On Sunday afternoon, prior to the start of the Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway announced changes to the track layout to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 later this season.
The track will remain a 17-turn course, and will have an appoximate track length of 2.28-miles, but the course will see the apex of the frontstretch chicane pushed out to create a much sharper right handed turn (Turn 16) heading into the frontstraightaway of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Additionally, the blind right-hand turn, which had been a portion of the infield section of the road course since it was placed onto the schedule, will be removed in favor of a new left-handed hairpin, which will lead into the high-banked Turn 1 of the CMS oval, as the new Turn 7.
According to Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, the layout was tweaked in an effort to create additional braking zones to help encourage additional passing around the 17-turn course. Smith says that Speedway Motorsports took advice from several drivers, including the legendary Mario Andretti, which led to the decision on the new track layout.
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 will serve as the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 12. The race is slated for Sunday, October 13 and will air on NBC at 2:00 PM ET.
