NASCAR has announced the long-awaited news that racing will return to “THE ROCK” – Rockingham Speedway – in 2025.
After a 12-year break, the one-mile track on the eastern edge of Richmond County in North Carolina’s Sandhills will host the Craftsman Series Truck Race on Friday, April 18, 2025. On Saturday, April 19, “The Rock” will be the scene of the Xfinity Race. There will be no race on Easter Sunday, April 20, a NASCAR tradition.
“On behalf of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners, we are proud to welcome NASCAR and the fans back to The Rockingham Speedway!” smiled Jeff Smart, chairman of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners. “We are thrilled to be added to the racing schedule; we have been waiting a long time for this exciting news,” Smart added. “It truly gives us something else to look forward to next spring – bringing this resurrected facility back to life, one that is a true asset to our county.”
The last NASCAR CUP race was in February 2004, and the last race of significance was the NC Education Lottery Truck Race in April 2013.
“Rockingham Speedway is proud to welcome NASCAR and especially race fans from all over the state back to Richmond County,” said Rockingham Speedway owner Dan Lovenheim. “Our team has put a tremendous amount of work and resources into modernizing the property and providing the area with a destination to be proud of. This moment validates our plans. We’ve refreshed the entire facility and are eager to show race fans what we’ve done.”
“Bringing NASCAR back to The Rock has been a team effort,” said Martie Butler, Richmond County Economic Development. “Racing is in the fabric of Richmond County, and the support from the community and race fans has been overwhelming. The economic impact of this will be transformational to not only Richmond County but the Sandhills region. We must thank and acknowledge those who have shared and invested in our efforts to revive The Rock. The Richmond County Board of Commissioners, members of NC General Assembly, Gov. Cooper, City of Rockingham, Richmond County Tourism, Dan Lovenheim Track Owner, Track Enterprises and NASCAR along with many others; All have played an integral role in getting our beloved speedway back on the schedule.”
The Richmond County officials are very appreciative of the support from members of the General Assembly and Gov. Cooper as both supported and invested in the Rockingham Speedway.
In February 2023, Cooper and many from his administration traveled to Richmond County, where the “Moonshine & Motorsports Trail” was introduced, with “The Rock” being the first-named location.
“Racing gives people something they like to do, and it helps to put us on the map nationally as a place to be,” Cooper said then. “We are the birthplace of NASCAR, and we need to be excited about that and continue to tout that.”
The site of movies such as “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” Rockingham Speedway has long been talked about in the professional circuit as a return venue.
Celebrated NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace said at the February 2023 announcement that “The Rock” is one of his all-time favorite racetracks, where he won five times.
“I remember going into turn three and me and Earnhardt running side by side,” Wallace recalled. “He was a lap down. I was getting ready to lap him, I got sideways and hit him. He got up and hit the wall. I won the race, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see this track being revitalized and hopefully some big races back here at the Rockingham Speedway,” Wallace said then.
Notable figures in the racing world, including Richard Petty and Terry Labonte, have also spoken of their fondness for the track and support its revival.
The Rockingham Speedway dates back to 1965 when the inaugural American 500 was run. A sixty-year anniversary of sorts will be the crowning touch for this majestic edifice, which has changed hands many times in its history. But with the announcement that NASCAR is indeed returning in 2025, another chapter in “The Rock” will be added.
Bryan Land, Richmond County manager, is a 6th generation native of Richmond County who started working for his grandfather at the Rockingham Speedway in the cafeteria, luxury suites and parking areas at a young age.
“This announcement is years in the making and something that you won’t want to miss,” said Land, county manager of Richmond County. “We look forward to the revitalization of the Speedway and the economic impact it will have on our county and region. This is great news from NASCAR and an indication of the importance ‘The Rock’ has played and will continue to play in Richmond County and the State of North Carolina.”
Tickets for NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway will go on sale Friday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. Log on to RacetheRock.com for continuing details and updates.
Contributed/Courtesy photo.
