Charlotte road/oval race length announced

The Charlotte road course (Roval) race in September will now be 400 kilometers (248.5 miles).

Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bank of America officials unveiled the logo for the Bank of America Roval 400 on Monday morning. It will be the first elimination race in this year’s playoffs held on the 2.28-mile, 17-turn combination of the Charlotte oval and infield road course.

The race will be 109 laps split into stages of 25-25-59 laps.

“Following a number of test sessions in preparation for the much-anticipated playoff race at Charlotte, we felt that this race length made the most sense,” said NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell. “In the end, we believe the race length will accomplish the primary goal which is to showcase the best race for our passionate fans.”

Said Marcus Smith, president and CEO of SMI, “This is history in the making, and it marks the next chapter in our legacy of providing innovation, show-stopping entertainment that’s never been seen before. Like NASCAR’s first 600-mile race and the first superspeedway race at night, the inaugural Bank of America Roval 400 is going to be a can’t-miss event that fans will remember forever. We’re about to witness a dramatic, historic, unforgettable race weekend Sept. 28-30.”

Additionally, the NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be known as the Drive for the Cure 200 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. It will be a 200-kilometer race with stages of 15-15-25 laps.