Since it was initially revealed heading into the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAl, a makeshift road course that uses the infield of the Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as portions of the traditional 1.5-mile oval layout, has been one of the most polarizing tracks on the circuit.
Since day one, people have either loved it, or loathed it.
Advertisement
According to a report from The Athletic, citing sources briefed on the decision, the ROVAL layout will not be utilized in the NASCAR National Series during the 2026 season.
Instead, Charlotte Motor Speedway is expected to announce in the coming weeks that the traditional 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway oval, which hosts the Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600, will serve as the layout for the track’s race dates in the “Chase” or playoff races in the NASCAR Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Craftsman Truck Series.
While the Charlotte ROVAL has adopted a few layout tweaks since its initial installation in 2018, some more chaotic than others, the hybrid oval-road course layout provided a unique chance for road course racing to be featured in NASCAR’s playoff system.
In 2026, there will not be a road course facility represented in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Cup, if the Charlotte Roval is indeed axed as the report suggests it will be. On one hand, that’s good. And on the other, it could be viewed as bad.
Advertisement
As for the good, the 10-race Chase being comprised of ovals will hearken back to the true spirit of NASCAR, which was primarily an oval racing series with a sprinkle of road races added into the schedule. Traditional fans, who had grown weary of the growing number of road course events with each passing series in NASCAR, will likely be pleased to see the 10 races that will decide the Cup Series champion will not include tracks with right turns.
And while some fans did enjoy the Roval layout, I truly believe the vast majority of the NASCAR fanbase craved a return to the 1.5-mile CMS layout for both of the venues facilities, especially with how good of races the Next Gen car has put on at intermediate oval tracks since it was debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022.
However, as for the bad, some teams, such as Trackhouse Racing, have made investments in road racing talents such as Shane van Gisbergen. While van Gisbergen has shown tremendous growth on oval tracks since debuting as a rookie last season, the decision to go all-in on van Gisbergen was likely made by the team due to the “win and you’re in” rule, which guaranteed race winners a berth in NASCAR’s playoffs, and the fact that a road course in the playoffs would allow a driver such as SVG to potentially survive and advance through the playoffs.
With NASCAR eliminating “win and you’re in” in a move from the playoff format that had been used from 2014 to 2025 to a format closer to the classic “Chase” format used from 2004 to 2013, and now the potential removal of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval from the Chase, it could force teams to re-evaluate the value of a driver such as van Gisbergen, who carries the talent to score five road course wins in a single season, as he did during his rookie season last year.
Advertisement
These two changes, which were announced very late in the short NASCAR offseason, could have a major impact on teams that made a concerted effort to acquire road course racing talent at the expense of potential good finishes on ovals in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Recommended Articles
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/racing-america as One of NASCAR’s Most Polarizing Venues Could be Axed in 2026.
