RACE RESULTS: Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte ROVAL

Using an average of rankings between Racing America On SI’s Joseph Srigley, Toby Christie, and Zach Evans, here’s where all 36 full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers stand heading into this weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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1. Christopher Bell

The ‘Round of 8’ is as strong as it’s ever been in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and Christopher Bell is at the top of the heap. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is strong on every type of racetrack, and could realistically find himself winning his way into the Championship 4, or if all else fails, being strong enough to get in via his points position. A third-place run at the Charlotte ROVAL will definitely be some helpful momentum. (Previously: 1st)

2. Chase Elliott

He’s not the dominant force he once was at road courses, but Chase Elliott exited the Roval with a solid eighth-place result, and without a list of people mad at him. When you go into the elimination race, already locked into the next round, that’s a decent day. (Previously: 2nd)

3. Kyle Larson

Man, Kyle Larson aggressively took the fight to Shane van Gisbergen in the late stages of the race. Ultimately, it mattered little as SVG cruised to his fifth road race win of the year, but for a brief moment, it looked like Larson could repeat as the winner of the Roval. (Previously: 7th)

4. Chase Briscoe

Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte ROVAL was the first NASCAR Cup Series playoff event where Chase Briscoe didn’t finish inside the top-10, scoring a 14th-place result. Keeping the speed the No. 19 team has had all season will be key to making the Championship 4. (Previously: 3rd)

5. Ryan Blaney

Stage two winner Ryan Blaney battled to a 13th-place finish in spite of taking the stage win instead of flipping the script to end the stage. It was a playoff point up for grabs, which may come in handy in the Round of 8 for the Team Penske driver. (Previously: 5th)

6. William Byron

Nothing flashy. Nothing spectacular. But William Byron is on to the Round of 8 with an 11th-place finish at the Roval. (Previously: 6th)

7. Denny Hamlin

It’s been a strange three weeks for Denny Hamlin; first the tussle with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs, then the last-lap move on 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace that drew controversy, and then this week, to get caught up in a last-lap incident with Ross Chastain — but not being told that Chastain would be desperate for that position — makes for a puzzling road forward for the 59-time NASCAR Cup Series race-winner. (Previously: 4th)

8. Tyler Reddick

After starting on the pole, Tyler Reddick finished 10th on Sunday, leading three laps and finishing second in stage two. It was a strong showing, but not enough to keep his playoff hopes alive on an already trying week for the Reddick family. (Previously: 9th)

9. Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher knows what he’s doing on road courses. Another solid run, a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s race at the Roval, shows that once again. Maybe Buescher can keep gaining momentum to hit the ground running strong in 2026. (Previously: 13th)

10. Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell picked up his third top-five of the season on Sunday, finishing fifth after starting sixth. All three of the top-fives have come on the road courses, no surprise for the veteran McDowell. (Previously: 15th)

11. Bubba Wallace

On any other day, Bubba Wallace would probably be thrilled to finish 15th after starting 12th at a road course. With what was on the line – and following the Kansas disappointment – however, it means Wallace’s championship hopes are over. (Previously: 10th)

12. Joey Logano

Survive and advance. It wasn’t an impressive day for Joey Logano, as he finihed 20th at the Roval. However, it was enough to move him on to the Round of 8, where the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will hope for some more playoff magic. (Previously: 8th)

13. Shane Van Gisbergen

Surprise, surprise. Shane Van Gisbergen captured the victory in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, his fifth victory of the season. The Trackhouse Racing driver was dominant, again, and although we all expected this, it’s still worth some momentum as SVG tackles four oval tracks to finish the season — Las Vegas, Talladega, Martinsville, and Phoenix. (Previously: 19th)

14. Ryan Preece

It’s not even a surprise anymore to see Ryan Preece near the top of the scoring sheet on a road course. The driver has found something at this style of tracks since moving to RFK Racing this year, and it continued with a sixth-place run on Sunday. (Previously: 16th)

15. Ross Chastain

Things were looking so good for Ross Chastain in the closing stages of Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400, sitting multiple points above the cutline. But, as his tires began to wear and the Busch Light Chevrolet began losing spots, it came down to one position on the final lap of the race — which Chastain then attempted to recklessly get back in the final corner — that left him out of the fight for the championship. (Previously: 11th)

16. Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski was a very big piece of the RFK Racing contingent running near the front all race long. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue ended his race shy of the finish, and he came home 35th. (Previously: 12th)

17. Ty Gibbs

Honestly, Sunday was a very uncharacteristic afternoon for Ty Gibbs on a road course, coming home with a 12th-place finish. Nothing super incredible, but for a driver who was taking the fight to SVG on multiple occasions earlier this year, kind of disappointing. (Previously: 21st)

18. Alex Bowman

Alex Bowman was able to navigate around the last-lap chaos involving Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain, but only mustered an 18th-place finish in a race that ultimately ended his Playoff hopes last year. (Previously: 18th)

19. Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland has seemingly returned to form these last three weeks, collecting a third straight top-20 finish for the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops machine. Gilliland was in the hunt for a top-15, and seemingly played a role in the post-season fight — to which Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion, had some choice words for him on the radio. (Previously: 20th)

20. Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar made news to start the weekend with his post on Facebook celebrating his purchase (some conditions may apply) of a Chili’s restaurant. He also made news on Sunday with a couple of on-track incidents, including his involvement in the crash that unceremoniously ended Austin Cindric’s playoff bid. (Previously: 14th)

21. AJ Allmendinger

AJ Allmendinger finished ninth, although in dramatic fashion. After Daniel Suarez missed the final turn on the final lap, the two drivers collided, and Allmendinger threw his car into reverse to save a top-10 finish. (Previously: 30th)

22. Erik Jones

 He fought and he fought and he fought some more. Erik Jones finished 31st, but the tech gods worked in his favor as Riley Herbst was DQed, which allowed the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver to secure a top-30 finish. I doubt he’ll be celebrating it, though. (Previously: 17th)

23. Josh Berry

Josh Berry finished 16th on Sunday, nearly matching his best road course finish of 13th at Sonoma. It wasn’t a flashy showing, but considering his lack of road course prowess and, well, how unfortunate his postseason has been, this has to be seen as a solid outing. (Previously: 29th)

24. Daniel Suarez

It’s been a tough stretch for Daniel Suarez as his tenure with Trackhouse Racing comes to an end four weeks from Sunday, but a top-10 finish is 100% what the No. 99 team needs to finish off a long-standing partnership. Never mind the small transgression on the final lap. (Previously: 34th)

25. Noah Gragson

Finishing 28th is a bit disappointing for Noah Gragson and Front Row Motorsports after having top-10 speed in Saturday’s practice. However, the plus is that Gragson wasn’t involved in any mishaps or incidents on Sunday, something that has plagued the team all throughout 2025. (Previously: 23rd)

26. Zane Smith

Zane Smith wasn’t seen or talked about much during Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte ROVAL, which I’m sure is preferable to flipping down the banking in Turn 4, like Smith did at Kansas Speedway. P24 is a solid and quiet afternoon. (Previously: 28th)

27. Justin Haley

Justin Haley spent some time inside the top 10 on Sunday at the Roval, but a slow final pit stop dropped him to 25th in the final running order. Haley had a strong showing at Las Vegas in the spring and hopes to repeat that next week. (Previously: 27th)

28. Kyle Busch

New crew chief, same old bad luck. Kyle Busch’s day was essentially over before it ever had a chance to begin. In the end, the driver of the No. 8 car finished 34th, nine laps down. (Previously: 22nd)

29. John Hunter Nemechek

It was a rough outing for John Hunter Nemechek, who finished as the last driver on the lead lap Sunday at the Charlotte Roval. Still, 26th place was better than his teammate this week. (Previously: 25th)

30. Cole Custer

Y’know, don’t sleep on Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team. Yes, they’re switching manufacturers at the end of this season (going to Chevrolet), but the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse has rallied off three straight finishes of 24th or better. (Previously: 32nd)

31. Austin Dillon

Tires were a driver’s best friend this weekend at the Roval, which was chewing up tires left and right. Austin Dillon tried to take a bite out of the tires himself in an excursion into the tire barriers late in the day. Spoiler: tire barriers always win those battles. (Previously: 26th)

32. Austin Cindric

After a 30th-place finish at Kansas, the Roval was effectively must-win for Austin Cindric. Instead, he finished 36th after a collision with Carson Hocevar early in the race. (Previously: 24th)

33. Ty Dillon

Ty Dillon picked up some stage points in the first stage, and also made some … unique TV time as he flashed past the intense battle for the lead between Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson while on fresh tires. The 27th-place finish was not the hope for the team, but it started well enough. (Previously: 31st)

34. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

It wasn’t an amazing afternoon at the Charlotte ROVAL, but a 19th-place for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and HYAK Motorsports on a road course, and the team’s best finish since Atlanta Motor Speedway in June, has to be worth something, right? (Previously: 35th)

35. Riley Herbst

If finishing 30th wasn’t painful enough for Riley Herbst, he was disqualified following post-race technical inspection for a weight violation. It’s been that kind of rookie season for Herbst. (Previously: 33rd)

36. Cody Ware

Cody Ware began the week tutoring under Joey Hand. He ended the week with a 33rd-place finish. Not the best foot forward, but it wasn’t a last-place finish, either. (Previously: 36th)

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