If the Xfinity Series race in the Charlotte Roval was any indication, Cup Series drivers need to be wary ahead of Sunday’s race. The reconfigured sections on the track pulled a lot of the second-tier drivers into wrecks. One of the most significant of them came six laps before the end of stage two.
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The sharper Turn 16 made it tough for Riley Herbst and Anthony Alfredo to battle through, and the cars that were running behind them were compromised as a result. Sheldon Creed and Herbst saw themselves out of the playoff picture at the end of the chaos. Turn 7 was expected to be the most dangerous of the lot but the pile-up proved that there are other such sections as well.
Creed believes that all the track updates were done with the sole purpose of manufacturing accidents. He told the press, “I think that’s the idea of the new Roval. They wanted chaos and dumb mistakes like that to happen. The track used to have a lot of flow and be kind of fun. It was hard to pass, still is hard to pass but now it’s just like choppy.”
“I think that’s the idea of the new ROVAL, they wanted chaos and dumb mistakes like that to happen.”
-Sheldon Creed caught up in a pileup on the frontstretch at the Charlotte ROVAL: #NASCAR
@stephen_stumpf pic.twitter.com/yUsXboENTW
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) October 12, 2024
If it truly is still difficult to pass, that is a concern for NASCAR. The new Turns 7 and 16 were included solely to make life easier for drivers who wanted to make passes. It could be that Creed’s car was battling issues of its own, which is why the driver found things hard. The Cup Series drivers will hope that is the case and that overtaking in the braking zones isn’t much of an issue.
Will Shane van Gisbergen play a big role in the Cup Series race?
The Cup Series playoff drivers will also have to worry about Shane van Gisbergen during Sunday’s race. The Kiwi swept qualifying and earned the pole in both the Cup and Xfinity races. Saturday’s race did not go to plan for the motorsports veteran. A pit strategy decision did not work out in his favor and he finished P3. That is a good result but he was eliminated from the playoffs.
The No. 97 driver was visibly disappointed after the race and he will look to make things right on Sunday. That’s what makes him dangerous. If SVG is in the mood to dominate a road course race, nothing apart from a pit-stop error or a wreck can stop him.
It has been a tough few weeks for the future Trackhouse Racing driver. He has not won a single Cup Series race yet this season. Sunday will be his final opportunity and he will be sure to do his very best.
