Speedway Motorsports Insider Lays Bare the “Biggest Challenge” They Had to Overcome to Include Roval in NASCAR Cup Schedule

The inclusion of road courses in the Cup calendar has always been a contentious topic among fans and experts. Their sustainability, entertainment value, and racing action have often been called into question. While a few road courses like Sonoma are considered essential to NASCAR, most have been subject to criticism. One such track is the Charlotte Roval. The road course section of the track plays host to one of the playoff races. But getting NASCAR to approve the track was difficult as was revealed by a high-ranking official in Speedway Motorsports.

For many fans, road courses are an anomaly. This makes sense as the sport’s identity is rooted in short-track dirt racing. However, possibly to add variety and also to make NASCAR more comparable to other elite motorsports competitions like F1, Supercars, and Indycar, the frequency of road/street races in the Cup calendar has increased. Unfortunately, not all additions have been a hit with the NASCAR fandom.

Despite dwindling viewership for the Brickyard 400, inclusion of the roval required “a lot of selling” to NASCAR 

For better or for worse, road courses today are an essential part of the NASCAR calendar. There have been some fantastic road course races over the years. Iconic tracks like COTA, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen attract a lot of dedicated supporters. But Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course is a matter of debate among fans. Before it replaced the famed Brickyard 400 in 2021, it was subject to a huge debate among NASCAR officials as well.

Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI), the company that owns and manages most of NASCAR’s racing facilities, is partly responsible for getting the roval race on the calendar. SMI is headquartered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and given the status that the track enjoys, it is understandable why they would want two races in a season at the track despite dwindling viewership. However, initially, it was difficult to get NASCAR on board with the Roval idea.

The hybrid road/oval track was not something NASCAR was intent on earlier. However, SMI managed to get them on board after much deliberation. On a recent episode of the Mics Are Hot podcast, the company’s Chief Experience Officer Jessica Fickenscher shared the story of the Roval.

“The Roval was probably the biggest challenge or obstacle we had to get through to be able to prove to NASCAR and to teams like, “Hey, this can work, we can do this,” took a lot of selling, a lot of meetings,” she said.

While getting the Roval race on the calendar was a challenge, Jessica Fickenscher revealed that it was not the case with COTA. “The Circuit of the Americas, Austin’s a great market, NASCAR was super excited to be there so that was a little bit easier. Working out a deal with the folks at COTA was easy, a good relationship there, a good business relationship so that one was a little bit easier than the Roval but Austin’s a great market to be in for the sport,” the Speedway Motorsports chief added.

NASCAR’s involvement with the Charlotte Motor Speedway has come to an end for the season. Instead, the track will take on a festive avatar as it gets set to revel in the spirit of Christmas.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is all set to deck up for Speedway Christmas

Trending

NASCAR Rumor: 66-YO Surprise Daytona 500 Winner Could Make a Return to NASCAR in 2025

How Late NASCAR Legend Was Forced to “Sell Everything” After Losing $10,000 to Mafia

Historic NASCAR Track Shutting Its Door After Final Run Has Racing Community Heartbroken

Forgotten NASCAR Track: North Carolina’s Abandoned Legacy Lost in the Woods

Shane Van Gisbergen Discloses a Major Problem in NASCAR After Leaving Supercars

The Charlotte Motor Speedway is more than just a race track. Every year, the track is transformed into its festive get-up for Speedway Christmas. This year will see the 14th iteration of the event. Visitors will get to enjoy the wildly popular four-mile drive-thru course under 5 million synchronized lights.

Watch this story: Denny Hamlin: From Underdog to Champion?

According to Speedway Digest, the track’s executive vice president Greg Walter recently gave the details of the event, saying,, “Now in its 14th season, Speedway Christmas has become a can’t-miss holiday tradition for many families across the south-east. That’s not something we take lightly. Every year, we look for ways to make the show bigger, better, and brighter, delivering on our promise to create remarkable events and help visitors make lasting memories.”

This year, the festivities will begin on November 17 and conclude on January 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve will be the only day when it will be closed. It all sounds like an exciting affair during the holidays. Will you be making your way to the Speedway Christmas in 2023?

Read More – “Another Part of the Denny Hamlin Playoff Story”- Joe Gibbs’ Superstar Painfully Dissects Ross Chastain’s “Novelty Move”