CONCORD, N.C. — Charlotte Motor Speedway officials announced on Sunday a reconfiguration of the 17-turn, 2.28-mile ROVAL prior to the Oct. 13 Bank of America ROVAL 400.
Included in the reconfiguration, crews will extend the straight-away coming out of turn five and create a new turn six, sending the field toward a much sharper hairpin in turn seven. On the frontstretch, a sharper apex in turn 16 of the final chicane will be created.
The circuit will still feature 17 total turns and a length of approximately 2.28 miles with 35 feet of elevation change.
“Two distinct braking zones are going to really help the competition and provide great overtaking opportunities,” said Marcus Smith, the President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “One of the biggest things we’ve heard is about off-throttle time in oval racing. In road-course racing, you want as much of an opportunity as possible for a driver to play with the brake pedal, the gas pedal and the steering wheel.
“That’s what a well-designed track is going to provide — those overtaking opportunities — and that’s what we’ve done today.”
Ryan Blaney, the winner of the inaugural Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 in 2018, echoed Smith’s sentiments.
“The heaviest braking zone out there is going to be turn seven,” Blaney said. “You’re going to see a lot of good passes there, as far as people getting runs, diving it in there and taking chances. I thought that corner was tight the way it was before, but it’s going to be even tighter now.
“It’s going to be really exciting. Drivers like change, if it’s for a better show and for better racing that it produces. I think they’ve done that here today.”