Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is far from a fan of the Roval fall race, calling for NASCAR to drop it immediately.

Charlotte’s Roval has been a regular fixture on the Cup Series calendar since 2018, with Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen the latest driver to head to victory lane. While the New Zealander did have to pass JGR’s Christopher Bell and Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson late in the race on Sunday, the Bank of America 400 was a largely uneventful race, with the road course king ultimately taking the checkered flag by over 15 seconds.

The sixth road course race of the season, and arguably the least interesting, Hamlin said on his ‘Action’s Detrimental’ podcast following his 23rd place finish – which saw him cross the line in reverse after a collision with Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain – that he believes the Roval is simply no competition for the NFL.

“Do you think that people tune in halfway through that race, look at that thing and say, ‘Well, this is more compelling than the football just turned off?’” Hamlin asked.

The 44-year-old explained that, in his opinion, simply switching to Charlotte’s oval would be a positive move by NASCAR, as it would be a far less predictable result (given van Gisbergen has won five straight road courses).

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“If this is on the oval, can you tell me who’s going to win on the oval? I don’t think so,” he said. “The [Coca-Cola] 600 was widely entertaining. The mile-and-a-half product with this car is amazing. I’m fairly certain that it is on the schedule simply because it’s SMI’s (Speedway Motorsports) date.”

Hamlin suggested that NASCAR is adamant about wanting a road course in the Playoffs and that, with SMI owning both this date and the Roval, its hands are all but tied. That being said, he also noted that SMI also owns Sonoma, which could be a better alternative if NASCAR is insistent on sticking with a road course.

However, Hamlin also explained that, in his opinion, there isn’t a need for a road course race to be included in the Playoffs at all, citing the fact that early in his career, it wasn’t a necessity. 

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“Someone has to give. Either NASCAR has to give on the schedule and say, ‘Do we really have to have a road course in the final 10? Yes or no?’ The answer is probably no, that you don’t have to. We used to not have to,” he said.

“Because I believe that if SMI and or NASCAR wants an instant bump in ratings and in ticket sales, in 2026, they announce, ‘We’re going to be racing in Charlotte in October, but we’re going to be racing left turns.’ I think your fan sentiment would go up.”

A boost in fan sentiment wouldn’t go amiss at this point in time, given NASCAR’s consistently dropping ratings throughout this season, and its recent struggle against the NFL and College Football. 

Unfortunately for Hamlin, as things stand, the Roval is set to return in 2026 on October 11. And while the Playoff format has yet to be announced, with changes to its current 10-race structure seemingly en route, as it remains the fifth from last race of the season, it will likely remain a Playoff track for the time being.