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NASCAR adds tire packs to Charlotte Roval ahead of playoff elimination races

JHby: Jonathan Howard10/02/25Jondean25
Denny Hamlin track limits Roval
Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The NASCAR Playoffs head to the Charlotte Roval this weekend, and officials are once again using tire packs around the track. This is something that NASCAR started to do more of this season. It helps police the racing, but keep it rough and tumble, stock car road course racing.

While the tire barriers have worked at other tracks this season, the Roval has a peculiar history with barriers. Drivers have found some way or another to make serious contact with just about every track policing barrier that NASCAR has put on the track. At least, it feels that way.

Since its inception, the Roval has been known for these incidents in the turns. Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports took a walk around the track. He noted the tire pack on the frontstretch chicane. The turtles also seem to be similar, if not the exact same, as last season. A good height that should deter drivers from getting near them.

Pockrass also noted another small tire barrier. It is in the turn exiting the infield and going onto the oval portion of the track.

Last season, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports changed the layout of the Roval. hey modified Turns 5, 6, and 7. Turns 16 and 17 also had slight modifications. Last year, we saw these areas as passing zones. Drivers were willing to ship it in there to make a move on others.

So, how will these tire barriers interfere with drivers attempting to make moves in these turns? We will have to see how drivers handle it in practice and qualifying first. Then we will see how it races. NASCAR at the Roval almost always delivers on the drama and chaos.

NASCAR heads to Roval for tripleheader weekend

Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series action this weekend. The Truck Series has been challenged this season with a healthy load of road course racing. They will be the Guinea pigs for the tire barriers and turtles. But with the series not really being familiar with the track, it might not be that big of a deal.

As for the Xfinity and Cup Series races, those will tell us what we need to know. The Xfinity Series has raced at the Roval through these changes. So, the drivers who have seen the track before will have some preconceived notions that might not be true anymore.

The NASCAR race at the Roval for Xfinity and Cup serves as the elimination race for the Round of 12. After this, each series will only have eight drivers remaining for their respective championship battles. Things are geting intense as the weeks count down to Phoenix.