Veteran NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. didn’t hold back his criticism of the reconfigured Charlotte Roval, particularly the addition of the notorious “turtle” curbs ahead of this weekend’s Bank of America ROVAL 400. With the NASCAR Cup Series at the Roval for the final race of the Round of 12 in the playoffs, the drivers have faced not only the usual challenges of the road course but also new track modifications that have stirred controversy in the garage.
The changes made by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) have been met with a wave of backlash from drivers. The most vocal among them was Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup champion, who minced no words when describing the impact of the newly added curbing. He explained that the turtles, placed to slow the cars in specific corners, were excessively harsh and physically punishing.
Truex Jr. didn’t hold back:
“Feels like you get a concussion every lap basically if you hit them. So, yeah. Not much fun.”
He’s not alone in his complaints, as fellow drivers like Kyle Busch echoed similar sentiments, calling the impact from the turtles “violent.” Busch even stated that Truex Jr.’s comparison to a concussion was “1000% correct” as he described the toll the curbs take on the drivers’ bodies.
The frustration for Truex Jr. runs deeper as this could potentially be his last race at the Roval, with his retirement set for the end of the 2024 season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who isn’t known for being overly critical of tracks, voiced his disappointment, stating that the new curbs had negatively impacted what could have been a competitive weekend.
Truex’s Road Course Struggles Continue
Truex Jr.’s issues with road courses have been an ongoing problem throughout the Next-Gen era. Despite his reputation as a strong road-course racer earlier in his career, he has struggled to find the same success since the introduction of the new car. His P30 qualifying result at the Roval reflects these struggles, further compounding his frustration as he looks to close out his final full-time season in NASCAR.
“It’s been cool but I’m just trying to focus on what I’m doing and doing a good job, and today I just totally screwed that up. We worked hard this week and I’m just disappointed right now. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.”
As Truex remains winless in 2024, the frustration is growing. With just five races left in the season, including the Roval, he’s desperate to notch one more victory before stepping away from full-time racing. His team has been working relentlessly, but results remain elusive. The Roval’s new configuration has only made the challenge more difficult, leaving Truex and his crew to hope for a turnaround in Sunday’s race.
Will the Roval Changes Lead to More Chaos?
Many drivers share the sentiment that the reconfiguration, specifically the narrowing of the frontstretch chicane and the addition of aggressive curbing, could lead to increased chaos. Critics, like Truex Jr., argue that these changes were made to manufacture drama rather than improve the racing quality. The physical toll these modifications take on the drivers raises concerns, and with several drivers in must-win situations, Sunday’s race could be one of the most chaotic of the year.
As Martin Truex Jr. approaches the twilight of his illustrious career, he’ll be hoping to avoid the mayhem predicted at the Roval and find a way to salvage what’s been a challenging season.
