While new tracks like San Diego join the Cup Series lineup, NASCAR has decided against visiting the Charlotte ROVAL layout during the 2026 season, according to reports. Instead, Charlotte Motor Speedway could soon announce that the traditional 1.5-mile oval will host the track’s playoff races in the top three national series. For Mark Martin, the decision lands in the “right call” column, and the Hall of Fame driver has laid out clear reasons for that view.
The veteran driver sees no issue with dropping the controversial layout from the schedule. From his perspective, the sport has drifted far enough into road and street racing territory, and a recalibration feels timely.
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Martin welcomes the Roval’s removal and celebrates the fact that 10 race Chase will determine the champion, without the field visiting a road course during that time. He expressed his affinity and noted, “I think we’re ready for it. Cars do race really good on that racetrack right now with the rules package and stuff. So, the ROVAL was interesting, but it was time for a change.”
On the other hand, another type of track that has often drawn attention during the past playoff format was Talladega Superspeedway, and its nature of racing that could have championship implications.
Regarding the same during the 10-race Chase stretch, Martin commented, “I think that’s fine. Having one superspeedway race is okay. I don’t see a problem with it. It gives you a wide variety of racetracks and all. So, I’m glad to see it’s not two or three, you know. So, you never know when racing, superspeedway racing could change.”
While the Charlotte ROVAL has undergone several layout modifications since its 2018 debut, the hybrid oval-road course configuration provided a distinctive opportunity for road racing within NASCAR’s playoff framework. Removing the ROVAL from the final 10 championship-deciding races means a return to NASCAR’s roots as primarily an oval series with road courses sprinkled throughout the calendar, primarily during the regular season.
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Last season, Shane van Gisbergen swept five of six road course and street course events. That run of results amplified a simmering concern among drivers who believe NASCAR’s identity has always been rooted in oval competition, rather than mirroring series like Formula 1 or Supercars. NASCAR appears to have taken that feedback to heart.
For organizations like Trackhouse Racing, which invested in specialist road course drivers like SVG, the shift could prompt them to reassess driver value. Not only are road courses considered a niche visit in an otherwise oval-dominated series, but the “win-and-you-are-in” format has also been eliminated, undermining the primary rationale for bringing SVG to NASCAR.
What does Dale Earnhardt Jr. think?
Responding to Jordan Bianchi’s recent X post about Charlotte’s NASCAR playoff race shifting off the ROVAL and returning to the traditional layout beginning this season, Junior said skipping the ROVAL for now poses no problem. The sport can resurrect it whenever desired, as it is a makeshift road course utilizing Charlotte Motor Speedway’s infield along with portions of the traditional 1.5-mile oval layout.
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Junior wrote, “The Roval will always be there when they want to bring it back. The oval has been solid recently. No reason not to take advantage of that. One may complain about the lack of road courses in the chase. It makes zero difference to me either way.”
It remains to be seen how drivers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson react, having excelled on both ovals and road courses in their careers. Meanwhile, Justin Marks’s reaction to the situation, which runs counter to his drivers’ strengths, should also be worth watching.
The post Mark Martin Thinks NASCAR Has Taken the Right Step By Taking the ROVAL Out of the Playoffs appeared first on The SportsRush.
