It’s time to rock and roval.
The NASCAR playoffs head to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend as Cup Series drivers tackle the part road course, part oval circuit known as the roval.
It’s also time for another elimination race as the second round draws to an end. The four playoff drivers with the fewest points after Sunday’s race will be eliminated from championship contention, trimming the playoff participants from 12 to eight.
Two drivers – William Byron, who won the second-round opener at Texas, and Ryan Blaney, who won last week at Talladega – already clinched berths in the third round, leaving 10 drivers to race for the six remaining spots in the Round of 8. A victory on Sunday by one of those 10 drivers would secure a third berth, but the remaining spots would be determined by points, so avoiding a disaster on the roval is also key.
One driver who should be feeling pretty comfortable is Denny Hamlin, who has built up a significant points advantage. At the other end of the spectrum is two-time champion Kyle Busch, who sits in 12th place, 26 points below the cut line.
Here is all the information you need to get ready for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
What time does the Cup race at Charlotte start?
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 starts at 2:30 p.m. ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
What TV channel is the Cup race at Charlotte on?
NBC is broadcasting the Bank of America ROVAL 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET, while Peacock will have a post-race show at 6 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the Cup race at Charlotte?
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
NASCAR 2024 SCHEDULE: Atlanta, Watkins Glen shift to playoffs next season
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What are the standings heading into second-round race at Charlotte?
(*-former champion; x-clinched spot in Round of 8):
- x-William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports — 3,136 points
- x-Ryan Blaney, Team Penske — 3,078 points
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,108 points
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,080 points
- Chris Buescher, RFK Racing — 3,077 points
- Martin Truex Jr.*, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,075 points
- Kyle Larson*, Hendrick Motorsports — 3,073 points
- Brad Keselowski*, RFK Racing — 3,060 points
- Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing — 3,058 points
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing — 3,051 points
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing — 3,050 points
- Kyle Busch*, Richard Childress Racing — 3,034 points
How many laps is the Cup race at Charlotte?
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 is 109 laps around the 2.32-mile circuit for a total of 252.88 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 25 laps; Stage 2: 25 laps; Stage 3: 59 laps.
Who won the most recent race at the Charlotte roval?
Christopher Bell prevailed in a must-win race to avoid elimination in last year’s playoffs, scoring an overtime victory on Oct. 9, 2022 to advance to the Round of 8. Bell’s only laps led were the two in overtime before he pulled away from Kevin Harvick to win by 1.790 seconds.
What is the lineup for the Bank of America ROVAL 400?
(Car number in parentheses; P-playoff driver)
1. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
2. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
3. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
4. (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
5. (8) Kyle Busch (P), Chevrolet
6. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
7. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
8. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
9. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
10. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
11. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota
12. (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
13. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
14. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
15. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
16. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
17. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
18. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
19. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford
20. (17) Chris Buescher (P), Ford
21. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
22. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
23. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
24. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
25. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
26. (42) Mike Rockenfeller, Chevrolet
27. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
28. (78) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet
29. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
30. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
31. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
32. (51) Todd Gilliland, Ford
33. (62) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
34. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
35. (15) Andy Lally, Ford
36. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
37. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
