NASCAR Bank of America Roval 400 Recap: SVG and Larson Duke it Out
An incredible road-course battle raged as NASCAR moved one step closer to crowning its 2025 Cup champion.
First things first – it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Shane van Gisbergen won at the Charlotte Roval. What is, perhaps, most surprising, is that his dominance was contested in a very aggressive fashion by Kyle Larson. The beating and banging between these two turned a potential blowout into a compelling race from start to finish.
Larson, of course, is no slouch when it comes to road course racing. He’s no stranger to success at the Roval, either. A pivotal win in his 2021 championship campaign happened at the Roval. On that day, a failed battery made it seem like all hope was lost, but a heroic – and surprisingly fast – fix from his team put him back in contention.
SVG’s continued road course dominance had us wondering how the Round of 8 would have looked had he advanced to the Round of 12. Regardless, the Roval proves once again that it’s a cutoff race to remember. For the second year in a row, Joey Logano snuck his way into the next round, albeit under different circumstances than last year. In a dramatic finish, Ross Chastain – who was competing with Logano for that final playoff spot – drove hard into the final corner, spinning both him and Denny Hamlin, the current #1 seed in the 2025 Playoffs. Both cars finished the race in reverse, but Logano ended up making it through this round of eliminations.
Some big news happened off-track this week, too. Steve O’Donnell, the President of NASCAR, joined Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download. They discussed the future of the sport, as well as the future of the playoff system. The NASCAR playoffs are a contentious subject for many fans, especially those who remember the legendary Winston Cup days. Many would prefer a return to a full-season points format, and it was heavily hinted by O’Donnell that he agrees with many of the criticisms of the current format.
He revealed that changes are coming, but nothing will be announced prior to the end of this season. Simply put, he doesn’t want to take away from the spotlight – or perceived legitimacy – of this year’s champion. One concrete change he did promise, however, was a bump to 750 horsepower for most tracks 1.5 miles or less, including road courses. For those of us who have been clamoring for more horsepower and lower downforce, it’s a step back in the right direction.
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