Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.
Who’s HOT at Charlotte Road Course
- Ryan Blaney led 16 laps and won the inaugural event in 2018.
- Kyle Larson led a race-high 47 laps last year and has the best driver rating.
- Kurt Busch won the pole and led seven laps en route to a fifth-place finish in 2018.
- Martin Truex Jr., who has a 1.5 average finish at road courses this season, was leading the race last season coming to the checkered flag until he was spun by Jimmie Johnson, who was running second, in the final turn.
Keep an Eye On at Charlotte Road Course
- Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Joey Logano ranked in the top 10 in points scored at the ROVAL last season. Elliott also led 80 laps en route to the win this year at Watkins Glen.
- Denny Hamlin (4.0), Matt DiBenedetto (5.0), Erik Jones (6.0), Kyle Busch (6.5), Kevin Harvick (6.5) and Aric Almirola (10.5) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the two road course races this season.
- Brad Keselowski was leading the race last year when he crashed into the Turn 1 wall, causing a 15-car accident that also took out Kyle Busch, William Byron and Paul Menard, who were running in the top eight. Keselowski, who led 29 laps, started at the rear of the field in a back-up car after topping the final practice session.
Notes: This weekend will mark the 11th race of the season with the 750 horsepower rules package with no aero ducts…Two of the 750 races were held at the road courses with the remaining on ovals 1.058-mile or shorter…Brad Keselowski (767), Kyle Busch (703), Martin Truex Jr. (539), Chase Elliott (348) and Ryan Blaney (252) are the top five in laps led with the 750 package this season…Teams will run a new tire this weekend that features a construction update compared to what was used last year.
Charlotte Road Course Loop Data Stat Leaders
| Average Running Pos. | Laps in the Top 15 |
| 1. Kyle Larson – 5.1 | 1. Jimmie Johnson – 95 |
| 2. Jimmie Johnson – 8.3 | 2. Kurt Busch – 95 |
| 3. Martin Truex Jr. – 8.4 | 3. Kyle Larson – 94 |
| 4. Kyle Busch – 8.9 | 4. Kevin Harvick – 94 |
| 5. Kurt Busch – 9.1 | 5. Chase Elliott – 93 |
| Fastest Laps Run | Driver Rating |
| 1. Kyle Larson – 31 | 1. Kyle Larson – 123.6 |
| 2. Martin Truex Jr. – 13 | 2. Jimmie Johnson – 107.0 |
| 3. Brad Keselowski – 8 | 3. Kurt Busch – 105.2 |
| 4. Kurt Busch – 7 | 4. Chase Elliott – 104.7 |
| 5. Clint Bowyer – 5 | 5. Ryan Blaney – 104.2 |
Top 10 Stage Points Earned at Charlotte Road Course
One Race
| Driver | Points Earned |
| Kurt Busch | 17 |
| Clint Bowyer | 14 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 14 |
| Kyle Larson | 12 |
| Chase Elliott | 11 |
| Ryan Blaney | 11 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 7 |
| Joey Logano | 7 |
| Alex Bowman | 5 |
| Kyle Busch | 4 |
| Austin Dillon | 4 |
2018 Charlotte Road Course Stage Finishes
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| 1. Kyle Larson | 1. Ryan Blaney |
| 2. Kurt Busch | 2. Jimmie Johnson |
| 3. Clint Bowyer | 3. Kurt Busch |
| 4. Martin Truex Jr. | 4. Joey Logano |
| 5. Chase Elliott | 5. Clint Bowyer |
| 6. Jimmie Johnson | 6. Chase Elliott |
| 7. Kyle Busch | 7. Austin Dillon |
| 8. AJ Allmendinger | 8. Alex Bowman |
| 9. Alex Bowman | 9. Kyle Larson |
| 10. Ryan Blaney | 10. Daniel Hemric |
Top Five in Stage Points Earned in 2019 (28 Races)
| Driver | Stage Points | Stage Wins |
| Joey Logano | 279 | 9 |
| Kevin Harvick | 262 | 5 |
| Kyle Busch | 240 | 11 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 213 | 5 |
| Chase Elliott | 202 | 4 |
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kyle Busch
Pete Pistone: Martin Truex Jr.
Tyler Burnett: Martin Truex Jr.
Kenneth Lee: Ryan Blaney
Driver Notes – Ordered by Average Finish in This Year’s Two Road Course Races
Martin Truex Jr. finished 14th last season at the Charlotte Roval after Jimmie Johnson got into him coming to the checkered flag in Turns 16-17. Truex, who led five laps, was leading the race at the time of impact. This season, Truex Jr. leads all drivers with a 1.5 average finish in the two road course races, which includes a win at Sonoma.
Ryan Blaney won the inaugural race at the Charlotte Roval last season after leading 16 laps. He won Stage 2 and earned a total of 11 stage points in the race. This season, Blaney is tied with Denny Hamlin for the second-best average finish (4.0) in the two road course races.
Denny Hamlin finished 12th last year in a back-up car at the Charlotte Roval. He did not earn any stage points in the race. This season, Hamlin has finished fifth and third, respectively, in the two road course races.
Matt DiBenedetto finished 13th last season at the Charlotte Roval driving for Go Fas Racing. This year, DiBenedetto finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the two road course races with Leavine Family Racing.
Erik Jones finished 30th in a back-up car last season at the Charlotte Roval. This season, Jones finished eighth and fourth, respectively, in the two road course races.
Kevin Harvick finished ninth last year at the Charlotte Roval. He did not earn any stage points in the race. This year, Harvick finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the two road course races.
Kyle Busch was knocked out of the race at the Charlotte Roval when he was swept up in a 15-car accident on Lap 103 while running fourth. He did earn four stage points in the opening stage of the race. This year, Busch has a 6.5 average finish in the two road course races, including a second-place finish at Sonoma. The Roval is the only track on the schedule that Busch has not won at.
Kyle Larson led a race-high 47 laps and finished 25th after his No. 42 Chevrolet was damaged in the 15-car accident on Lap 103 in last year’s race at the Charlotte Roval. He earned 12 stage points last year, which included a win the first stage. This year, Larson has finished in the top 10 in both road course races for an average finish of 9.0.
Aric Almirola finished 19th last season at the Charlotte Roval. He did not earn any stage points in the race. This year, Almirola has posted a 10.5 average finish in the two road course races.
Kurt Busch won the pole and led seven laps last year en route to a fifth-place finish at the Charlotte Roval. He currently owns the most stage points earned at the Roval with 17. This year, Busch has finished 13th and 10th, respectively, in the two road course races.
Brad Keselowski finished 31st last year at the Charlotte Roval after crashing on Lap 103. He led 29 laps in the race in a back-up car and was leading at the time of the accident. This year, Keselowski finished 18th and ninth, respectively, in the two road course races.
Alex Bowman finished fourth last year at the Charlotte Roval. He also scored stage points finishing ninth and eighth, respectively, in Stage 1 and 2. This year, Bowman finished 14th in the two road course races.
Chris Buescher finished 17th last year at the Charlotte Roval. This season, Buescher finished 16th and 13th, respectively, in the two road course races.
Clint Bowyer finished third last year at the Charlotte Roval. He tied for second in stage points earned in the race, finishing third and fifth, respectively, the two stages.
Jimmie Johnson finished eighth last year at the Charlotte Roval after spinning and collecting Martin Truex Jr. in the final turn. He was running second at the time of the spin. Johnson tied for second in stage points earned in the race with finishes of sixth and second, respectively.
