“This place has not been easy… This is probably the most difficult track out of the road courses for me.” This statement by Kyle Larson after his 2024 ROVAL win showed that even a proven road course specialist like him admits to the wrath of Charlotte’s hybrid layout. Shane van Gisbergen, the current road course star, won all the road races this year except for the Charlotte race in May. And now, another road champ has added his own spin to the ROVAL story.

The ROVAL’s 17 turns and banking demand skills from both road courses and ovals, catching out even the top talents. AJ Allmendinger, whose 2023 win at the track keeps conversations alive, brings insider knowledge from his strong runs. His average finish of 3.7 in 3 recent Cup starts there underscores his expertise. As the Round of 12 finale approaches, what “carnage” does Allmendinger foresee at this 2.32-mile track?

AJ Allmendinger foresees chaos at the ROVAL

On the Door Bumper Clear podcast, AJ Allmendinger laid out his bold outlook for the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL 400, predicting heavy “carnage” due to the track’s revamped hairpin in Turn 7. “The problem is the way the Roval works; now you can get, especially with the hairpin now, the way it is, you can definitely get some carnage,” he stated, pointing to how drivers barrel in aggressively, risking wrecks that can knock out contenders.

This comes from his own experience, including a dominant 2023 victory where he led 46 laps and fended off William Byron, turning a playoff cutoff into a showcase of precision amid chaos. The ROVAL’s hybrid design, blending oval banking with road course twists over 2.32 miles, amplifies this, as traditional ovals emphasize drafting on long straights while road courses reward cornering finesse; here, both collide in tight spaces.

What’s more, Allmendinger named Ross Chastain as the only driver below the cutline with a real shot to advance, “I think Ross is the only one that’s got a shot at it. And he’s been fast, you know, fast enough on the road courses. He can run up there.” He backed this by noting Chastain’s speed on road courses, like his May victory at the same track this year, and how the points gap of 26 to Joey Logano could close if Logano hits trouble. The track’s dynamics, with narrow lines and blind entries unlike open road courses such as Watkins Glen or banked ovals like Daytona, make survival key.

Denny Hamlin echoed the track’s uniqueness, stating in an interview, “The reconfigure was designed to create more chaos. You’re going to have to convince me otherwise of that. They made corners sharper and tighter… it’s going to be a parking lot in Turn 7,” highlighting how sharper corners like Turn 7 invite dive-bombs, a shift from the 2018 debut aimed at more passing but often leading to pileups, as seen in 2023’s multi-car incidents.

It is a configuration that challenges all the abilities, from tire handling on the infield areas to the high-speed stability on the oval portions. Allmendinger emphasized the superiority of SVG, which he said would dominate the stages with no pressure to playoffs, but the aggression of Chastain would be the difference-maker here. 

History is on his side; 2023 followed the trend, where Allmendinger took the opportunity to bring Kaulig Racing its first Cup win and show that the ROVAL rewards those who maneuver through the uncertain. While Allmendinger highlights potential upsets, he also shared insights on why SVG stands out on these challenging layouts. His breakdown offers a peek into what separates the best.

Decoding SVG’s road course mastery

The move of Shane van Gisbergen to NASCAR has raised some eyebrows, and his former Kaulig Racing teammate, AJ Allmendinger, identified the Kiwi’s advantage in handling the tires during their 2024 run together. Allmendinger described SVG’s history provides him with an advantage on roads. This includes his breakthrough 2023 Chicago street race victory, which made him the first debut winner in 60 years.

One reason for this, according to Allmendinger, is the accuracy of SVG: “It sounds simple; obviously it’s not, like timing the rolling speed through the middle of the corner and not asking too much of the tire, but still carrying lots of speed.” This method uses less rubber and is as fast as possible, a gimmick that Allmendinger noticed at close quarters in joint Xfinity races.

It aided SVG in winning three Xfinity races in 2024, Portland and Sonoma, where the results of the race are determined by tire wear. The readers can use this by observing the throttle modulation by the drivers in the turns; it is a working tip on how to identify talent.

Allmendinger traced this to the origins of SVG: “He doesn’t abuse the tire, and I think a lot of that comes from the Supercar series in general because you go watch those races, and they leave the pit road, and they’re on tire conservation because they can’t abuse the tire.” The soft compounds in Australian Supercars required early saving compared to the harder arrangements in NASCAR, with SVG winning three titles. This attitude made SVG win an Xfinity match in Chicago in 2024, which made it transferable.

To the fans, it is an opportunity to enjoy how the international experience makes the series more interesting and to give a nod in favor of the varied drivers.