Charlotte Motor Speedway Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer When the dust settled on NASCAR’s 2020 schedule realignment due to COVID-19 last Thursday, it became apparent that by having multiple races at both Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, certain tracks will pay the unfortunate price. On Friday, NASCAR announced that three tracks will lose their dates in favor of having additional races at Darlington and Charlotte. Those were Sonoma Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway and Richmond Raceway, with the first two no longer having a race at their venue in 2020. The latter track maintained itsRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Since the sports world went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, it has been a waiting game to see which sport would be the first to make its return. As of Thursday afternoon, it appears NASCAR will be the first out of the gate to start competing again, as the sanctioning body announced races, without fans, are scheduled to begin on May 17 with a visit to Darlington Raceway for the NASCAR Cup Series. Over the next 11 days, all three NASCAR national seriesRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The road towards a return for NASCAR saw an encouraging turn after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper made several announcements for the state regarding COVID-19 Thursday. Although the stay-at-home order has been extended from April 29 to May 8, Gov. Cooper stated that race teams can indeed work on their cars at their race shops after being the sport was considered “essential business” just as long as social distancing practices are followed at all times. According to FOX 46 Charlotte’s Will Kunkel, Gov. Cooper also providedRead More

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 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 Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent CONCORD, N.C. – A mid-race spin at the treacherous Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval was not enough to keep Ryan Truex from a top-10 finish. At the start of the final stage, Truex found his No. 8 Marquis Chevrolet Camaro SS just in front of a four-wide battle. Tyler Reddick wheel-hopped into turn one and tapped the JR Motorsports driver. Truex spun in front of the field. Somehow, as John Hunter Nemechek and Ray Black, Jr. also spun, Truex emerged unscathed. Now mired deep in theRead More