Shane van Gisbergen secured his fifth consecutive road course victory in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. The New Zealander’s outstanding performance on the challenging 2.28-mile Charlotte Road Course showcased his exceptional skill in managing tire wear and race strategy.
Van Gisbergen’s command of the race was evident as he stretched his lead, eventually crossing the finish line a commanding 15.160 seconds ahead of runner-up Kyle Larson. This triumph marked van Gisbergen’s sixth win in the series this season and brought his total NASCAR Cup victories to six overall. His streak of five straight road course wins brings him just one shy of Jeff Gordon’s record set from 1997 to 2000.
Playoff Drama Unfolds as Joey Logano Secures Final Round of 8 Spot
While van Gisbergen dominated the race, intense playoff drama unfolded behind him. Ross Chastain made an aggressive move late in the race to claim the last spot in the Round of 8, taking a risky run through the frontstretch chicane and colliding with Denny Hamlin’s Toyota. Spinning out from the contact, Chastain reversed across the finish line in a desperate bid to advance but ultimately fell short.
Joey Logano, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, finished 20th, holding on to advance over Chastain by four points. The final playoff position was decided by a series of costly mistakes from Chastain, including a critical error on pit road at the first stage break, where he missed the exit turn and lost significant track position.
Chastain reflected on his difficult day, stating,
“(Trackhouse owner) Justin (Marks) hired me to carry this 1 car and to drive it and to be a leader, and I just completely unraveled our day,”
and added,
“Yeah, not acceptable. I just completely … you know, just completely unacceptable.”
Logano expressed relief at escaping elimination, saying,
“Such a close finish there. Yeah, knew it was within a point there (before the last-corner collision). I knew we were going to be tied there at the end, and Ross was going to do whatever he had to do to make it happen. Geesh, just wasn’t quite fast enough today with our car.”
He emphasized the playoffs’ intensity:
“It’s the drama of the playoffs. If you want drama, the playoffs bring it every time.”
Other Playoff Drivers’ Outcomes and Eliminations
Along with Chastain, a few other contenders were knocked out of playoff contention during Sunday’s elimination race. Pole winner Tyler Reddick finished 10th but was eliminated, as were Bubba Wallace, who ended up 15th, and Austin Cindric, who needed a win to advance but finished last after numerous issues.
Several drivers had already secured their spots in the Round of 8 before Charlotte, including Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, winners of the Round of 12 events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Sunday’s race confirmed Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano as the remaining playoff survivors joining the next stage.
Van Gisbergen’s Tire Management and Tactical Prowess
Van Gisbergen’s victory was helped by his exceptional ability to conserve his tires longer than his rivals. While Larson and Bell pushed aggressively in pursuit of the lead—with Larson overtaking van Gisbergen briefly on Lap 63 and Bell moving into second—van Gisbergen’s smooth tire management allowed him to complete the final 59 laps on two pit stops, compared to three for his closest challengers.
During the race, van Gisbergen and Larson exchanged the lead multiple times, involving some heavy contact on the track. On Lap 98, van Gisbergen took the lead for good by outmaneuvering Larson through the backstretch chicane, maintaining his advantage until the finish.
Reflecting on the race’s intensity, van Gisbergen said,
“Yeah, just started getting hot and sliding around, but what an awesome race,”
and noted,
“Kyle and Christopher driving really good and got a little rough, but, man, the battle was awesome.”
He also acknowledged the challenges of preserving his tires:
“With the Chevy, I lost it a little bit at the start of Stage 3, and whatever they did for the rest of the race, unbelievable. Really enjoyed that, and that was a long time waiting, hoping the yellow wasn’t going to come out.”
Chase Briscoe Overcomes Illness to Advance in Playoffs
Despite battling illness during the event, Chase Briscoe completed the race and clinched a Round of 8 berth by finishing 14th, narrowly advancing by 19 points. He revealed the severity of his condition during the race, at one point requesting a bag of ice to cool down inside his suit.
Briscoe described his day:
“It was definitely an odd day. We definitely just weren’t that great. I don’t know. They gave me a pill in the beginning, and I felt a lot better. I was just so dizzy … I’ve been fighting something all week, and I sound terrible, I’m sure.”
He added,
“After those first 20 laps, I was able to kind of feel fine. At the end I was struggling a little bit, but I was just focusing on not making any mistakes. Not a super pretty day for our Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Toyota. It was good enough—that’s all we needed to do.”
Non-Playoff Contenders and Race Results
The race also featured notable performances from drivers who are no longer competing in the playoffs. Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, Ryan Preece, and Daniel Suarez finished in strong positions, placing fourth through seventh, respectively. Chase Elliott finished eighth, followed by AJ Allmendinger and Tyler Reddick.
Next Stage: The Round of 8 Begins in Las Vegas
The NASCAR Playoffs advance to the Round of 8 next Sunday at the South Point 400, held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will begin in the evening at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Drivers who advanced will now turn their focus to the high-speed circuit in Nevada as they continue their quests for the championship.
