Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway combines the pressure of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with the debut of a reconfigured track.
Those two elements blended together for the first time on Saturday, as America’s best drivers took on the newly configured the 2.28-mile, 17-turn circuit for the first time.
Shane Van Gisbergen, driving the No. 13 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, displayed his substantial road course skill and earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 with a lap of 99.246 mph. Van Gisbergen also won the Drive For The Cure 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race pole earlier Saturday.
“We’ve definitely had a good day,” said Van Gisbergen, who is making his ROVAL™ debut this weekend. “The team has performed strong. Anytime you can get a pole and have the fastest car in qualifying, it’s special.
“It’s not a reconfiguration to me – I don’t know any different.”
Saturday featured the first competition laps at the ROVAL™ since a longer straightaway out of Turn 5, a new Turn 6 and a sharper, hairpin Turn 7 were established on the Charlotte Motor Speedway course.
“I think it’s good they changed it up,” said Ryan Blaney, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and a winner of the inaugural ROVAL event in 2018. “Whenever you add passing zones, that’s good for a race. It’s the same for everybody. It’s going to be different for everyone and it’s just who can adapt to it the quickest.”
Green flag for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 (NBC) is 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Entering the race, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano is 13 points below the advancement cutoff, with Daniel Suarez 20 points behind, Austin Cindric 29 points back and Chase Briscoe trailing by 32 points.
“We’re just looking at it as a must win,” said Briscoe. “You could maybe point your way in, but a lot of things would have to go your way. I think it honestly opens up a lot for us from a strategy standpoint of just going in with the approach of flipping the track position and everything else.
“So yeah, to be below the cut line is obviously unfortunate, but honestly, I would much rather it be 30-something points than 15 just because I think it makes it a little clearer of what you need to do from a strategy standpoint.”
Earlier Saturday, Van Gisbergen led the field in practice with a speed of 98.604 mph.
PRETTY IN PINK
Marking National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this weekend’s distinctive pink window nets, provided by the Erik Jones Foundation, provide awareness and support to survivors and those affected, as well as highlight the importance of early detection.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the window nets on the cars,” Jones said. “It should be a fun couple of days. This is probably one of NASCAR’s most visual [charity] programs.”
Jones’ group took over the philanthropic effort from a Kurt Busch-run organization late last year.
“The reward is the [fund] granting that we can do. We’ve started those discussions already. It makes all the work worth it. There’s some long days and a lot of time put into it. When you hand that grant over it makes it all worthwhile.”
TICKETS:
Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10.
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