The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs concludes this Sunday with the Bank of America ROVAL 400. While this race dates all the way back to 1960, this year marks only the fourth time that it will be held on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, otherwise known as the Charlotte ROVAL. For a number of playoff drivers, Sunday’s race will be a last-ditch hope to try and keep their championship hopes alive. For the second consecutive week, Denny Hamlin will lead the field to the green flag after being awarded the pole position in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 starting lineup.
The following article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series action. Read on for the complete Bank of America ROVAL 400 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.
NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway
61st Bank of America ROVAL 400
Date: Sunday, October 10, 2021
Start Time: 2 p.m. EST
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course — Concord, NC
Coverage: NBC
Pole Sitter: Denny Hamlin
Defending Champion: Chase Elliott
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Race Details
Distance: 248.52 miles (400 kilometers)
Laps: 109
Lap Length: 2.28 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-25; 26-50; 51-109)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 17
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Starting Lineup
See below for a breakdown of the qualifying metrics formula.
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 14 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 17 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 20 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 21 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 23 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 25 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 30 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 33 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 35 | B.J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford |
| 36 | Garrett Smithley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 37 | Joey Gase | 53 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 38 | David Starr | 66 | MBM Motorsports | Ford |
| 39 | Timmy Hill | 13 | MBM Motorsports | Toyota |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview
Following the interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula was used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 starting lineup.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and season-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:
NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Note that all drivers currently in the NASCAR Playoffs receive priority starting spots over the rest of the field. Therefore, even if a non-playoff driver scores better in the metrics formula, he will still start behind all of those drivers in the running for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. With this being the Round of 12, the top 12 spots in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 starting lineup are all occupied by playoff drivers.
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Race History and NASCAR Stats
The following sections offer various NASCAR stats of note and interesting history of the Bank of America ROVAL 400.
Race History
- The very first edition of this race came back in 1960. Of course, it took place on the oval track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Speedy Thompson got the win for Wood Brothers Racing in the inaugural running of the “National 400”.
- After being run at a distance of 400 miles from 1960-65, the race was extended to encompass 500 miles beginning in 1966. It was run at that same distance on the oval up through 2017.
- 2018 marked the first voyage for the NASCAR Cup Series on the Charlotte ROVAL. The race known as the “Bank of America 500” became the present day “Bank of America ROVAL 400”. This will be the fourth consecutive year that the race will be run on the road course.
NASCAR Stats and Race Records
- Jimmie Johnson holds more victories in this race all-time than any other driver. He won the event four times in a span of 12 years from 2004-16.
- Three other drivers sit just behind Johnson for second on the all-time wins list. Cale Yarborough, Mark Martin and Bobby Allison each won the event three times.
- Ryan Blaney captured the first ever Bank of America ROVAL 400 to be run on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in 2018.
- Among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Chase Elliott is the only one with multiple wins in this race. In fact, Elliott enters this weekend as the two-time defending champion. Known for his prowess on road courses, Elliott took the checkered in both the 2019 and 2020 ROVAL races.
- Hendrick Motorsports leads all race teams with 10 all-time wins in this race. Of course, HMS has been the winning team in each of the past two years courtesy of Chase Elliott. No other race team has more than four wins.
- Chevrolet’s 23 victories top the all-time wins list among car manufacturers. Ford is runner-up with 19 victories.
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