NASCAR playoffs at Charlotte: Schedule, TV info, drivers to watch for the ROVAL

Elimination time is here.

The 2023 NASCAR playoffs are heating up, with five races down and five more to go. Twelve drivers are still alive in the battle for the championship, but four more will be eliminated this weekend in Charlotte.

Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the race on Sunday on its road course layout – officially named the “ROVAL” because it combines parts of the oval track and parts of the infield road course. It’s just the sixth time the ROVAL layout will be used, and each year it has produced a thrilling finish. 

Here’s everything you need to know for the 2023 Bank of America ROVAL 400:

What is the NASCAR at Charlotte ROVAL entry list?

Thirty-seven drivers will race at Charlotte. The 32 full-timers will all compete, plus five others.

Two of those five are drivers from NASCAR’s lower levels – Zane Smith (Truck Series) and Austin Hill (Xfinity Series). Josh Bilicki, a part-time veteran who races across multiple levels, will also compete. Then there’s road-racing experts Andy Lally and Mike Rockenfeller, who have raced on a limited basis in 2023.

Here’s the full entry list for Charlotte (car numbers, driver names, team names and sponsors):

• No. 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, Worldwide Express
• No. 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske, Menards
• No. 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Huk Performance Fishing
• No. 4, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Rheem
• No. 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com
• No. 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, Castrol Edge
• No. 7, Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports, Gainbridge
• No. 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, Lenovo
• No. 9, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, NAPA Auto Parts
• No. 10, Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, IHOP
• No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Mavis Tires & Brakes
• No. 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Discount Tire
• No. 14, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Performance Racing School
• No. 15, Andy Lally, Rick Ware Racing, Camping World
• No. 16, A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing, Celsius
• No. 17, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Fifth Third Bank
• No. 19, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Bass Pro Shops
• No. 20, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, DeWalt
• No. 21, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing, Motorcraft
• No. 22, Joey Logano, Team Penske, Shell / Pennzoil
• No. 23, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, Leidos
• No. 24, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, HP
• No. 31, Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing, LeafFilter Gutter Protection
• No. 34, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports, Love’s Travel Stops
• No. 38, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports, Ambetter Health
• No. 41, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing, Autodesk
• No. 42, Mike Rockenfeller, Legacy Motor Club, Sunseeker Resort
• No. 43, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club, Allegiant
• No. 45, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Jordan Brand
• No. 47, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger
• No. 48, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally Financial
• No. 51, Todd Gilliland, Rick Ware Racing, Ruedebusch
• No. 54, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries
• No. 62, Austin Hill, Beard Motorsports, United Rentals
• No. 77, Ty Dillon, Spire Motorsports, Bon Secours
• No. 78, Josh Bilicki, Live Fast Motorsports, Zeigler Auto Group
• No. 99, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Auguas Frescas

When is the NASCAR race this weekend at Charlotte ROVAL?

The 2023 Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte is set for Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Before the race, there will be practice and qualifying sessions. The 37-car field will be split into two groups, with each group practicing for 20 minutes on Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Two-round qualifying will be held at 1:20 p.m. ET. Here’s how it works:

• The 37 drivers will be split into two groups (same groups as practice, found here).
• First round: 15 minutes for each group. Drivers can make unlimited laps.
• The five fastest drivers from each group advance to the second round. Starting positions 11 through 37 are set based on speeds from the first round.
• Second round: 10 minutes for the 10 drivers who advanced. Drivers can make unlimited laps. The top 10 starting positions are determined based on the best single-lap speeds from the second round.

NASCAR TV schedule this weekend at Charlotte

Saturday, Oct. 7 (USA Network and streaming online)

• Practice: 12:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBCSports.com
• Qualifying: 1:20 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBCSports.com

Sunday, Oct. 8 (NBC, Peacock and streaming online)

• NASCAR Countdown to Green: 2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBCSports.com
• Bank of America ROVAL 400: 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBCSports.com
• NASCAR Post Show: 5:50 p.m. ET, Peacock

NASCAR playoff standings, clinching scenarios for Charlotte

The Round of 12 concluded at Charlotte, with 10 drivers still fighting for the six spots available in the Round of 8. Byron and Blaney, after winning at Texas and Talladega, are already locked into the Round of 8.

Playoff drivers can automatically clinch a berth in the Round of 8 by winning on Sunday. If they don’t win, they must avoid being among the bottom four in the points standings.

Here are the playoff standings and clinching scenarios entering Charlotte:

1. William Byron – Clinched with win at Texas

2. Ryan Blaney – Clinched with win at Talladega

3. Denny Hamlin, +50 points above the cut line

• Clinches with eight points (29th-place finish without stage points)

4. Christopher Bell, +22 points above the cut line

• Clinches with 36 points

5. Chris Buescher, +19 points above the cut line

• Clinches with 39 points

6. Martin Truex Jr., +17 points above the cut line

• Clinches with 41 points

7. Kyle Larson, +15 points above the cut line

• Clinches with 43 points

8. Brad Keselowski, +2 points above the cut line

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9. Tyler Reddick, -2 points below the cut line

10. Bubba Wallace, -9 points below the cut line

11. Ross Chastain, -10 points below the cut line

12. Kyle Busch, -26 points below the cut line

You can find a full explanation of NASCAR’s playoff format right here.

NASCAR Charlotte ROVAL past winners, race history

Four of the 37 drivers competing this weekend have won at the Charlotte ROVAL in the Cup Series.

Elliott, with victories in 2019 and 2020, is the only multi-time winner. Blaney won the inaugural race in 2018, while Larson (2021) and Bell (2022) have won the last two years. Allmendinger has never won at the ROVAL in the Cup Series, but he has four wins in four Xfinity Series starts.

NASCAR at Charlotte ROVAL favorites, drivers to watch

Even though the ROVAL is technically a road course, it offers a different challenge for drivers than the traditional tracks. Drivers have to be efficient at both the road course turns and the oval turns to succeed at this course.

Through the first five years at the ROVAL, one driver has stood above the rest: Elliott. He leads the field in wins (2), laps led (94) and driver rating (112.5). Bowman, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, has the best average finish (6.0) with four top-10s in four starts.

Beyond Elliott and Bowman, the top ROVAL drivers include Reddick (7.3 average finish in three starts), Logano (9.4 in five starts), Blaney (9.8 in five starts) and Bell (11.0 in three starts).

If you’re looking for big-name drivers to avoid, look no further than Chastain. The 2022 Championship 4 finalist has a 26.5 average finish and 47.1 driver rating in four ROVAL starts – and he desperately needs a good run to advance to the Round of 8.

What is the weather for Charlotte this weekend?

NBC Washington is predicting some promising weather this weekend in Charlotte, N.C. Qualifying could be impacted on Saturday – there’s a 23% chance of rain with skies clearing up in the afternoon. Sunday looks to be clear, with a 1% chance of rain, a high temperature of 66 degrees and mostly sunny skies. Keep up to date with the latest forecast right here.