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Charlotte Motor Speedway announced Tuesday that the fall NASCAR race weekend at the facility will return to its 1.5-mile oval.
Since 2018, the fall weekend has been contested on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, combining the speedway with a twisting infield section. However, as NASCAR's national series return to The Chase to crown 2026 champions, Charlotte Motor Speedway returns to the oval for the Bank of America 400.
“Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been about innovations and opportunity,” said Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “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.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted a 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series event in October of each year from 1960 to 2017 before moving to the ROVAL. The event now returns to the oval for the Bank of America 400 in 2026, taking place on Sunday, October 11.
“For more than 20 years, Bank of America has been proud to put our name on the fall NASCAR event at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Kieth Cockrell, president, Bank of America Charlotte. “The return to oval racing and the Chase format in the Bank of America 400 will generate even more excitement for NASCAR fans this fall, and we are thrilled to continue to be a part of this great Charlotte tradition.”
All three of NASCAR's national series will battle on the 1.5-mile speedway that weekend. The EcoSave 250 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes the green flag at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, October 9. The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series competes in the Blue Cross NC 250 on Saturday, October 10 at 4 p.m. ET.
“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 Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR president.
“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.”
Two full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing with the series in 2026 hold wins on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval during the fall weekend before the move to the ROVAL. Brad Keselowski won the Bank of America 500 in 2013, while Joey Logano claimed the victory in 2015.
“Moving the fall Charlotte race back to the oval really brings the sport back to its roots,” said Keselowski. “That race has so much history, and winning there is a big deal that I’ve been fortunate to do. The racing with the Next Gen car at Charlotte has been some of the best we’ve seen anywhere, and I think putting it back on the oval is going to create an incredible show. It’s the kind of race our fans expect and deserve.”
Chase Briscoe, who won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Blue Cross NC 250 in 2018 to debut the ROVAL, also expressed his support for the move to the oval.
“I am pumped that we will be racing on the oval twice at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2026,” said Briscoe, driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “The ROVAL is a really special track in my career since I won the first race on the configuration, but with how the oval racing has been at Charlotte, I think the fans deserve two races on the track. As a race in The Chase, I think it will be a great event to showcase the best of our sport and still provide great racing for the fans.”
The move also means there will not be a road course as part of NASCAR's return to The Chase in crowing its 2026 champions. NASCAR announced the return of The Chase in January, moving away from its previous Playoffs format.
-Photo credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
