While it had been reported in the media, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have confirmed that the Charlotte Roval is no more. When the NASCAR circus rolls into town, all three national series will race on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Two races on the oval this year, which should play to the strengths of the Next Gen car. Last year’s Coca-Cola 600 was an instant classic. Late in the night, when Ross Chastain made his move to take the lead, it was electric. One of those races you never forget.
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So, it simply makes sense to put the second race on the schedule, the date in the Chase, back on the oval. 400 miles on the oval with these Next Gen cars will be must-see TV. The action takes place on October 11 with a weekend of racing from the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series leading up to that Sunday.
On the “Dale Jr. Download” today, Marcus Smith of Speedway Motorsports confirmed the change while speaking with Kelley Earnhardt Miller. NASCAR confirmed the announcement shortly after.
The field goes through turn 11 during the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.Peter Casey-Imagn Images
(Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
When the Charlotte Roval first began, it was seen as a welcome change. If you have only watched NASCAR in the Next Gen era, it might sound crazy, but there were calls for more road courses to be on the schedule. Those calls were met, I’d say.
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However, with the Next Gen car and its lack of excitement on the road courses since 2022, this is a good change. Play to not only the strengths of the car, but the strengths of the series as well. Perhaps the Roval can be added once every few years or so for a little bit of a change. For now, I’m excited to see two oval races at Charlotte with these cars.
This is obviously bad news for drivers like Shane van Gisbergen and the rookie Connor Zilisch. For others, this is an opportunity, especially with it taking place during the Chase. The 2026 NASCAR season is starting to shape up to be one of the most anticipated in quite some time.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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