Denny Hamlin provided his insights on NASCAR‘s continued choice to include the Roval road course in its playoff schedule, clarifying on his podcast why this decision persists. The rationale behind keeping the Roval dates back to race ownership by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), making the Denny Hamlin NASCAR playoff Roval discussion a recurring topic each season.
NASCAR’s playoff design aims to test drivers’ skills across a spectrum of tracks, including short tracks, intermediate ovals, superspeedways, and the unpredictable road courses. While Talladega looms in the Round of Eight as the playoffs’ ultimate wildcard, the Charlotte Roval serves as the postseason’s sole road course event. This unique setup offers diversity and pushes contenders to adapt, but it also raises internal debate among drivers and stakeholders.
The Reasoning Behind NASCAR’s Road Course Approach
Hamlin acknowledged that NASCAR prefers to keep a range of tracks leading up to the championship, with road courses and superspeedways offering unpredictability. He explained that SMI controls the date for the Roval during the playoffs, limiting NASCAR’s flexibility. This race date and format are part of longstanding agreements and business decisions within the sport.
“Let me give you the facts,”
Hamlin stated in his Actions Detrimental podcast appearance.
He elaborated, saying SMI owns the playoff race date, and that NASCAR wants at least one road course in its final rounds.
“It is SMI’s (Speedway Motorsports Inc.’s) date. They own that date. It is a playoff race,”
Hamlin said. He argued that NASCAR leadership appears flexible on which track type appears when, as long as a road course is featured.
“(NASCAR wants) a road course to be in the playoffs.”
Hamlin continued,
“I don’t think they care what, when, or how. So, they want a road course in the playoffs. It’s SMI’s date. I don’t know that (SMI has) a choice but to run the Roval.”
– Denny Hamlin, Driver and Podcast Host
Alternative Options and Racing Product Concerns
While SMI does hold another possibility in Sonoma Raceway, located near San Francisco, Hamlin pointed out that SMI is unlikely to sacrifice Charlotte’s playoff slot in favor of moving the road course date. Sonoma typically remains an early summer fixture.
Hamlin expressed some dissatisfaction with the racing produced by current road courses, saying,
“I think that the mile-and-a-half’s are just the best product that we have. The road courses have proven to be very difficult on this (Next Generation) car. It’s difficult to pass in this car. Any one lane racetrack, this car just can’t do it because the aerodynamic properties of it, it’s just not good in traffic. You have to have multi-lanes to move around.”
– Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
He described the Charlotte oval as a more dynamic, multi-lane track, comparing it to Kansas and suggesting it provides better racing. Hamlin questioned whether there’s genuine demand for a road course during the crucial playoff rounds, highlighting that
“we are a stock car series.”
According to Hamlin, much of his racing career involved only two road course races per year, neither of which took place at season’s end.
“Typically for the bulk of my career, we ran two road courses a year. None of them were at the end of the season. That’s the way it always used to be. But I also understand the logic of you want to crown someone that’s good at all tracks.”
– Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
Looking Ahead: Will the Roval Remain in Future Playoffs?
Although the Roval remains part of the current NASCAR schedule, the future is not guaranteed. Hamlin suggested that both NASCAR and SMI could potentially revert to running the Charlotte oval, which is well-known for hosting the Coca-Cola 600 during Memorial Day weekend.
“Someone has to give,” Hamlin remarked regarding potential scheduling changes. He raised the question of whether NASCAR must continue to feature a road course in the final ten playoff events, implying it might not be necessary. He suggested the response could very well be no, indicating flexibility could still exist in shaping the schedule.
Hamlin speculated that a return to the Charlotte oval in October could drive fan enthusiasm and benefit both ratings and ticket sales.
“I believe that if SMI and or NASCAR wants an instant bump in ratings and in ticket sales in 2026, they announce we’re going to be in Charlotte in October, but we’re going to be racing left turns. I think your fan sentiment would go up.”
– Denny Hamlin, Driver and Podcast Host
The debate around the Denny Hamlin NASCAR playoff Roval decision encapsulates tensions between tradition, fan experience, and stakeholder interests. As the situation develops, decisions by NASCAR, SMI, and other involved organizations will shape not only which track hosts a playoff race but also the nature of championship competition for seasons to come.
