NASCAR Xfinity Series News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval)

NASCAR Xfinity Series – Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval)

Next Race: Blue Cross NC 250
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
Track Length: 2.28 Mile Asphalt Road Course
The Date: Saturday, October 4
The Time: 5 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,651,939
TV: CW, 4:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 152.76 miles (67 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 67)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:

Friday, Oct. 3

NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 11 a.m. ET)

NCTS Race: Ecosave 250 (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 3:30 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Oct. 4

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 11:30 a.m. ET)

NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)

NXS Race: Blue Cross NC 250 (CW, PRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)

Sunday, Oct. 5

NCS Race: Bank of America ROVAL 400 (USA, PRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course Storylines and Insights:

• This weekend marks the eighth running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval).
• The Charlotte Roval was on the Xfinity Series schedule every year since inaugural race in 2018.
• The Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval) is the cutoff race in the Round of 12.
• The Charlotte Roval hosted a Playoff race every season since 2018 and was the Round of 12 cutoff every season since 2020.
• The Charlotte Roval is the seventh and final road course this season.
• 42 entries for the Charlotte Road Course is the most since 2024 Chicago Street race (43); Four cars will not qualify.
• Brandon Jones (Kansas win), Connor Zilisch (points) and Justin Allgaier (points) will advance to Round of 8.
• The four lowest drivers in points after the Charlotte Roval will be eliminated from the Playoffs.
• Playoff drivers from 5^th-12^th are separated by 25 points.
• Points needed to advance: Mayer – 19, Gray – 46, Creed – 49, Kvapil – 53.
• Playoff drivers that need help to advance on points: Love, Sanchez, Hill, Burton & Smith.
• All Playoff drivers not locked into Round of 8 can advance with a Charlotte Roval win.
• Brandon Jones won at Kansas, his second win of 2025 and third career Kansas win.
• Brandon Jones’s win snapped a streak of three straight Playoff races won by non-Playoff drivers.
• Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota won back-to-back races in the Playoffs after winning just two races in the regular season.
• Connor Zilisch broke Sam Ard’s 1983 record with his 16^th consecutive top-five finish after finishing second at Kansas.
• Connor Zilisch’s 2.1 average finish in the last 16 races is the best in series history in a 16-race span.
• Connor Zilisch’s nine wins this season are record for most wins by a rookie.
• Connor Zilisch won seven of the last ten races this season, tied with Sam Ard for most in a ten-race span.
• Connor Zilisch won 32% of his starts, the best win percentage all-time among drivers with more than three starts.
• Randall Burnett was announced as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief next season when he moves to Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
• JR Motorsports won 16 races this season with a series-record six different drivers, all six drivers won in the last 19 races (does not include Parker Kligerman who won in relief role at Daytona).
• JR Motorsports is on a two race winless streak; the team’s longest winless streak this season is three races.
• JR Motorsports had at least one car finish inside the top-five in a record 30 straight races.
• Sam Mayer, with two wins, is the only active driver to win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in NXS.
• Four of the last five Charlotte Roval races went to overtime.
• The pass for the win came in final five laps in four of last five Charlotte Roval races.
• Chase Briscoe, 2018, is the only driver to get his first NXS win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.
• Connor Zilisch has five career road course wins, most among active drivers and tied for second all-time.
• Connor Zilisch won five of last eight road course races and five of last eight road course poles.
• Connor Zilisch’s 1.7 average finish on road course is the best all-time.
• JR Motorsports won a record eight straight road course races including all six in 2025 with three different drivers.
• JR Motorsports could become second team to sweep all road course races in a single season (with multiple races) – Team Penske 2013 – 3 races.
• Connor Zilisch leads the series with nine wins, 17 top fives, an 8.1 average finish and seven poles this season.
• Justin Allgaier leads the series with 13 stage wins this season.
• Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love lead the series with 19 top 10s this season.
•  Justin Allgaier leads all drivers with 897 laps led in 2025, his second most laps led in a season to 1,008 in 2020.
• Justin Allgaier and Connor Zilisch each won the Fastest Lap Award five times this season.
• Justin Allgaier’s 28 career wins are ninth on the all-time wins list and one away from tying Matt Kenseth.
• Justin Allgaier will make his 500^th career start at the Roval, he made his NXS debut at Charlotte in October 2008.
• Chevrolet led 3,424 of 4,501 laps this season (76%).
• Chevrolet won 23 of 28 races, the most all time by a manufacturer through 28 races in series history.
• Five crew chiefs got their first NXS win in 2025: Chad Haney at Atlanta, Sam McAulay at Darlington, Adam Wall at Bristol, Cory Shea at Mexico City & Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Pocono.
• Five races this year ended with a last lap pass.

NXS Clinch Scenarios for Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Playoff Race #3)

Already Clinched

• The following three drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round: Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones.

Can Clinch Via Points

• If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 8th winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, Carson Kvapil or Jesse Love.
  • Sam Mayer: Would clinch with 14 points
  • Taylor Gray: Would clinch with 41 points
  • Sheldon Creed: Would clinch with 44 points
  • Carson Kvapil: Would clinch with 48 points
  • Jesse Love: Would clinch with 52 points
  • Nicholas Sanchez, Austin Hill, Harrison Burton, Sammy Smith: All could only clinch with help
• If there is a new winner from Nicholas Sanchez or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 7th winless driver in the standings.
  • Sam Mayer: Would clinch with 19 points
  • Taylor Gray: Would clinch with 46 points
  • Sheldon Creed: Would clinch with 49 points
  • Carson Kvapil: Would clinch with 53 points
  • Jesse Love: Would clinch with 56 points
  • Nicholas Sanchez, Austin Hill, Harrison Burton, Sammy Smith: All could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

• The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Sam Mayer, Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, Nicholas Sanchez, Austin Hill, Harrison Burton, Sammy Smith

NASCAR & Charlotte, Etc.

Historical & Significant Events at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:

• Charlotte Motor Speedway was designed and built in 1959 by Chairman Emeritus and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee O. Bruton Smith. The late Curtis Turner, one of stock car racing’s earliest stars and another Hall of Fame inductee, served as Smith’s primary business partner.
• Smith, a native of Oakboro, N.C., was an automobile dealer and short-track stock car racing promoter at Concord Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Fairgrounds.
• Turner, a Virginian who amassed his money in the lumber industry, became one of the first drivers on the NASCAR circuit after the sanctioning body debuted in 1949.
• Together, they built their dream of a 1.5-mile superspeedway on the outskirts of the Queen City and, on June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was contested at the new facility.
• In 1961, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales. After his departure from the speedway in 1962, Smith pursued other business interests in Texas and Illinois. Working within Ford Motor Company’s dealership program, Smith became quite successful and began purchasing shares of stock in Charlotte Motor Speedway. By 1975 Smith had again become the majority stockholder in the speedway, regaining control of its day-to-day operations.
• He hired H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler as general manager and the two began to implement plans for needed improvements and expansion.
• During the ensuing years, Smith and Wheeler demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction, building a facility that continuously established new industry standards. Thousands of grandstand seats and luxury suites were built. Food concessions and restroom facilities were added and modernized to increase the comfort of race fans. Smith Tower, a 135,000-square-foot, seven-story facility connected to the speedway’s grandstands, was erected and opened in 1988. The building houses the speedway’s corporate offices, ticket office, souvenir gift shop, leased office space and The Speedway Club, an exclusive dining and entertainment facility.
• In 1984, under the direction of Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the only sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations when it built 40 condominiums high above turn one. Twelve additional condominium units were added in 1991.
• Another innovation was a $1.7 million, 1,200-fixture permanent lighting system developed by MUSCO Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles.
• The lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Charlotte Motor Speedway to be the first modern superspeedway to host night auto racing.
• Ever cognizant of the competitors as well as the spectators, the speedway added a new $1 million, 20,000-square-foot NASCAR Cup Series garage area in 1994.
• Other additions and improvements include the development of the speedway’s 2,000-plus acres. In addition to the speedway, the property, some of which is leased, includes an industrial park that serves as home to several motorsports-related businesses, a modern landfill facility operated by BFI and a natural wildlife habitat.
• In addition to the 1.5-mile quad oval, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex includes a 2.25-mile road course and a six-tenths-mile karting layout in the speedway’s infield; a quarter-mile asphalt oval utilizing part of the speedway’s frontstretch and pit road; and a one-fifth-mile oval located outside Turn 3 of the superspeedway.
• Two NASCAR Cup Series races, two NASCAR Xfinity Series races and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race are among the major events held at the speedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and the NASCAR Racing Experience also use the track extensively throughout the year.
• Other events on the various tracks include a summer short-track series for Legend Cars and Bandoleros and World Karting Association regional, national and international races.
• In May 2000, The Dirt Track at Charlotte, a state-of-the-art, four-tenths-mile clay oval was completed across U.S. 29 from the speedway. The stadium-style facility has nearly 14,000 seats and plays host to Dirt Late Models, Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Monster Trucks and the prestigious World of Outlaws World Finals.
• Corporations such as Lowe’s Home Improvement, Coca-Cola, Sprint and Nationwide have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides.
• Motion pictures such as “Days of Thunder,” “Speedway,” “Stroker Ace” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence’s “If the Good Die Young” have been filmed at the speedway. In 2006, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the first motorsports facility to host the world premiere of a major motion picture. More than 30,000 fans along with stars such as Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy were on hand for the debut of “CARS,” an animated hit from Disney/Pixar. Additional rental dates are reserved for race team testing and automobile manufacturer research.
• Charlotte Motor Speedway also annually presents two of the nation’s largest car shows and swap meets, the Charlotte Auto Fair in April and September. With track rentals and events, the speedway is used more than 300 days per year for all of its attractions, which includes Speedway Christmas – a holiday-themed light show spanning three miles over the speedway’s infield, grandstands and concourse which in 2017 attracted a record 120,000 cars from mid-November through Dec. 31.
• The track added a new garage area for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a state-of-the-art media center and additional restrooms and showers for use by those enjoying the action from the speedway’s infield. In 2012, the speedway opened first-of-its-kind corporate hospitality in the infield. Six elevated Pit Road Suites, located directly behind pit road, offer fans the best view in motorsports, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.
• Charlotte Motor Speedway added the Bellagio of drag strips to its complex with the completion of zMAX Dragway in 2008. The state-of-the-art facility has been praised as the finest drag racing facility in the world by both fans and competitors alike, and opened to a sellout crowd of more than 30,000 for the NHRA Carolina Nationals in September 2008.
• Building on the basic philosophy of putting fans first, Charlotte Motor Speedway continues to be the world’s leader in entertainment within its unrivaled motorsports complex.
• In 2011, the speedway revamped its Fan Zone, a paved, 10-acre area located right outside the speedway’s main entrance. During major events, the Fan Zone provides fans with hours of fun, from the Fanatics NASCAR merchandise tents to interactive games and displays and the Play Zone, a kid-friendly area with bounce houses, face painters and a petting zoo.
• That same year, Charlotte Motor Speedway revolutionized the fan experience by installing the world’s largest HDTV along the backstretch of the legendary superspeedway. At an incredible length of 200 feet wide, standing 80 feet tall and weighing 165,000 pounds, the video board covers an expansive 16,000 square feet. Fans seated throughout the frontstretch from Turn 4 to Turn 1 have clear viewing angles of the gigantic board that features 720P high-definition visuals illuminated by more than nine million light emitting diode, or LED, lamps.
• Charlotte Motor Speedway ushered in a new chapter of its illustrious history in 2018, when the 2.28-mile, 17-turn ROVAL™ road course oval debuted in the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. The unique circuit hosted the first road course race in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Featuring twisting, left-right turns, chicanes on the frontstretch and backstretch and a 45-foot elevation change, the ROVAL™ quickly gained a reputation as one of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks. It remains the only road course in NASCAR in which race fans can see every turn from the main grandstands.
• Since its inception in 1960, Charlotte Motor Speedway has always put fans first. After more than six decades of innovative firsts in entertainment and fan engagement, the speedway known as America’s Home for Racing continues to be an iconic trailblazer in sports, entertainment and fan amenities.