By David Morgan, Associate Editor
For the first time since 2017, Charlotte Motor Speedway will host both of its races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule on the traditional 1.5-mile oval, shifting away from the Roval that had headlined the fall for the past eight seasons.
First reported by The Athletic, Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith and the track made the move official on Tuesday.
“Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been about innovations and opportunity,” said Smith in a release.
“The ROVAL™ delivered dramatic racing when many fans were calling for a road course in the playoffs. Now there’s an energy around the return of The Chase and fans are seeing the excitement that oval racing continues to generate on mile-and-a-half tracks. This feels like the time to bring the fall race back to the legendary oval at a place where NASCAR history is made every year.”
In an appearance on The Dale Jr Download podcast, Smith added more context, detailing the return to the oval in 2026, which started from a strategic meeting at the track and blossomed into a full-blown schedule change on the heels of NASCAR reverting back to the Chase format for the points.
“Back when we introduced the Roval, it was at a time when road courses were having this amazing surge. Fans were saying ‘Boy, we love road courses.’ They kind of race like a short track, so we brought out the Roval,” Smith explained on the podcast.
“It provided another road course in the schedule, a road course in the Playoffs, and made for something new and different. It was one of the highest rated races in TV for a couple of years. Great growth and great excitement and some great highlights from the race.
“But I think the new car and the way NASCAR officiates, the racing hasn’t been as exciting as it had been initially. We want to deliver excitement. We want to deliver a great event that has fantastic competition and those amazing highlight worthy moments in racing.”
The move has been met with overwhelming support from the driving corps, with calls to return to the oval picking up steam over the last few years before the momentum finally shifted to making the move official.
“Moving the fall Charlotte race back to the oval really brings the sport back to its roots,” 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski said.
“That race has so much history, and winning there is a big deal that I’ve been fortunate to do. The racing with the Next Gen car at Charlotte has been some of the best we’ve seen anywhere, and I think putting it back on the oval is going to create an incredible show. It’s the kind of race our fans expect and deserve.”
Chase Briscoe, who found some success on the oval-road course hybrid back in his days in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, concurred that moving back to the oval was the right choice going forward.
“I am pumped that we will be racing on the oval twice at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2026,” said Briscoe. “The ROVAL™ is a really special track in my career since I won the first race on the configuration, but with how the oval racing has been at Charlotte, I think the fans deserve two races on the track.
“As a race in The Chase, I think it will be a great event to showcase the best of our sport and still provide great racing for the fans.”
Bank of America 400 weekend will be highlighted by the Cup Series race on Sunday, October 11th as the sixth race in The Chase, with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races taking place on the preceding Friday and Saturday.
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