Precision, patience and pure chaos will converge Oct. 3-5 during Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend. The 17-turn, 2.28-mile course presents one of the toughest challenges in motorsports, combining the intensity of a cutoff race with the ever-present threat of playoff elimination on one of NASCAR’s most unique tracks.

For NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series contenders, the ROVAL™ is the ultimate test of survival — where one slip can end a season and one daring move can define a championship. Here’s what drivers are saying ahead of the intense race weekend:

Kyle Larson, No. 5, 2024 Bank of America ROVAL™400 Winner

“It has done a lot for me in my career. I’ve had a lot of close moments on points there, whether that be making it into the next round or being eliminated right there. So, it’s just a tough place, at least for me in the past, I’ve just been on the edge of grip and have made mistakes. So, hopefully it goes as well as it did last year and we can just have a smooth day.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9, Two-time Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Winner

“I think the goal is to have yourself in a position where you don't have your back up against a wall and feel like you have to win at that point. I look forward to the ROVAL™ every year. It's fortunately been a good track for me and for our team; I hope that's the case again this year. Hopefully we're in a good spot, and still alive and have a chance and that’s all I can ask for.”

Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Inaugural Blue Cross NC 250 Xfinity Race Winner

“The most challenging part about the ROVAL™ is just all the different driving styles that it takes. You have to be super patient and have finesse in the infield and on the big track and some of the chicanes. It's all about just being as aggressive as possible and heavy braking, so it really takes a little bit of everything and it's really, really slick, it's worn out, it's rough on the big track. It's just, really, a challenge not only for driving but also for the car .”

Christopher Bell, No. 20, 2022 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Winner

“The ROVAL™ being a cutoff race just adds so many elements, because you have different strategies that play into that race. You can either go all in for stage points and try to lock in, or you can forego the stage points and risk it and try to get a good finish at the end of the race.”

Joey Logano, No. 22, Cup Series Playoff Contender

“What stands out about it? I mean, it's just an important race. It's in the playoffs, right? Every race in the playoffs is super important, and this is obviously a pretty unique one when you hear the ROVAL™. Anything can happen at it, definitely when it's a cut-off race. You kind of look at that one and say, ‘Okay, what do we gotta do to get through? That’s usually what happens when I see the ROVAL™, ‘how do we make it to the next round?’”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88, Trackhouse Racing

“It’s a crazy track. The new layout was epic last year—a lot of carnage, but as a driver, really challenging as you fly off the banking out of (Turn) four and have to stop for that last chicane. It’s so easy to make a mistake, so I think it’ll be cool to watch that.”

Tyler Reddick, No. 45, Cup Series Playoff Contender

“I think for a lot of teams, it’s about qualifying up front and trying to collect those stage points early in the race. Ideally, one of these times I go there, I’m going to be locked into the round of eight already, so I can focus on just winning the race. It’s one where, with the strategy, teams are able to stay out and collect stage points. Then, those very same teams are forced, in Stage 3, to try and claw their way back to the front of the field, so you really have comers and goers throughout the course of the race.”

Bubba Wallace, No. 23, 23XI Racing, Cup Series Playoff Contender

“It’s close-quarters racing. You’re getting run into, and a lot of us don’t like getting run into, we’re prima donnas, if you will, so your tension starts to rise and continues throughout the race. That can cause a recipe for disaster for some. I know last time I was in the Playoffs, I got knocked out at the end of the ROVAL™, so I got a little bit of redemption going back to that place. I have a lot of work to do to get there first.”

Sam Mayer, No. 41, Two-time Blue Cross NC 250 Winner 

“The ROVAL™ is a really exciting place. There’s a lot that can go on, and it’s a hectic, chaotic race. If you can master it, run out front and have a clean race, you have a pretty easy chance of winning—except for the very end, there’s always a lot of cautions, which can cause mayhem.”

Brandon Jones, No. 20, Xfinity Series Playoff Contender

“The ROVAL™ is one of the most exciting, best races of the whole year. I’m not a road racer, so I always love to see the ovals, but if you’re going to watch a crazy race, I’ve seen many times watching it back with jaw-dropping moments of, ‘oh my gosh, I can’t believe that just happened.”

Taylor Gray, No. 54, Xfinity Series Playoff Contender

“The hybrid between somewhat a street course and somewhat a road course, is what makes it different from the style of road courses we usually go to. The intensity is there because it is a cutoff race, and you’re racing for those last points. Road courses are typically pretty easy for scoring big points with how stages work. I’ve never raced the ROVAL™ before, but I’m excited to get there.”

TICKETS:

Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10. 

MORE INFO:

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