The 2020 Bank of America Roval 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on October 11, 2020 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 109 laps on the road course, it was the 32nd race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, the sixth race of the playoffs, and final race of the round of 12. It was also the first points race in cup series history to be declared a wet race.
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 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, .
During July 2018 tests on the road course, concerns were raised over drivers exceeding track limits on the backstretch chicane 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 restarts. In the summer of 2019, the bus stop on the backstretch was changed and deepened, becoming a permanent part of the circuit, compared to the previous year where it was improvised.
If a driver fails to legally make the backstretch bus stop, the driver must skip the frontstretch chicane and make a complete stop by the dotted line on the exit before being allowed to continue. A driver who misses the frontstretch chicane must stop before the exit.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Josh Bilicki (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 53 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 77 J. J. Yeley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
Qualifying Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.
Starting lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 7 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 11 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 12 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 13 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 14 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 15 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 16 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 17 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 18 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 19 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 20 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 21 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 22 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 23 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 24 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 25 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 26 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 27 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 28 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 29 51 Josh Bilicki (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 30 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 32 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 33 77 J. J. Yeley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 34 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 35 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 36 27 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 37 53 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 38 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage results
Stage one Laps: 25
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 102 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 93 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 84 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 06 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 57 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 48 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 39 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 210 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage one results
Stage two Laps: 25
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 102 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 84 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 66 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 210 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 1Official stage two results
Final stage results
Stage three Laps: 59
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 2 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 492 8 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 109 443 14 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 109 354 10 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 109 335 24 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 109 466 13 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 427 7 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 109 378 5 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 349 28 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 109 2810 11 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 109 2711 4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 109 2612 16 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 109 2813 30 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 109 2414 18 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 109 2315 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 109 2216 12 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 109 2117 38 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 109 2018 3 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 109 2019 6 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 109 1820 21 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 109 1721 26 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 109 1822 20 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 109 2323 17 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 109 2424 35 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 109 3025 34 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 109 1226 36 27 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 109 027 32 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 109 1028 25 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 109 929 37 53 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 109 830 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 109 731 15 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 109 1132 31 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 109 733 29 51 Josh Bilicki (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 108 034 23 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 108 335 33 77 J. J. Yeley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 108 036 19 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 105 137 22 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 95 138 27 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 57 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 17 among 11 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 9 for 16 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 17 minutes and 11 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the action from the booth live from the track for the first time since March. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties and Rutledge Wood handled the features live from the track.
NBCBooth announcersPit reportersFeatures reporter Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve LetarteColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dave BurnsParker KligermanDillon Welch Rutledge Wood
Radio The Performance Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. IMS Radio's Nick Yeoman was assigned the entrance to the road course and into the Bank of America bridge (Turns 1-3). Voice of the Indianapolis 500 Mark Jaynes was assigned the action from the Bank of America bridge to the middle of the infield section. Doug Turnbull called the action exiting in infield into the oval Turn 1 banking (Turns 7-9). Pat Patterson called the action on the backstretch and into the bus stop. Rob Albright was assigned to the oval Turn 3-4 end. (Turns 13-15). Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Wendy Venturini had the call from the pit area for PRN.
PRN Booth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Doug RiceAnnouncer: Mark Garrow Infield entrance: Nick YeomanMiddle of Infield: Mark JaynesExit of Infield: Doug TurnbullOval 2 to Bus Stop Pat PattersonOval 3/4: Rob Albright Brad GillieBrett McMillanWendy Venturini
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Kevin Harvick 4,067 1 2 Denny Hamlin 4,054 (–13) 1 3 Brad Keselowski 4,035 (–32) 1 4 Chase Elliott 4,027 (–40) 2 5 Joey Logano 4,022 (–45) 1 6 Martin Truex Jr. 4,017 (–50) 1 7 Alex Bowman 4,009 (–58) 2 8 Kurt Busch 4,006 (–61) 1 9 Kyle Busch 2,187 (–1,880) 1 10 Austin Dillon 2,186 (–1,881) 2 11 Ryan Blaney 2,160 (–1,907) 2 12 William Byron 2,155 (–1,912) 2 13 Clint Bowyer 2,154 (–1,913) 2 14 Aric Almirola 2,143 (–1,924) 15 Matt DiBenedetto 2,131 (–1,936) 16 Cole Custer 2,123 (–1,944)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Ford 1,186 2 Toyota 1,125 (–61) 3 Chevrolet 1,086 (–100)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
References