Bank of America ROVAL 400 Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – For Alex Bowman, Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a war on many fronts. Not only did the Hendrick Motorsports driver have the points battle and advancing on in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to worry about, but as the race progressed, he also had to contend with fellow drivers out on track and his own health issues to be able to make it out of the first round of the postseason with his championshipRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Defending race winner Ryan Blaney didn’t have a smooth afternoon in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, but he salvaged an eighth-place finish-with the help of two timely cautions—and advanced to the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Blaney made hard contact with the wall on Lap 58, and crew chief Jeremy Bullins contemplated bringing the No. 12 Team Penske Ford to pit road immediately, but opted against that courseRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Clint Bowyer had to restrain himself from his typically aggressive approach to driving in the monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and it paid off on Sunday with a berth in the Round of 12 of the series Playoffs. After a disappointing 25th-place finish—from the pole, no less—in the opening Playoff race at Las Vegas two weeks ago, Bowyer came to the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course four points below the cut line for advancementRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent CONCORD, N.C. – Perseverance was key as Jimmie Johnson overcame multiple mistakes to earn a top-10 in the Bank of America ROVAL 400. The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver missed the backstretch chicane on lap 72. After Johnson stopped in the restart zone on the frontstretch of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 dropped from second to ninth. “There are opportunities to pass because everybody makes mistakes,” Johnson explained. “Unfortunately, I made two big mistakes that requiredRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Moments after taking the checkered flag in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, race winner Chase Elliott revisited the site of his biggest mistake. Elliott drove his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up to the tire barrier in Turn 1 of the 2.32-mile, 17-turn course and began a burnout that bordered on the sarcastic. Early in the final stage of the 109-lap event, after a restart on Lap 65, Elliott locked upRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent CONCORD, N.C. – Bank of America ROVAL 400 polesitter William Byron advanced to the Round of 12 despite a wild Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver restarted just inside the top-10 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Byron found his No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 battling Martin Truex, Jr. and Brad Keselowski. With under 10-points to spare, every position counted. Byron fought his car on the treacherous 2.28-mile road course to maintain position. With passing difficult, he passed Truex, however,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Weeks after winning the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington to punch his ticket into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and solidifying his place at Joe Gibbs Racing for 2020, Erik Jones has been on a downward spiral ever since and things didn’t get much better in the first elimination race of the postseason. Since his Darlington win, Jones hadn’t scored a finish better than 36th in the races since, putting him inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – Ahead of the second running of the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors took to the track for two practice sessions on Saturday as they looked to get their cars dialed in for the first elimination race of the Playoffs. Ryan Blaney, who was victorious in this race one year ago, topped the board in the morning session with a lap of 1 minute, 21.977 seconds (101.882 mph). Ryan PreeceRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – When the news came down earlier this week that Roush-Fenway Racing would be making a driver change for its No. 17 entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for 2020, current driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was just as shocked as the rest of the garage area that he would be out of a ride when this season comes to a close. “Yeah, pretty blindsided,” Stenhouse said of hearing the news. The Olive Branch, Mississippi native added that last Wednesday was businessRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent  CONCORD, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer have one more chance to advance to the Round of 12 at the treacherous Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Both drivers enter the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the edge of advancing to the next round. Almirola and his No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang sit 11th on the playoff grid with a three-point cushion. Bowyer’s No. 14 Rush / Cummins Ford Mustang is 14th, four points behind the cutoff. There have been 11 instances betweenRead More