The Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval will feature some slight yet major modifications to its track layout. On Sunday, it was announced the chicane on the backstretch will grow in width from 32 feet (9.75 m) to 54 (16.46 m).
“The Bank of America ROVAL 400 is all about excitement and creating memorable moments for our fans,” Speedway Motorsports, Inc. head Marcus Smith said in a statement. “Having our backstretch chicane upgraded will give drivers an additional opportunity to go for a season-making or season-breaking pass like we saw on the frontstretch chicane last year. Every turn matters on the ROVAL.”
The new chicane will require additional braking and sharper turn entry, though the wider track will also increase passing chances and allow for better exits. Additional run-off areas will also be introduced. The updates were designed with assistance from drivers Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Justin Allgaier, Max Papis, and sports car driver Alexander Wurz. To create more space for the chicane, the inside wall in the oval’s turn three has been moved.
The 17-turn roval format was introduced for the Monster Energy Cup Series and Xfinity Series races in 2018; the track traditionally holds NASCAR races on its 1.5-mile oval. Although the Cup race will remain the same in distance, the Xfinity event’s length has been increased to 250 kilometers, renaming the race to the Drive for the Cure 250. Both races will take place in September, with the Cup race being the final event of the playoffs’ Round of 16.
Construction of the new track will be completed in August.
