Back At The Rock: NASCAR Set For Rockingham Return

NASCAR returns to Rockingham Speedway this weekend for the first time since 2013. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – For the first time in 12 years, it is NASCAR race weekend at Rockingham Speedway.

A tripleheader slate headlined by a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the historic track nicknamed ‘The Rock’ takes center stage April 18-19, in advance of the Easter holiday.

The 0.94-mile, high-banked oval first opened in 1965 and hosted NASCAR Cup Series racing all the way until 2004, when Matt Kenseth won in a photo finish over then-rookie Kasey Kahne in a thrilling race.

While the Cup Series is not racing this time around, the ARCA Menards Series East, Craftsman Truck Series, and Xfinity Series all are.

The Xfinity Series raced at Rockingham from 1982 to 2004, with 42 races held in those 22 years. No active driver has a Rockingham Xfinity Series win. Hall of Famer Mark Martin has a record 14 victories at the track, including 11 in the Xfinity Series.

Now-CW Sports analyst Jamie McMurray won the four most recent Xfinity events at Rockingham from 2002-’04.

In 2008, ARCA legend Andy Hillenburg took over ownership of the speedway. From 2008 to 2010, the national ARCA Menards Series raced there four times, with now-Cup Series star Joey Logano, Sean Caisse, Parker Kligerman, and Ty Dillon all picking up wins.

Then in 2012 and 2013, the Truck Series made visits to the track in back-to-back years, won by Kahne and Kyle Larson, respectively. The ARCA East (formerly known as K&N East) division raced at the track from 1987 to 1992, as well as a one-off race in 2012 that was won by a young Tyler Reddick.

In what has become a trend over the past few years, NASCAR will once again return to a track it left many moons ago. North Wilkesboro Speedway saw a revival in 2022, which saw NASCAR come back in 2023 for the All-Star weekend, and earlier this year, the Cup Series returned to Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, N.C., for the preseason Cook Out Clash.

Even though this weekend does not have the Cup Series in action, Saturday’s Xfinity Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 250 and ARCA East’s Rockingham 125 race are sold-out. Friday ticket sales for the Truck Series’ Black’s Tire 200 race look strong as well.

Attendance was a contributing factor to the 2012-‘13 return not working out for the long term, so it’s great news not just for the weekend, but the hopeful future of the track.

One of the biggest talking points of the weekend is Kahne making his return to NASCAR for the first time since 2017. Kahne, who is one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, stepped away from NASCAR competition near the end of 2017 due to health concerns.

He will be making his return in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 33 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Kahne has made starts at Rockingham in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions at the track, headlined by his 2012 Truck Series triumph.

Other drivers racing this weekend with previous experience at ‘The Rock’ include Jeb Burton, Matt Crafton, Ryan Sieg, Norm Benning, Grant Enfinger, and Parker Kligerman, all of whom raced in the Truck Series during its two years of racing at the track. Josh Williams and Timmy Hill also have experience in ARCA at the facility.

That being said, a majority of the Xfinity Series and Truck Series fields did test at Rockingham during a two-day open session in late January. Ty Majeski was fastest among the Truck Series drivers, while rookie Corey Day led the Xfinity Series times.

The Truck Series Black’s Tire 200 will be Friday, April 18 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, the NASCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

The ARCA East Rockingham 125 airs Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, followed by the Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at 4 p.m. ET on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.