NASCAR has been racing at the Charlotte ROVAL since 2018 due to a lack of road courses and poor competition on 1.5-mile tracks. However, the NextGen car’s strength on 1.5-mile tracks and the addition of road courses has changed the opinions of many in the industry. In fact, one of those people happens to be former NASCAR driver [autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag]
With the 2025 NASCAR schedule becoming more of a topic, Earnhardt went on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, and gave his opinion on the Charlotte ROVAL. If it were up to Earnhardt, NASCAR would not return to the road course layout.
“I was never a fan of the (Charlotte ROVAL),” Earnhardt said. “Listen, me and (CEO of Speedway Motorsports Marcus Smith) are pals, but I’ve told him in person to his face. I’m like, ‘Hey, not gonna love that one’. Fans love it. That’s, if you love the ROVAL, I don’t know, that’s great, I don’t know control what the schedule is but I won’t miss it if it goes away.”
REPOST TO CONGRATULATE AJ ALLMENDINGER ON HIS CHARLOTTE ROVAL WIN! https://t.co/YVb4q95mjF pic.twitter.com/tJkQjQZ92H
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 8, 2023
“I think that Marcus is smart, he’ll shelf the Roval and take advantage of the popularity that the Next-Gen cars have on the mile-and-a-halfs. I feel like, you know, we got the ROVAL because of how bad the product was at Charlotte. It’s terrible, and so you know, he had to do something. And the Roval was good out of the gate, the same way in which racing at the Coliseum was cool the first time, but for me, after one or two, I’m done.”
This isn’t the first time that Earnahrdt has expressed his desire for the second oval date to return for Charlotte Motor Speedway. It makes the most sense as NASCAR now has Watkins Glen International in the playoffs, with the NextGen car having its biggest strength on 1.5-mile tracks. It may not be coming, but Earnhardt wouldn’t miss the Charlotte ROVAL.
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