Roval will Benefit Cup Playoffs

Whenever race fans think of Charlotte Motor Speedway, they usually think of either the Coca-Cola 600 or the All-Star Race the weekend before.

Both of those races are elite in their own rights, but hardly ever do people ever bring up the hype about the second points race held at Charlotte in the fall.

Sure, that race, the Bank of America 500, has produced its fair share of memories in the past if you look back far enough, and the round-based playoff system has helped to make it an important race (like the nine other playoff races). But overall, it isn’t held in the same high regard as is spring contemporaries.

That’s why it’s time to replace the traditional quad-oval race with the Roval.

Drivers will have to turn right once more in the Cup Series season Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 2.42-mile infield road course configuration come 2018.

While the race length will be shortened from 500 miles (334 laps) to 311 miles (130 laps), it will surely create more memories. Look at all the exciting, emotional finishes fans have seen at road courses in the past, like this one. Or this one. Or this one. And those are all just Cup Series races from this decade.

The Charlotte Roval race will also move up a week on the Cup Series schedule to serve as an elimination race of the first round of the playoffs, further upping its importance.

The point I’m trying to make is this new race at Charlotte fits the script for the drama and action NASCAR has persistently pursued to add excitement to the playoffs.

Some may go “boo hoo” at the mere thought of a road course in the playoffs, but I say phooey on them. And this is coming from a guy raised in a household where road courses “weren’t actually races.”

However, if anything, road races should be seen as a testament to a driver’s skill; being able to conquer both ovals and road courses only adds to a driver’s prestige.

Look at all the champions and legends who have at least once in their careers visited victory lane at Watkins Glen or Sonoma or for old-school fans, Riverside: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart. The list goes on. Would traditionalists say those wins don’t count? Careful now; Petty wouldn’t have 200 wins in that case.

Drivers have also vocalized positive interest in adding a road course race in the playoffs, including Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch to name a few.

It should also add interest to those in fantasy NASCAR leagues as now they will have to adjust during the season to start drivers who have success at road races. There’s your wink-wink, nudge-nudge to strategize for next season’s success.

Will the race itself be good, bad, legendary or infamous? That’s yet to be seen, but for certainty, it does add more excitement for the Chase and good reason to tune in next season.