The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will get smaller after today. Ther drivers will compete in the Bank in of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the playoff field will dwindle down from 12 to eight. Today’s race will start at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and the NBC Sports App.
Along with the race being an elimination contest, the Bank of America Roval 400 will be the final road-course race of the season. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have dominated the road-course races with two wins apiece. Elliott, the reigning Cup Series Champion, is currently ranked seventh in the playoff standings and needs a big performance to advance.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“I feel like we have just have had a good road course package,” Elliott said per NASCAR.com. “Like I’ve said for years now, I don’t feel like what I do is anything special. I just think we have a good package and Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) has done a really good job of honing in on the things that matter at a road course and we’ve just kind of hit on things that work. When you are a young guy and you come into new situations and the foundation is built there for you, it makes it a lot easier for a guy to learn. I think I came into a great foundation and I was able to really work on myself because we have a solid package and as we improve, the cars and I improve, I think we just landed in a solid place.”
William Bryon is another driver who needs to drive well as he’s on the outside looking in. He’s in 11th place in the playoff standings and knows the Roval presents a lot of challenges with it being a road-course race. “The Roval has always been tough ever since we started racing there,” Byron said.
“I feel like every year it becomes a little bit more normal for us and we’re able to understand the race track a bit more and what to expect. The good thing is that I have the same amount of experience there as most of the field since it is a fairly new track. It’s difficult, though, because I feel like this is a race where there is always a lot more contact throughout the field and you can’t prepare for that other than to be ready for anything at any moment.
