NASCAR’s Commitment to the Chaotic Road Course Finally Bears Fruit With a Boost During Playoffs

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Roval lived up to its billing. Even before the drivers ran the practice laps before the main event, the newly reconfigured road course was mired in controversy. But amidst the chaos and some questionable calls by the NASCAR officials, the race delivered some thrilling moments and edge-of-the-seat entertainment.

It being the last race of the Round of 12 stage, drivers like Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, and Joey Logano were up against the task. The clear picture of how the top 8 drivers will line up next weekend only became clear after the last lap of the race. Fans in the grandstands were treated to a spectacle of NASCAR racing, and this positive uptick was felt among those watching the race live from the comfort of their homes too.

A good uptick in viewership count at Roval

Road course races aren’t usually a hit with hardcore NASCAR fans, who prefer the thrill of traditional ovals. But NASCAR is leaning into road racing to attract new audiences. What used to be a couple of exhibition events has grown into 4-6 point races per season in the Cup Series. Judging by last Sunday’s viewership, this strategy seems to be gradually paying off as it reaches fresh fan bases.

• Ever since the rollout of the Next Gen car, the Roval race saw a declining trend in viewership.
• In 2022, 2.390 million was the average viewership; the very next year, it dipped further below 2.280 million. However, for the first time in the Gen-7 era, the Roval race has picked up good numbers. Kyle Larson winning his 6th Cup Series win saw an average viewership of 2.419.

Jordan Bianchi took to X and shared more in-depth data points on this upward trend. “Per NASCAR, Sunday’s playoff race at the Roval had a 1.35 household rating with an average of 2.42 million viewers. This marks the most-watched Roval race since 2021. For the six playoff races overall in 2024, ratings are up 6 percent year-over-year.”

However, these weren’t the only updates from the Cup race at Roval. During the post-race inspection, NASCAR found the #48 car to be underweight and disqualified the team, resulting in their elimination from the playoffs.

More drama and a setback for HMS unfolded after the end of the playoff race at Roval

Joey Logano had accepted his fate of not advancing further in the competition despite a decent day ending with a P8 finish. Racing in the top five places, he was up against the likes of A.J. Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen and eventually had to concede against their road racing prowess. Meanwhile, his direct rival Tyler Reddick kept on gaining spots and eventually found a way to come back after a hard hit earlier in the race.

It looked like Hendrick Motorsports would be a dominant force in the Round of 8 with a sheer number advantage. This was until NASCAR dropped the hammer on the #48 team and Alex Bowman after they failed the tech inspection. The #48 Chevy was underweight, and despite multiple opportunities, the team couldn’t meet the required criteria. And, although it felt like Hendrick Motorsports would appeal this decision, they surprisingly decided to accept their fate and thus revived Logano’s chances to compete for the title.

“NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre- and post-race weight. After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement. Although unintentional, the infraction was avoidable. We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners.” This was the statement from Hendrick Motorsports.

After the twists and turns of the Roval, the NASCAR Cup Series will be headed back to its traditional oval next week. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway will kickstart the Round of 8 races, followed by Miami Homestead and Martinsville.