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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – SEPTEMBER 20: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2025 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
This weekend, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval will host its first triple NASCAR header since the 2.28 mile and 17-turn road course came to be in 2018.
While the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series have raced it before, it will be the first time NCTS teams experience the layout. NCS and NXS races will determine the Round of 8 as four drivers from each series face elimination from the Playoffs. This is the first Round of 8 race for the Trucks.
One driver who doesn’t seem to be relishing the Roval action is defending NCS Champion Joey Logano.
Rather See the Oval instead of Roval
Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford come into this race eighth in Playoff points just 13 markers above the cut line. In his previous seven Roval starts, the three-time champion has zero wins, two top five and six top 10 finishes.
When asked which CMS track he would prefer, especially during the Playoffs, Logano made his choice very clear.
“If you’re asking me would I rather run a road course or an oval, I would pick an oval,” Logano said. “It’s a road course. There are lefts and rights and there happens to be banking on two of the turns.
“Personally, I’m too close to the fire to answer that. It’s kind of what fans think is best is probably going be what we do anyways.”
SVG Could be a Playoff Spoiler
It is no secret Shane Van Gisbergen has ruled the roost on road courses this year. All four of his victories have taken place at them and he’s an easy favorite to repeat again. If he does, it would be his first Roval win and could affect Playoff eligible driver’s standings, or advancement.
Already eliminated from championship contention, SVG and the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team are left to chase trophies.
“I’m excited, I always enjoy turning right,” Shane Van Gisbergen said with a laugh. “It’s a track I’ve been too before, and I did decent there last year in both Cup and Xfinity.
“It’s definitely a little different than your average road course, but it’s a lot of fun. Hopefully it will be a great weekend.”
Ross Chastain Looking Up to Get In
Chastain and the No. 1 Chevrolet team of Trackhouse Racing are 13 points behind Logano and below the cut line. They will definitely be keeping an eye on the No. 22 during the 109-lap race knowing they have to control their own destiny. They’ll also be watching their teammate in road course winner SVG.
Stage points and a good finish are paramount for their success.
“Phil Surgen (crew chief) and the guys get to figure out how to get stage points and set ourselves up for the end of the race,” Chastain said. “A lot of it depends on speed. If we’re fast enough to battle with SVG, then we don’t care as much about stage points because we’re fast and we just go win the race.”
Practice and qualifying for the NCS Roval race takes place on Saturday, with a 3 p.m. ET start time on Sunday. You can watch it on USA TV and hear it on PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.
Tim Packman Tim Packman is a journalist for Heavy.com covering NASCAR. He grew up around the short tracks of Western New York watching his dad, stepdad and step brother race. His uncle was the head starter at many area tracks and member of the FOAR Score Hall of Fame.
Tim’s passion for racing took him to the announcer’s tower and writing program stories for multiple tracks in the area, namely Lancaster National Speedway. In 2000, he moved to Mooresville, NC to become an award-winning journalist for NASCAR.com. He took a job with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. as the team’s Communications Director and was part of two Daytona 500 wins and two NASCAR Championships.
The announcing experience led to becoming a Pit Reporter and News Director for MRN Radio. A return to the team side at Richard Childress Racing as the Director of Corporate Communications took place, which also included another Championship.
From 2015 to 2018, Tim returned to where his career began in 1994 – Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway – as the Track President. He earned Short Track Promoter of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017.
Upon returning to NC, he joined The Garage Shop as Communications Director and host of it’s Podcast and MAV-TV docuseries “Legacy of Speed” talking about Land Speed Racing at Bonneville, and other places.
Tim has hosted two other Podcasts, namely “Pub Table Racers,” and wrote three books. One was with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison titled, “Bobby Allison, a Racer’s Racer” and two Children’s books, “Funny Dan the Race Car Man” and “Petey the Pace Car.”
He also served in the US Navy. More about Tim Packman
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