CONCORD – The “roval” sat silent Sunday. The stands stood empty. The old National 500 has just about run its course.

Martin Truex Jr. ran away with the race again, now a recurring theme for this track and this sport. They really should just go ahead and give him the Chase trophy.

Everything seems a forgone conclusion these days. The sport has been reduced to about four or five drivers trying to outrun Truex every week, and before this one was half over they were already talking about next week.

That would be Talladega.

Charlotte’s hold on racing has been slipping for years now and tour expansion has spread the playing field with lots of clone tracks in far-flung places. Twice a year almost anywhere is a stretch these days. And through the years, the fall race here has been a tough sell no matter who’s driving and winning.

The reason people look forward to Talladega is for the change in pace. Well, that and the sheer insanity of a 2.66-mile paved airstrip.

A year from now, we’ll be right back here. Only instead of watching Truex turn lap after lap running away from the field, we’ll be on the road course that was lined with RVs and golf carts Sunday.