The Charlotte Roval is not a race track that every driver enjoys. Brad Keselowski, for one, wants it off the Cup Series calendar. The RFK Racing co-owner has opined that he’d rather see the North Wilkesboro Speedway gain a points-paying race in its stead. However, a few drivers in the Hendrick Motorsports garage wouldn’t like this.
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The Cup Series has raced at the Roval seven times, and Hendrick Motorsports has won four of them. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have contributed to this, securing two wins each. These drivers led the line for most laps led on the Roval as well. Larson has led 122 laps and Elliott has led 109 laps. So, why does Keselowski want to pull the rug out from under them?
The veteran spoke to the press at North Wilkesboro after winning pole position for Sunday’s All-Star Race. He noted that he’d like to see the All-Star Race return to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. As things stand, the oval track at Charlotte has only one race a year, and he thinks that the lack of a second date is a big miss for the sport.
When a reporter questioned his words by pointing out how the Roval has created some memorable moments in the past, he responded, “Has it really? I look at the stands and more fans come to the oval race and better ratings too, than come to the Roval races. I thought that’s what we judge the sport by. I’m very strong about the Roval has got to go.”
Keselowski is bound to find some support in this contention. The North Wilkesboro Speedway has found a lot of proponents since entering the fold in 2023. Moreover, the conversation is about a road course versus a short-track. The latter will always have an edge, given the core nature of stock car racing.
For now, Keselowski‘s focus will be on winning the $1 million prize money on Sunday. He secured pole position by winning the time trials on Friday. He went on to solidify his chances by winning the first Heat Race on Saturday and led 74 of the total 75 laps.
Notably, the veteran also laid bare the importance of racing on the superior top lane. It is by racing there that he was able to hold off attacks from the likes of Tyler Reddick, William Byron, and Ross Chastain. He’ll aim to take the lead early in the main event and hold it throughout.
