(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
For the fifth time, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series will take on the Charlotte ROVAL. It’s a race that is happy to produce chaos — and lots of it. From the dominant car plowing the turn one wall to the third place car winning exiting the final turn, no one is safe until the checkered flag flies.
Here is what a few of the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity drivers said ahead of this weekend’s white-knuckled action on the 17-turn, 2.28-mile road course:
Austin Cindric, No. 2, Team Penske (NASCAR Cup Series)
(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“At the ROVAL, you have zero time to rest. I am grabbing upshifts going through the banking. Even when I’m going through the banking, that’s still a large toll on the driver. From the time you accelerate out of Turn 8 through NASCAR 1 and 2, you’re grabbing gears then you’re slamming on the brakes. You go through NASCAR 3 and 4, the car handles terrible. You’re hitting all these bumps. The cars are bobbing out. You then hit on the brakes at the end of the banking. You have no time to rest. I think that’s what makes it challenging. You’re having to grab upshifts that you aren’t normally having to do. I’m always doing something the entire time.”
Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing (NASCAR Cup Series)
(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“It’s 10 lanes of traffic on a two-lane highway. What makes the ROVAL challenging is that hardly any of us have many years of experience on it. We show up and are continuing to learn it as we go.”
Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske (NASCAR Cup Series)
(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“You have to know what the mission is and what you’re trying to accomplish when the race starts. Is it all or nothing? Are you trying to accomplish some points, especially with the Playoffs? You have to put it all in the equation.”
Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing (NASCAR Xfinity Series
(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“It’s about staying out of the crashes. The biggest thing about the ROVAL is that it is very chaotic. It is the last race of Round One, so people will be making Hail Mary decisions. It’s about staying out of crashes and being consistent.”
AJ Almendinger, No. 16, Kaulig Racing (NASCAR Xfinity Series)
(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“What makes the ROVAL so fun is the infield. It gives you that street course feel. That’s a background that I used to love in Champ Car Racing. Going to a street course and hanging it out on the city streets in tight corners that if you make a small mistake, you pay the price. That’s the biggest challenge of the ROVAL™. If you get stuck in traffic, it’s a place that you can easily find a wall and ruin your day. You have to be patient and smart there at times. We’ve been fortunate for three years in a row, but it’s one of those racetracks where you never let your mind be at peace. You have to be aggressive at times.”
Noah Gragson, No. 9, JR Motorsports (NASCAR Xfinity Series)
(Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
“The ROVAL is very challenging because you are really on edge through the infield portion of the racetrack. You have a lot of high speed on the NASCAR corners. There’s some elevation change and off-camber turns. It makes it be a very edgy racetrack. There’s a lot of risk but also a lot of reward. You can make a lot of speed, but you’re right on the limit of wrecking the racecar. That’s what makes it so challenging as a driver there.”
