Turn 7 at Charlotte Roval Set to Become NASCAR’s New Hot Corner

gettyimages-2178112961 — CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 12: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 12, 2024 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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In common sports parlance, the “hot corner” typically applies to third base on the baseball diamond.

But the new configuration at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course—notably Turn 7—has the potential to produce action that’s equally torrid.

That particular corner, which leads back onto the banking on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval, is a flat 180-degree hairpin. NASCAR Cup Series drivers universally agree that the new turn will give them an additional passing zone.

How passing in Turn 7 is accomplished provides the potential for chaos, with “dive-bombs” and hard braking expected to be the order of the day.

“It will certainly be different for sure,” Denny Hamlin said. “As time goes on, everyone is going to adapt their style to a very similar style, as we do on most tracks.

“It’s inviting to go in there and dive-bomb, and that will get rewarded sometimes, and sometimes it won’t. It’s the same track for everyone, someone is going to win, so you just hope you are it.”

Hamlin enters Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 fourth in the standings, 30 points above the cutoff for the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. But that may not be a cushion sufficient to guarantee advancement.

“If I don’t have a horrible day, yes,” Hamlin said of his position. “But I’ve had horrible days here. I feel better about it than I did with five to go at Talladega, certainly. I think that I just have to do my part in all of this. That starts (Saturday) and goes on to (Sunday).

“I just need to do my job to the best of my ability, and if so, then we will be fine. If not, we will see how it all stacks up, but 30 points—if you would have asked me before Talladega (the second race in the Round of 12), would you be all right with 30 points to the good going to the Roval, I would have said yes.”