Charlotte Roval ‘Stop-and-Go’ Rule: Insider Breaks Down NASCAR’s Chicane Penalty Amid Drivers’ Brimming Repave Fears

“Without rules, we are nothing but animals. With Talladega proving just how situations can turn chaotic within the splits of a second and Charlotte Roval being the next race on the calendar, the governing body thought it would be important to re-establish the rules after recent controversies.

The DVP rule put NASCAR under fire from almost all directions, and to avoid such a situation, there has been an announcement. Road course races play out quite differently compared to the oval tracks, and with that, the rules are different too.

NASCAR’s updated road course rules

Unlike oval tracks, road course races have multiple turns and chicanes, making it a unique experience for NASCAR fans. To ensure there are no discrepancies with the rules, NASCAR decided to implement corner-cutting rules, and inspiration has been taken from how F1 and IndyCar operate their races. While NASCAR is synonymous with its oval tracks, the road course circuits mix things up for teams. Drivers who have entered NASCAR from different disciplines have a chance to outshine the Oval racers while bringing uniqueness to the stock racing experience.

For the Roval race, where the drivers will encounter quick turns and chicanes, NASCAR wanted to make it clear that they will not tolerate corner-cutting. Bob Pockrass becomes the messenger in this situation as he uploaded a post on X captioned, “Here are the cutting chicane stop-and-go rules for the Charlotte road course.”

In the post, there is a video where NASCAR is explaining all the possible penalties that drivers can get while taking on the Charlotte Roval. The narrator in the video explained, “Vehicles must run the full course at all times. Going straight at the chicane may result in a stop-and-go penalty in an assigned location for the violation.” Giving everyone a better idea of the stop-and-go penalty, NASCAR further explained, “If a vehicle goes straight in the back straight chicane, the vehicle must perform the stop-and-go prior to exiting the back straight chicane or on the apron, driver’s left, prior to the start/finish line.” 

Different locations were assigned to drivers for the stop-and-go penalty, and as NASCAR explained, “On the lap the violation is announced, if the vehicle goes straight in the front straight chicane, the vehicle must perform the stop-and-go on the apron, driver’s left, prior to the start/finish line, or driver’s right at the back straight chicane.”

What defines the track limits? Similar to open-wheel racing formats such as F1, if all four of the car’s wheels go beyond the red and white line, it will be judged as violating the track limits. This is a massive change, considering motorsports such as IndyCar and F1 feature cars with much higher downforce when it comes to taking corners at high speeds. Since NASCAR’s cars lack the necessary downforce, drivers need to slow down their cars to ensure make the apex without getting a penalty.

However, as we have seen sometimes in other motorsports, drivers are too charged with adrenalin to stop their car, and if they happen to drive off during the stop-and-go, NASCAR has that figured out too. “If the stop-and-go is not performed by the vehicle prior to exiting the designated penalty assessment location, the vehicle may be assessed a pass-through penalty. If the violation occurs in the closing laps of the race and there is not enough time to assess the pass-through penalty, a post-race time penalty of 30 seconds will be assessed to the vehicle’s total time.”

Now, these changes may come as a welcome sight for most NASCAR drivers, particularly Denny Hamlin. He feared with the changes made to the track, the chicanes were ripe for drivers to cut through and gain advantages. While some fans may find this to be just hard-racing, last weekend showed just how damaging even small errors can be. With the narrow Turn 7 hairpin, a small moment can change the course of the entire race, and this penalty might just discourage that.

The rules of the Roval have had a change, but that did not come about without some modifications to the track too.

What changes have been made to the Charlotte Roval?

Making the Roval road course track more interesting, NASCAR decided to implement two changes to the track. A new hairpin turn has been introduced as turn 7, and turn 16 has been made sharper. These changes drastically affect how drivers plan their races as the new additions bring about more overtaking opportunities. Having a hairpin turn often means drama, as there are expectations for cars to get wrecked on the 16 as drivers have not had enough practice on the modified track.

Chase Briscoe came forward to talk about the changes on the track and it’s safe to say that he is excited to get behind the wheel and see how it goes. Explaining his point of view, Briscoe stated, “I definitely think it’s going to race way better. It’s going to create more passing zones, it’s going to create more chaos too, which I think is always exciting from a fan’s standpoint. I do think it’s going to race really, really good.”

With a modified track and updated rules, fans are in for a treat at the Roval. Remembering how many wrecks took place at The Glen, fans only hope that they see similar action in the upcoming race. With that said, what do you think of all the changes that NASCAR is implementing at the Roval? Share your thoughts in the comments below.