With just a few weeks remaining before the 2026 Daytona 500, NASCAR continues to make groundbreaking changes that will alter the course of the season. The Charlotte Motor Speedway is expected to move its fall race from the Roval road-course layout to the popular intermediate-sized oval, and this has caused quite a stir on social media.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. was caught in this whirlwind revelation that was first reported by The Athletic. Dale Jr. wrote on X that the Roval will always be there and that they can go back to it whenever they want to. The intermediate, on the other hand, has been performing well lately, and he sees no reason why they shouldn’t take advantage of that momentum.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer further added, “One may complain about the lack of road courses in the chase. It makes zero difference to me either way.”
The fall playoff race was first moved to the Roval back in 2018. The early races were celebrated by fans for their high entertainment factor. But with the introduction of the Next Gen car, road course racing took a hit, and the Roval did too.
With little of the original novelty remaining, Dale Jr. strongly believes it is time for things to go back to the way they once were. The same has happened with the playoff format. The hype around the elimination-style system has died down, and the sport is now reverting to the Chase format for 2026.
As much as Dale Jr. is respected and loved by fans, not all of his opinions are accepted without counterarguments. More than a few fans believe he may not be entirely right in his stance on the Roval’s removal.
One fan questioned, “Why have 4-5 road courses in the regular season points, but none in the chase? They want to make a spectacle of Chicago Street Race, Mexico City, and San Diego, but in the Chase, they throw all of those things out? Can NASCAR drivers not handle the trickiness of turning left and right for a championship?”
Why have 4-5 road courses in the regular season points, but none in the chase? They want to make a spectacle of Chicago Street Race, Mexico City and San Diego, but in the chase they throw all of those things out? Can NASCAR drivers not handle the trickiness of turning left and…
— The JaMoke (@TheJaMokeOne) January 26, 2026
It became abundantly clear last season that no Cup Series driver can match the expertise of Shane van Gisbergen on road courses. With Connor Zilisch gaining promotion to the top tier this season, he alone might prove to be a challenge to van Gisbergen. But it would take a huge upset for any of the other drivers to reach Victory Lane on road courses.
This apparent difference could be a reason why the promotion didn’t want to add a road course to the Chase. Another fan opined, “I think the chase still needs a road course. The chase should include one of each course like superspeedway short tracks etc. and of course a road course.”
One more added, “You have 10……… TEN playoff races. Every track type should be represented.” It is unclear whether the Roval will come back into the fold in the future. For now, however, it looks like the drivers who don’t love racing on road courses can breathe a sigh of relief.
