2019 Bank of America Roval 400

2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series raceTemplate:SHORTDESC:2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

The **2019 Bank of America Roval 400** was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on September 29, 2019, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 109 laps on the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course, it was the 29th race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, the third race of the Playoffs, and final race of the Round of 16.

## Report

### Background

Since 2018, deviating from past NASCAR events at Charlotte, the race will utilize a road course configuration of Charlotte Motor Speedway, promoted and trademarked as the "Roval". The course is 2.28 miles (3.67 km) in length and features 17 turns, utilizing the infield road course and portions of the oval track. The race will be contested over a scheduled distance of 109 laps, 400 kilometres (250 mi).

During July 2018 tests on the road course, concerns were raised over drivers "cheating" designated chicanes on the course. The chicanes were modified with additional tire barriers and rumble strips in order to encourage drivers to properly drive through them, and NASCAR will enforce drive-through penalties on drivers who illegally "short-cut" parts of the course. The chicanes will not be used during pace laps, nor will they be used during restarts.

#### Entry list

* **(i)** denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
* **(R)** denotes rookie driver.

## First practice

Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 80.968 seconds and a speed of 103.152 mph (166.007 km/h). Michael McDowell was replaced by Austin Cindric for the session while he was treating a kidney stone, but returned for qualifying later in the day.

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## Qualifying

William Byron scored the pole for the race with a time of 80.932 and a speed of 103.198 mph (166.081 km/h).

## Practice (post-qualifying)

### Second practice

Ryan Blaney was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 81.977 seconds and a speed of 101.882 mph (163.963 km/h).

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### Final practice

Chase Elliott was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 81.801 seconds and a speed of 102.101 mph (164.316 km/h).

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## Race

### Stage 1

Byron began building a lead from the 1st lap. Bowman experienced trouble his first time through the backstretch chicane. Entering too fast, he locked up the brakes and spun around. The incident caused Truex and Bubba Wallace(43) to miss the corner and serve the penalty for driving straight through. Bowman had to pit and change four flat-spotted tires, further hampering his attempt to advance on points.

Byron led every lap in the early part of the Stage, building a huge lead. Ryan Preece(47) spun in the backstretch chicane on Lap 19 bringing out the caution. The yellow flag presented a dilemma for crew chiefs, stay out and collect Stage points or pit and get track position for the beginning of Stage 2? The leaders stayed out, most everyone out of the top 10 pitted for fresh tires and fuel.

On the restart, a big wreck clogged up the entrance to turn one. Kurt Busch(1) ran into the back of Chris Buescher(37) who hit Johnson, spinning the #48 car out. Johnson’s car tapped Hamlin and he spun into Bowman and Jones. Erik Jones car suffered a punctured radiator sending him to the garage and becoming the first driver eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Kyle Larson(42) passed Byron at the front of the field just prior to the yellow being displayed again. Unable to restart the race, Stage 1 ended under the caution giving Larson the Stage win.

### Stage 2

Joey Logano(22) and Brad Keselowski(2) stayed out at the end of Stage 1 trying to make the distance in just two pit stops. On old tires, they gave ground quickly when the race went back to green. Chase Elliott(9) moved to the lead until the caution waved again on Lap 41. Bowman, tired of following Wallace, purposely moved the #43 out of the way exiting the road course portion of the track. Wallace hit the outside wall of the oval facing the wrong way causing the yellow to wave.

Elliott pitted, as did most of the field. Clint Bowyer(14), McDowell, and Keselowski stayed out and took over the top 3 spots. With fresher tires, Elliott worked his way back into the lead and posted the win in Stage 2.

### The Final Stage

Most of the leaders stayed out during the Stage ending caution. Bowyer starts the final stage on the bubble thanks to earning 16 points in the first two Stages. Ryan Newman is one point out of the top 12. Bowman is 12 points out and Kurt Busch 22 points behind and most likely needing a win to advance.

Elliott started in the top spot and with a clear race track in front of him began to stretch the lead. Daniel Hemric(8), who learned recently he will not be back with Richard Childress Racing in 2020, spun on the oval on Lap 61 bringing out the caution. Again, most of the leaders stayed out.

The yellow flag was fortunate for Ryan Blaney(12), last year’s winner of the race, he had hit the wall and was trailing sparks from the left rear of his car. Two pit stops failed to completely repair the issue where the shock attaches to the rear suspension.

Chase Elliott overruns Turn 1, locks up the brakes and plows nose-first into the barrier across the track. Damage to the hood brings him into the pits for service.

On the restart, it’s now Harvick and Keselowski on the front row. Into Turn 1, Truex passes Keselowski and looks at the bumper of Harvick, hoping to sweep all three races in the 1st round. But, with 40 laps to go, everyone will need a final pit stop to make it to the end of the race.

Hamlin spun in the road course section of the track and collected a number of cars including Ryan Newman. With 17 laps to go the playoff race was scrambled again. Coming to the restart, Harvick and Truex lead the pack to green.

With 13 laps to go, Daniel Suarez(41) spins in the infield bringing out another yellow. Bowman is on the bubble, two points up, Newman is two points out. Aric Almirola is three points out and calling for tires, he pits while most of the field stays out costing him a lot of track position. With 35 cars on the lead lap, Almirola will have to advance fast. The race restarts with 11 laps to go.

Before they can complete a lap, Kurt Busch(1) spins Buescher coming up onto the oval and the caution comes out for the 10th time.

It’s still Harvick and Truex upfront. Newman is on the bubble, three points up. Bowman is three points out and Almirola, still trying to recover from his pit stop, is 13 points out. The race was red-flagged with 7 laps to go as Garrett Smithley(52) lost a rear-end and dumped fluid on the track extending the cleanup laps. The race returned to green with six laps to go.

#### The Finish

Chase Elliott restarted in 3rd and quickly moved to second through the infield portion of the racecourse. He passed Harvick for the lead in the rear chicane. Bowman fought his way to second and cut the gap for the last playoff advancement spot to one point. Newman must not lose a position or Bowman will pass him.

Under the pressure, Newman slid into the rear chicane and flat-spotted his tires. That was all it took to cost him the last available playoff spot.

Elliott took the checkered flag, then drove his car around the track back to the front stretch. He pulled up to the barrier wall where he crashed earlier, placed the nose against the wall and did a wild burnout.

Bowman finished second, climbed out of his car and slumped to the pavement overheated. Bubba Wallace, who Bowman had wrecked intentionally early in the race, walked up to have words. Wallace threw water in Bowman’s face and stormed off.

##### Playoff Implications

Alex Bowman raced his way in, so did Clint Bowyer. Aric Almirola and Ryan Newman failed. Five points separated Almirola from Bowman. It was a crushing blow for the Stewart Haas Racing Team driver to not advance, he came within one position last year of making it to Homestead. Erik Jones probably had the worst luck of any of the playoff drivers. It was the second year in a row that Jones made the postseason and went out in the first round.

### Stage results

**Stage One**
*Laps:* 25

**Stage Two**
*Laps:* 25

### Final stage results

**Stage Three**
*Laps:* 59

* Cody Ware was supposed to drive No. 51 car in the race but during the Xfinity Series race, the day before, the coolbox of Cody Ware's car didn't work during the race so he felt the heat exhaustion. So J. J. Yeley was called to replace Ware in No. 51 car in the race.

### Race statistics

* Lead changes: 13 among 9 different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 10 for 23
* Red flags: 1 for 8 minutes and 22 seconds
* Time of race: 3 hours, 20 minutes and 58 seconds
* Average speed: 75.499 miles per hour (121.504 km/h)

## Media

### Television

NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Marty Snider, and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.

 **Lap-by-lap:** Rick Allen**Color-commentator:** Jeff Burton**Color-commentator:** Steve Letarte**Color-commentator:** Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dave BurnsMarty SniderKelli Stavast

### Radio

The Performance Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice, Mark Garrow, and Jeff Hammond called the race from the booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Nick Yeoman called the race from turns 1, 2 and 3. Mark Jaynes called the action from turns 4, 5, and 6, Doug Turnbull called the action from turns 7,8, and 9. Pat Patterson called the action from turns 10, 11, and 12, and Rob Albright had the call from turns 13, 14, and 15. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Steve Richards, and Wendy Venturini had the call from the pit area for PRN.

## References

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