The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have been nothing sort of a roller coaster ride. There was a lot of noise around drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott from the Hendrick Motorsports roaster, as they were seen as favorites to clinch the title. However, a lot has changed as the playoffs have reached the midway point. Only one of the four HMS drivers is locked into the Round of 8. And with the challenge of Charlotte Roval lined up next, it is hard to see the remaining three drivers make it through.

What adds more pressure is that Rick Hendrick’s wife Linda demands that she put forth against the HMS drivers. On the eve of HMS’s 40th year anniversary, she wants to see the championship trophy in the trophy cabinet at the office. “I will tell you this. Rick and I really, really want this championship on our 40th anniversary year.” A numerical advantage is huge for a team competing in the playoffs, and right now only one of the HMS drivers has ensured his advance to the next round.

Adding another layer of challenge for the likes of Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott is the unpredictable road course race at Roval. Even team owner Rick Hendrick is feeling the nerves ahead of this weekend’s penultimate race.

Rick Hendrick is hoping that his drivers will be able to pull through at Roval

Road-course races aren’t the most vital setting for NASCAR drivers to come up with a clutch performance. Especially in the playoffs, where championship dreams can be shattered by a single pile-up. The last time the drivers competed at a road course at Watkins Glen, it resulted in utter chaos and carnage. Multiple restarts, banged-up race cars, and a non-playoff driver pulling off a spoiler win.

Surprisingly, none of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers weren’t able to crack a top-10 finish at the Glen. As things stand, Larson among the three drivers looks in a good spot with a buffer of 52 points, positioned third in the points standings. Meanwhile, Bowman is well within the range of his rival, with 25 points to his name. And Elliott is right on the cutline, essentially a wreck away from crashing out of the playoffs.

Sharing his perspective on the upcoming race and the performance of his driver, Rick Hendrick stated, “I hope we can make it. Crazy things happen, we know. You know we had a good year, and if we can get all four or three in. It’s been a great year; we got William in. Larson’s in a pretty good spot, so we’ll just have to see.” He said this to Bob Pockrass.

Bowman does have three top-10 finishes at Roval in his last three starts. But is it going to be enough to see him through to the next round? Although Elliott is a good road racer, his last three races at the racetrack haven’t been something to rave about. To make matters worse, NASCAR and SMI have thrown in the reconfiguration, which is expected to make the race more chaotic.

New changes to Roval could lead to more drama and chaos

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The 2.28-mile road course will see two major changes in how the drivers race this Sunday. The first one is made to Turns 6 and 7, the initial course had a bend coming to Turn 7, but now the entire section is turned into a straightaway. The sticky spot is going to be the hairpin section entering and exiting Turn 7, which is going to encourage dive-bomb moves as it is a braking zone.

“To me, I kind of look at it like it’s a new race track, truthfully. That section of the track is going to change the entire flow of the lap there, so I’ve been approaching it as a new track with my preparation…Obviously we have extra practice next week, so hopefully that’s enough to find a good rhythm and get a good flow for qualifying.” Chase Elliott was quoted saying this on NASCAR.com.

Meanwhile, JGR ace Christopher Bell called it a “calamity corner.” That’s not it; the final portion of the track also sees significant changes in Turns 16 and 17. Originally, the track blended into a slight arch, leading the drivers towards the start-finish line. But, now with the new changes, drivers will go into Turn 16 with a 90-degree right turn and a similar feature exiting Turn 17 to the left-hand side.

With the playoff qualification on the line, it will be interesting to see how the race pans out. Moreover, the practice runs will give us a deeper dive into how these changes will affect the actual racing experience.