As the NASCAR playoffs heat up, Joey Logano faces a crucial race at the newly revamped ROVAL. It’s hard to picture the playoffs without Logano, who has finished in the Cup Series top 8 in eight of the last ten years. However, with the next race approaching, he finds himself in 9th place and under pressure as this is a cutoff race. The two-time champion is eager to keep his championship hopes alive at the ROVAL.
Since its debut in 2018, ROVAL has gained a reputation for chaos, and recent changes have intensified that unpredictability. Now 2.32 miles long—up from 2.28 miles—the track features a wider Turn 1, creating exciting passing opportunities. While Turns 2, 3, 4, and 5 remain unchanged, the most significant alterations are to Turns 6 and 7. Turn 6 is now a right-hander leading into a hairpin. Turn 7 was previously a tight left-hander. These changes promise to elevate the stakes for drivers, making the ROVAL a must-watch race.
Joey Logano feels the ROVAL changes will create drama
With the rest of the road course being similar to before, except for the backstretch chicane, which has an extra turn, drivers will look to capitalize on the familiar zones and lock in on the tantalizing turns. These minor tweaks, as well as major changes at the ROVAL, have been the talking point for all drivers leading up to this race. With the 28-car pile-up on Talladega still on the back of everyone’s minds, will the ROVAL cause more havoc?
The new track was designed to make passing zones easier, and Joey Logano feels the changes will take some getting used to. “It will definitely be a curveball as we try to figure out where the speed is, how to race around it passing all those type of things so we’ll see when we get out there hopefully we carry some good speed around this place to qualify solid today,” said Joey Logano as he spoke to Stephen Stumpf for Frontstretch in Charlotte.
