale Earnhardt, Felix Sabates, John Menard and Richard Childress. He also raced for legendary A.J. Foyt in CART in the early 1990s, as well as in sports cars early in his career for Jack Roush.

Gordon earned three wins in his Cup tenure, with his first coming in November 2001 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (The race had been postponed originally due to the 9/11 tragedy; Gordon donated all earnings to a fund to help victims’ families.) The other two victories were on the road courses at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International in 2003, his best season in Cup racing (finished 16th).

Also of note, Gordon is the only driver in racing history to attempt “The Double” — racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 500 on the same day — five times. He came close in both races several times but was never able to capture a win at either venue.

Gordon said the most satisfying time of his NASCAR tenure was the nearly 3 ½ seasons he drove for Childress from mid-2001 through the end of the 2004 season.

“Richard was another rad guy, he was a race-car driver that turned team owner,” Gordon said. “And he just knew how to deal with personalities like myself and Dale (Earnhardt). Richard was probably my fondest memory of NASCAR.”

Childress took Gordon under his wing and taught him how to run a business, as well as get investors and sponsors, which proved immensely valuable to Gordon not only when he went back to running his own team (2005-12), but also when he started building his post-NASCAR businesses.

“Richard was the biggest inspiration during my NASCAR career,” Gordon said. “He was probably the best guy to have conversations with. … I mean, it was every conversation. Even after I left the team, he’d say, ‘I don’t know if I’d do that Robby,’ or, ‘You know what, you probably need to do that, Robby.’

“And at the end of the day, when I went back on my own and did my own team, Richard was like, ‘You’ve got to go do that.’ And he was supportive of it. That’s pretty cool as a team owner, that he was willing to do that with me or for me.”

Yes, Gordon misses NASCAR — except for maybe one thing.

To this day, he still has to occasionally tell some non-NASCAR fans that he is NOT Jeff Gordon, nor is he related to him. In fact, during his NASCAR days, some would jokingly refer to Robby as “the other Gordon.”

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Regardless of the racing series, Gordon was known throughout his racing career as a tough rival. He incurred NASCAR’s wrath several times — leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines in his career — and had numerous confrontations with several drivers, including future Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.

The most publicized incident was in the 2005 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire, when Michael Waltrip and Robby Gordon were involved in a wreck. A furious Gordon exited his car and waited for Waltrip to make another lap around the 1-mile oval. When Waltrip finally came around, Gordon threw his helmet at Waltrip’s car. That outburst, coupled with using a profanity on live TV afterward, made national news and led to Gordon being fined $35,000 and docked 50 driver points.

But there was a positive that came out of the incident. Gordon auctioned the helmet and raised more than $51,000 for Harrah’s Casino and Hotel employees in New Orleans who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

While Gordon laments he didn’t win more races in his Cup career, he’ll be forever grateful to the sport, especially the countless friends he made and the invaluable mentoring he got from folks like Childress, Sabates, Roush, Menard, Earnhardt and others.

“I’ve got to be honest, no regrets,” Gordon said. “I had great times, had terrible times. But I also learned a lot. I learned how to manufacture, how to really push the envelope week to week. And at the end of the day, no regrets by leaving whatsoever.

“If we were winning races, we’d probably still be there probably doing that. But unfortunately, I would have missed this opportunity that I have now.

“A lot of people are going to look back and say, ‘Man, if he would just have stayed with Childress, he’d have won a championship, he’d do this, he’d do that.’ The reality is if I would have done that, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today. I wouldn’t have been able to do Stadium Super Trucks, I wouldn’t have a 100,000-square-foot shop. Maybe go back seven years from today and I’d be just another 45-year-old retired race car driver if I followed that path. But instead, I followed my path, which was a path that Mickey Thompson, Dan Gurney, and AJ Foyt followed. I’m proud and happy about that.”

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The Robby Gordon file:

* Age: 52.

* Hometown: Cerritos, California.

Career highlights:

* NASCAR Cup career: 396 starts, 3 wins, 16 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes. Also 1 pole. Best season finish: 16th (2003).

* NASCAR Xfinity Series career: 54 starts, 1 win, 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.

* IndyCar career: 115 starts, 2 wins, 9 podiums, 4 poles.

Also:

* 7 SCORE International championships (1986–90, 1996, 2009).

* 3-time Baja 1000 winner (1987, 1989, 2006) – Gordon’s sisters, Beccy and Robyn, also competed in the 2006 race on the all-woman All-American Girl Racing team.

* 4-time Baja 500 winner (1989, 1990, 2005, 2013).

* 9 Dakar Rally stage victories.

* 4 time 24 Hours of Daytona winner.

* 3 time 12 Hours of Sebring winner.

Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is writing a number of Where Are They Now? stories this year for NASCAR.com. Check out stories he has already done on Ricky Craven, Terry Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Trevor Bayne, Ken Schrader, Shawna Robinson, Sam Hornish Jr., Bobby Labonte, Greg Biffle, Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip, Mark Martin, Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Posted on October 8, 2021October 9, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

Need a refresher about how to get around the 17-turn, 2.32-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval? We’re here to help.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series hits the track on Saturday for the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), followed by Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Both serve as Round of 12 playoff elimination races.

Study up on every twist and turn facing the competition ahead of the elimination weekend.

TURN 1

Once drivers take the green flag, they immediately funnel into a virtual 90-degree sharp left-hand turn, launching them into a slight incline and over into the second bend.

TURN 2

The uphill climb makes for a challenging entry into the second corner. Drivers won’t be able to see much of the narrow left-hander at first. Once over the hump and into the corner, drivers descend onto a short chute and make their way under the pedestrian bridge before Turn 3.

TURN 3

Because of the quick transition from left to right on the descent from Turn 2 mixed with braking, the third turn ranks high in terms of difficulty. The first right-hand corner of the course was a trouble spot for multiple drivers during testing in July of 2018. Drivers will need to be extra cautious making their way through the flat bend before quickly heading into Turn 4.

TURN 4

How well drivers make their way into Turn 3 determines how well they will get into and out of Turn 4. The second of four consecutive right-hand turns in the infield portion of the course, competitors will make their way through the flat corner and onto a longer chute in the direction of Turn 5.

TURN 5

Carrying a good amount of speed from the short chute coming out of Turn 4, drivers will be on the brakes for the dive into Turn 5. They will take a slight dip into the quick right-hander, followed by an ascent up to the sixth corner.

TURN 6

Drivers will quickly make the transition from Turn 5 to Turn 6, taking a small climb up into the corner. This turn will be tricky as a result of the ascent, as they will going straight into Turn 7 upon exit.

TURN 7

Once out of Turn 6, drivers are immediately approached with the entrance of the seventh turn. Another change in elevation will take place through the turn as they descend through the entire left-hand corner, sweeping them into Turn 8.

TURN 8

Another slight drop in elevation after exiting Turn 7 will lead drivers straight into this sharper left-hand corner, launching them straight onto the traditional 24 degrees of banking we are used to seeing at Charlotte. If drivers can gain momentum by getting a good exit out of Turn 7, it could set up them up well for Turn 8, leading to a passing opportunity through Turns 9 & 10.

TURN 9/10

A familiar sight for drivers, Turns 9 & 10 serves as Turns 1 & 2 on the traditional oval. Drivers will make their way onto the 24-degree banking out of Turn 8, giving them a chance to build a ton of speed and make passes before heading down the backstretch and into the chicane.

TURN 11/12

The drivers will carry a ton of speed through the high-banked turns and onto the back straightaway before being funneled into the track’s brand new chicane, home of Turns 11 and 12. The speedway made a big change to the backstretch chicane before the 2019 race, clearing space behind the inside wall for the addition of the improved section. After feedback from drivers, even racing legend Mario Andretti, the chicane will force drivers into a heavier braking zone. The new version will be 54 feet at its widest point, compared to 32 feet last year, and will feature additional runoff areas. Drivers will be launched back onto 24 degrees of banking upon exit. See the chicane in action on iRacing below.

TURN 13/14

Drivers will be hot on the gas pedal upon exiting Turn 12 to build as much speed as possible through Turns 13 & 14, normally Turns 3 & 4 on the oval. A good exit out of the 12th could make a for a great passing opportunity through the corner before funneling off into the frontstretch chicane.

TURN 15/16/17

With speed coming out of high-banked Turns 13 & 14, drivers will make there way back onto the frontstretch where they will be greeted by another chicane. While Turn 15 is a more wide left-hand turn, the 16th is a different story. Turn 16 is a sharp and narrow right-hander, the sharpest corner of the course. Space is at a premium here, making it another area where they will need to get sorted out quickly before entering or havoc could ensue. Drivers will then make another left at Turn 17 and head back to the start-finish line. Last year’s race came down the last turn when Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson made contact running 1-2, allowing Ryan Blaney to come by for the race win.

Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

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Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
(⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)