For decades, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s fall playoff race was a familiar test of speed on its 1.5-mile oval. However, that changed in 2018. That year, Speedway Motorsports shook up tradition by moving the postseason event to the now-famous Roval, a 2.3-mile, 17-turn hybrid layout weaving the oval with an infield road course.

The experiment delivered chaos, drama, and playoff-defining moments almost instantly, becoming one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable stops. But after years of wild restarts and heart-stopping chicanes, change may be coming again. According to the latest NASCAR rumor, Charlotte’s playoff race is poised for a major shift in 2026. And it could rewrite the postseason script once more.

NASCAR rumor: Charlotte’s playoff race set for oval return

Charlotte Motor Speedway is preparing for a major postseason shakeup. According to a NASCAR rumor from multiple sources briefed on the decision, the track is expected to move its 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race off the Roval road-course layout and back onto its familiar 1.5-mile oval. The shift would mark the end of an era that began in 2018, when Charlotte became one of the few tracks to host two completely different Cup race formats in the same season.

The move wouldn’t stop with the Cup Series. NASCAR’s other two national divisions (the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Truck Series) are also expected to follow suit. They, too, will be relocating their playoff races from the Roval to the oval as well. All three events would remain on the mid-October calendar, with an official announcement anticipated in the coming weeks.

As you might remember, when the Roval debuted, it was an instant hit. The hybrid layout added unpredictability, injected chaos into the playoffs, and helped distinguish Charlotte’s fall race from the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. Early editions delivered viral moments, surprise winners, and constant pressure for championship contenders.

But the novelty has worn thin. Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, road-course racing hasn’t produced the same spark. Many drivers and fans have pointed to cleaner, less dramatic races. “The best racing you are going to find is the oval,” Denny Hamlin shared his opinion last year. At the same time, intermediate ovals like Charlotte have seen a noticeable uptick in racing quality. This, in turn, has reignited calls to bring the playoff race back to the oval.

The change also alters the playoff landscape. The Roval often served as a lifeline for road-course specialists like Shane van Gisbergen in the Round of 12 (although unsuccessful last year). With its removal and NASCAR shifting back to a Chase-style playoff format, the 10-race Cup postseason will now be contested entirely on ovals. The NASCAR rumor, if comes true, completely reshapes how drivers and teams approach championship strategy.

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NASCAR balances tradition and evolution

Not everyone is thrilled about the idea of NASCAR’s playoff stretch going entirely oval-only. NASCAR journalist Joseph Springley, summed up the frustration many feel online: “I have an issue with this… NASCAR will no longer have a road course event in ‘The Chase’. This was a point of discussion for many years, and I feel like road racing has to be represented in the championship fight too.” It’s a fair concern and one NASCAR has wrestled with for years.

The sport has leaned into road and street courses more than ever in the modern era. What used to be just two road races a season ballooned into six or seven in recent years. NASCAR experimented with bold ideas like the Chicago Street Race from 2023 to 2025 and doubled down by adding the Coronado Street Course for 2026.

The reasoning was clear: attract new audiences, especially younger fans, and showcase a different side of driver skill. Heavy braking zones, tight corners, elevation changes. Road courses forced drivers out of their comfort zones and added variety to the schedule.

From that perspective, having at least one road course in the playoffs made sense. It tested versatility and prevented the championship from becoming a pure intermediate-oval arms race. But there’s another side to this argument. And it’s loud!

Traditional fans have pushed back hard, calling for NASCAR to stay rooted in its oval-track DNA. That resistance has only grown as the Next Gen car has struggled to produce consistently exciting road-course racing. Cleaner races, fewer mistakes, and less passing have dulled the chaos that once made those events compelling. Combine that with a renewed appreciation for how strong intermediate oval racing has become, and the pressure to pivot back was inevitable.

So NASCAR may have landed on a compromise: keep road and street courses as a regular-season draw, but let the championship be settled on ovals. Whether that balance holds, or gets tweaked again in 2027, remains very much up for debate. What do you think about this decision?