The NASCAR Cup Series closes the Round of 12 Sunday at the Charlotte Roval (2 p.m. ET on NBC, post-race on Peacock).
This is the final chance for drivers to reach the third round of the Cup Series playoffs. Christopher Bell, who is 22 points above the cutline, is the defending winner.
Here is a look at the drivers to keep an eye on during the race at the 2.320-mile road course.
FRONTRUNNERS
Christopher Bell
Points position: 3rd
Best finish this season: 1st (Bristol Dirt)
Past at the Roval: He has three starts at the Roval with two top 10s in the last two races. He won the Round of 12 elimination race last season. Bell has scored top-10 finishes in three road course races this season. His first career win was at the Daytona Road Course in 2021.
Chase Elliott
Points position: 17th
Best finish this season: 2nd (Fontana, Indianapolis)
Past at the Roval: Two wins at the Roval (2019-2020), followed by two finishes of 12th or worse. He has the most points earned at the Roval (205) among Cup drivers. NASCAR’s active leader in Cup road course wins with seven. He finished top five in three of the four road course races he started this season. Watkins Glen is the exception as he ran out of fuel.
Tyler Reddick
Points position: 9th
Best finish this season: 1st (Circuit of the Americas, Kansas)
Past at the Roval: He has made three starts at the Roval and has never finished worse than 12th. He led 21 laps last season before finishing eighth. He finished second in 2021’s Roval race. Three of Reddick’s five career wins are on road courses.
Martin Truex Jr.
Points position: 6th
Best finish this season: 1st (Dover, Sonoma, New Hampshire)
Past at the Roval: Five career starts with two top-10 finishes (2019, 2020) and three finishes 14th or worse. He was leading on the final lap in 2018 when Jimmie Johnson spun and collected him just before the start-finish line. Truex has yet to post a top-10 finish in the playoffs but has three top-10 finishes on road courses this season. This includes a win at Sonoma. Truex is second among active Cup drivers with five career road course wins.
WHAT A FINISH.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 30, 2018
Ryan @Blaney wins the inaugural @NASCAR Cup Series race at @CLTMotorSpdwy's ROVAL as Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson spin in the final corner! #BofAROVAL #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/yHuFmmuxmi
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
Bubba Wallace
Points position: 10th
Best finish this season: 3rd (Texas)
Past at the Roval: He has five starts at the Roval. He finished 14th or worse in his first four starts but finished seventh in last season’s race. Wallace has improved his Roval finishing position every season. He told media members before Talladega that he had picked up speed in the simulator after focusing on his corner approach and technique while preparing for the elimination race.
Kyle Busch
Points position: 12th
Best finish this season: 1st (Fontana, Talladega I, Gateway)
Past at the Roval: He has five career Roval starts with three finishes of 30th or worse and two top fives. He finished third in last season’s race. Busch has three top-five finishes in road course races this season. He sits 26 points below the cutline heading to the Round of 12 elimination race.
Brad Keselowski
Points position: 8th
Best finish this season: 2nd (Atlanta I, Daytona II)
Past at the Roval: He has five career starts with one top-five finish and four finishes of 14th or worse. He finished 14th in last season’s race. Keselowski has an average finish of 20th in road course races in the Next Gen era. He only has two top-five finishes in the last 27 road course races. Keselowski is only two points above the Round of 8 cutline.
Michael McDowell
Points position: 15th
Best finish this season: 1st (Indianapolis)
Past at the Roval: His best finish at the Roval in five starts is 12th in 2019. He finished 27th in last season’s race. McDowell has an average finish of 12.6 and the most points earned (184) in road course races this season. This includes his win at Indianapolis.