NASCAR President issues statement as Charlotte Roval officially dropped from schedule

NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell has reiterated the series' desire to listen to the fans as the Charlotte Motor Speedway made a major announcement regarding the Roval.

After reports that the Roval was set to be removed from the NASCAR schedule last week, it is now official - the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again be held on the oval.

Traditionally, the Cup Series races twice at the track per season, in May for the Coca-Cola 600 and then later in the year in the fall.

Since 2018, the fall race has been run on the Roval, a hybrid layout combining elements of the oval with a section similar to that of a road course. However, fans have been calling for a return to a more traditional NASCAR layout.

NASCAR fans heard as Charlotte Roval dropped

With today's announcement, NASCAR is listening, and that was reiterated by O'Donnell in his statement.

“The voice of the passionate NASCAR fan is the starting point of every decision we make, and Marcus, Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR heard them loud and clear – with the return of The Chase, let’s return to the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said O’Donnell.

“As The Chase returns, we are putting a spotlight on performance while honoring the tracks and traditions that have defined championship moments.

"Charlotte Motor Speedway’s historic oval has played a central role in some of the sport’s most memorable races, so bringing The Chase back to the 1.5-mile configuration for our fans simply felt right.”

'Legendary' oval

Elsewhere, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, the owners of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Marcus Smith added: “Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been about innovations and opportunity.

“The Roval delivered dramatic racing when many fans were calling for a road course in the playoffs. Now there’s an energy around the return of The Chase and fans are seeing the excitement that oval racing continues to generate on mile-and-a-half tracks.

"This feels like the time to bring the fall race back to the legendary oval at a place where NASCAR history is made every year.”