NASCAR now turns the page to the Charlotte Roval for the third and final elimination race of the Round of 12, the first road course test of this year’s playoffs. Eight drivers will punch their ticket to the next round, but some of the sport’s biggest names sit on the chopping block, including Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Austin Cindric.
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For the bottom four, it’s a fight for survival. For the rest, it’s a battle to hold serve. And for those outside the playoff hunt, there’s still plenty at stake with a chance to grab a win and cash.
As veteran NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass updated on his official X handle, the Cup purse for this weekend totals $9,797,935, covering payouts, positions, contingency awards, year-end points funds, and charter distributions.
Purses for Charlotte road course weekend, including all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, contribution to year-end points fund. For Cup, includes all charter payouts:
Cup: $9,797,935
Xfinity: $1,651,939
Truck: $782,900
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 1, 2025
Last year’s Cup race winner took home $8,056,677. The Xfinity purse stands at $1,651,939, with a slight rise compared to last year’s $1,419,755, while the Truck Series purse holds steady at $782,900.
Past and present favorites at Charlotte Roval
In last year’s Roval showdown, Kyle Larson wrestled the lead at Stage 2’s restart and never looked back, pacing 62 of the final 82 laps on the 2.28-mile, 17-turn circuit. That victory mirrored his commanding Bristol win in the Round of 16. So, he might be the driver to look forward to, given his recent not-so-good performances.
It was also the race where Alex Bowman’s disqualification for a car-weight infraction opened the door for Joey Logano to slip into the Round of 8, a break that ultimately carried him to the 2022 Cup title.
By the numbers, Shane van Gisbergen enters as a clear favorite. He’s won four of five road course starts this year, and with steady gains on ovals, a Roval victory doesn’t seem far-fetched despite his playoff exit in the Round of 16.
Chase Elliott will be the one many would bet on, too. Riding momentum from last weekend’s Kansas victory, he boasts an average finish of 7.7 at the Roval with two career wins. Tyler Reddick remains another strong contender, posting an average finish of 7.8 across five starts, underlined by one top-five and three top-10 runs.
