NASCAR Cup Series playoffs return to Charlotte Roval. Latest news, odds, how to watch

Jeff Burton remembers reaching out to Marcus Smith when Burton heard he was thinking about building a road course on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s infield.

He knows Smith, the president and CEO of Charlotte Motor Speedway, well and has a great deal of respect for what he and his family have done for the sport. But hearing rumors of this novel, unfamiliar concept, Burton remembers asking him: “What the hell are you thinking?”

Smith was confident with his plans, so much so that he invited Burton to the track and had him get into a pace car and take laps around the track. Burton quickly changed his tune.

“I’m wrong. This could be spectacular,” Burton remembers realizing when he got out of the pace car that day. “This could be groundbreaking, could be something very different and really challenge the athletes.

“That really stands out to me, being very close-minded to it — this won’t work, this is silly — then going and experiencing the track, I was like, ‘Oh, wait a minute. I’m liking this.’ That was pretty big for me, because it opened my eyes to saying, ‘Maybe we can do things differently.’”

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs return to the Charlotte Roval for the sixth consecutive year Sunday. The elimination race before the Round of 8 begins at 2 p.m., can be seen on NBC — with Burton on the mic — and heard on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR.

NASCAR announced last month that stage breaks will return to the Charlotte Roval, even though they were eliminated at previous road-course races this year. Toward the ends of stages, drivers will have to decide whether they want to continue running and gain stage points or pit, with hopes of restarting earlier and having better chances of reaching the front of the pack later on.

Burton emphasized the importance of points in the playoffs. While winning the race will automatically lock a playoff driver into the next round, most drivers advance — and qualify for the playoffs — based on their point total. If a playoff driver wins on Sunday, there will still be nine others vying for fourth place in the playoff standings.

Since NASCAR removed stage breaks from road courses this year, Burton said he doesn’t think the racing has been as compelling, but that’s from a variety of factors. Still, regardless of whether NASCAR made this change midseason or not, opportunities to gain points are the same for all the drivers.

“I’m a purist at heart, but I am also a huge proponent of the fans seeing compelling racing,” Burton told The Observer. “So, I’m OK with change, because I think it does give an opportunity for the fans to see a better race.”

Tyler Reddick on the Roval

Tyler Reddick, who boasts two wins and 13 Top 10 finishes this year, currently sits ninth in the standings, just two points below the elimination line. His first victory came at Circuit of the Americas on March 27 — the first road-course race of the season.

Reddick, who usually runs well at road courses, noted the stage breaks change ahead of Sunday’s race at the Roval and feels his 23XI Racing team is well-prepared for it.

“While it’s great for the entertainment, it’s been bad for my team’s sleep schedule,” Reddick told The Observer. “It’s a delicate balance. Getting those stage points really is a detriment to your track position. But if you get those cautions at the right time, you can get those stage points, and then still get your track position back.”

NASCAR unveils next year’s schedule

NASCAR released its 2024 schedule on Wednesday.

The Cup Series slate will feature an inaugural race at Iowa Speedway, the first NASCAR race in the Hawkeye State since 1953. Atlanta and Watkins Glen have been shifted into the Round of 16, with Darlington now the final race of the regular season. There won’t be a playoff race at Texas for the first time since 2004.

“It certainly shows that it’s not a stagnant schedule year-over-year, and there are always going to be some changes to it each year that make it exciting,” Josh Harris, the newly-named president of Darlington Raceway, told The Observer. “We’re very fortunate here to have our traditional Labor Day Weekend race back again, continuing to rebuild that tradition. But then it’s exciting to go to different markets, new markets like Iowa.”

After three years of being held on dirt, Bristol’s spring race will be held on concrete once again. The Chicago Street Race will return on July 7, and two weeks later, the Cup Series will be back at Indianapolis’ oval after three years on its road course.

NASCAR will have a two-week break during the summer to accommodate NBC Sports, which will be broadcasting the Olympics in Paris.

Who’s the favorite Sunday?

Chase Elliott, who has seven road-course victories, is the favorite at +550 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Tyler Reddick (+650), William Byron (+700), Kyle Larson (+800) and AJ Allmendinger (+1000) round out the top five.

How to watch the Bank of America Roval 400

Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Concord)

Race: Bank of America Roval 400

Date: Sunday, Oct. 8

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR

Purse: $7,689,910

Distance: 252.88 miles (109 laps)

Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 25; Stage 2 ends on Lap 50 and the Final Stage ends on Lap 109