NASCAR Tripleheader at Charlotte ROVAL: Playoff Race Heats Up

The Charlotte Motor Speedway road course hosts three NASCAR series this weekend. Stakes run high as playoff spots hang in the balance. The Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 will cut the field on Sunday.

Two drivers stand safe. Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott clinched Round of 8 spots with wins at New Hampshire and Kansas. Four others sit in danger: Ross Chastain trails by 13 points, Bubba Wallace by 26, Tyler Reddick by 29, and Austin Cindric faces a steep 48-point gap.

The Truck Series EcoSave 250 starts the action at 3:30 p.m. ET Friday. The Round of 8 begins with Ty Majeski holding the cut line. Four drivers chase him: Tyler Ankrum, Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth and Kaden Honeycutt need wins to advance.

“Man, it's free game with the second round,” Caruth said per Sportscasting.com. “You got the Roval, which is a wild card with the road course. So, I'm excited to see how the Roval is for us.”

Saturday brings the Xfinity Series Blue Cross NC 250. Three drivers rest easy: Brandon Jones, Connor Zilisch, and Justin Allgaier secured spots in the next round. Jesse Love clings to the final transfer position while Nick Sanchez, Austin Hill, Harrison Burton, and Sammy Smith fight for survival.

Sunday's main event starts at 3:00 p.m. ET on USA Network. Drivers must master a tricky 2.32-mile course that mixes oval racing with 17 sharp turns. Josh Bilicki takes the wheel of the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford for his sixth Cup start this year.

Three drivers take on extra work this weekend. Connor Zilisch splits time between Spire's truck and his Xfinity car. Josh Bilicki adds a Niece Motorsports truck race to his Cup duties. Connor Mosack steps into JR Motorsports' No. 9 Chevrolet and McAnally Hilgemann's No. 91 truck.

Trucks hit the track first with Friday practice at 11:05 a.m. ET on FS2. Cup cars set the final grid during Saturday qualifying at 3:10 p.m. ET on TruTV, leading into Sunday's crucial elimination race.