Overview

• Richard Petty dismissed the ROVAL race as uninteresting and echoed veteran calls to run Charlotte’s traditional oval for the postseason date.
• The latest event featured Shane van Gisbergen’s decisive road‑course win and a last‑lap Ross Chastain–Denny Hamlin incident that influenced playoff positions, with Joey Logano advancing.
• Post‑race inspection disqualified Riley Herbst’s No. 35 for failing weight, with NASCAR hauling Herbst’s and Cole Custer’s cars to the R&D Center for teardown.
• ESPN’s Ryan McGee defended the ROVAL’s entertainment value and drew sharp fan backlash, while Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi renewed public appeals to revert to the oval.
• Frontstretch reported a 1.54 million TV audience on USA Network for the playoff race and noted ongoing attendance complaints, even as the ROVAL is already slated to return next year.