Bank of America Roval 400
NASCAR Cup Series
VenueCharlotte Motor Speedway roval
LocationConcord, North Carolina, United States
Corporate sponsorBank of America
First race2018
Distance399.954 kilometres (248.520 mi)
Laps109
Stages 1/2: 25 each
Final stage: 59
Most wins (driver)Chase Elliott (2)
Most wins (team)Hendrick Motorsports (3)
Most wins (manufacturer)Chevrolet (4)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.669 km (2.280 mi)
Turns17

The Bank of America Roval 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race that is held annually at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, United States, with the other one being the 600-mile (970 km) Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend.

As of the 2018 season, the event is run as a 400 kilometer (248.5 mi) race using the infield road course configuration the track calls "The Roval"; previously, the race was run at a distance of 500 miles using the regular oval. A. J. Allmendinger is the defending winner of the event.

History

The 2018 Bank of America Roval 400, the first race held on the road course configuration

The race had been a Sunday afternoon event until 2002. That year rain delayed the start by over 3 hours, meaning much of the race was run under the lights. Thanks in large part to the ratings boost NBC received in primetime hours, NASCAR made a decision to move the race date from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night from 2003 to 2016. NBC retained their rights to broadcast the race, unlike in most of the night events aired in their part of the season's contract which normally aired on TNT. With the move, then-Lowe's Motor Speedway became one of only two tracks in NASCAR to have two-night dates on the schedule.

In 2015 and 2016, the races on Saturday night were canceled due to bad weather, so they were run on Sunday afternoon. In 2017, at the time of the schedule announcement, the race was scheduled for Saturday night. On April 20, the race was rescheduled for Sunday and moved from a night race to a day race. At the 2017 event, after rain caused the Xfinity Series event of the Saturday afternoon to be delayed by several hours, a decision was made to move the Cup race an hour back to a 1:00 PM local time start, as more rain was expected later during the day. The race eventually concluded successfully after 3+1⁄2 hours without the occurrence of any rain delays.

Starting in 2018, the race utilizes a 2.28 miles (3.67 km) road course configuration of Charlotte Motor Speedway, with a race distance of 400 kilometres (250 mi) over 109 laps.[1][2][3] Ryan Blaney would win the inaugural Roval Cup race after Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson collided on the final lap.[4]

Realignment

In 2020, the Bank of America Roval 400 was moved from late September to the middle of October and beheld as the final race of the Round of 12; the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway took Charlotte's former spot. Although rain was present, the 2020 races were run without any delays as cars continued in the wet with limited lighting, as was the case in the Xfinity race.[5]

Past winners

Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)		 Report Ref
Laps Miles (km)
Road Course + Oval (Roval), 2.28 mi (3.67 km)
2018 September 30 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 109 248.52 (399.954) 3:01:34 82.125 Report [6]
2019 September 29 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 248.52 (399.954) 3:20:58 75.499 Report [7]
2020 October 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 248.52 (399.954) 3:17:11 76.948 Report [8]
2021 October 10 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 248.52 (399.954) 3:15:04 77.783 Report [9]
2022 October 9 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 112* 255.36 (410.961) 2:59:54 86.661 Report [10]
2023 October 8 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 109 248.52 (399.954) 3:05:57 81.596 Report [11]

Notes

Race records

Roval (400 kilometres (250 mi)) – 2022
Race Time: 2:59:54
Average Speed: 86.661 mph (139.467 km/h)

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins Driver Years Won
2 Chase Elliott 2019, 2020
1 Ryan Blaney 2018
Kyle Larson 2021
Christopher Bell 2022
A. J. Allmendinger 2023

Multiple winners (teams)

# Wins Team Years Won
3 Hendrick Motorsports 2019, 2020, 2021
1 Joe Gibbs Racing 2022
Team Penske 2018
Kaulig Racing 2023

Manufacturer wins

# Wins Manufacturer Years Won
4 Chevrolet 2019-2021, 2023
1 Ford 2018
Toyota 2022

Notable races

  • 2018: After a late-race caution of the inaugural Roval event, Jimmie Johnson made gains on Martin Truex Jr. in the final two laps. Coming to the final chicane on the final lap, Johnson tries to pass Truex Jr. but he lost control of his car, sending it spinning into the chicane and taking out Truex Jr. With both of them taken out, Ryan Blaney overtakes both Johnson and Truex Jr. coming out of the final chicane to earn his first win of the season with a last-lap pass. With Johnson spinning out and finishing 8th, that put him, Kyle Larson, and Aric Almirola in a three-way tie for the cut-line position in the first round of the Playoffs. As most of the field crosses the line, Daniel Hemric spun Jeffrey Earnhardt exiting the final chicane, with Jeffrey's car ended up hitting the outside wall. He corrected his car but ended up stalling mere meters before the finish line, enabling Larson to pass him in a badly-damaged car and give Larson the extra point he needed to bump Johnson out of the Playoffs.
  • 2019: Chase Elliott returned from locking up his brakes and colliding head-on with the turn 1 barrier to win his second road course win of the year.
  • 2020: For the first time in NASCAR Cup Series history, the Cup cars raced in the rain when they declared a wet start for the green flag. Forecast to be a rainy day, the sun came out and remained mostly cloudy, defying the forecast. At the end of Stage 1, drivers decided to forego the treaded tires for the traditional slicks for the rest of the event. Chase Elliott, the defending race winner came down pit road for a loose left front wheel. Just like last year he made his way to the front and pulled away on his way to the win. The win gave him the distinction of just the second driver to win four-straight road-course events with the other being Jeff Gordon. Multiple drivers adjusting to slicks on the damp surface created unpredictable outcomes with cars slipping off track, kicking up grass and spray from standing water.

References

  1. ↑ "New layout for Charlotte Motor Speedway road course". NASCAR.com. January 22, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Everything to know for Sunday's race on the Charlotte roval". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ "NASCAR Cup race on Charlotte Roval to see length reduced". Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Ryan Blaney emerges for win in first Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte". NASCAR. September 30, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ All the rainy wrecking action from Charlotte's wet Roval race - Xfinity Series Extended Highlights
  6. ↑ "2018 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ "2019 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "2020 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ "2021 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ "2022 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ "2023 Bank of America Roval 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
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