Rockingham Speedway is back (again) in the latest attempt to bring NASCAR racing back to the historic venue. During the Cup Series’ only weekend in 2025 (Easter), the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series will head to “The Rock” in a stunning revival of the North Carolina track. The Trucks will run on Friday, April 18, with the Xfinity Cars serving as the main event on Saturday, April 19.
“Rockingham Speedway has a rich history in NASCAR, so we look forward to bringing the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series back to the iconic racetrack,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing officer. “The Rock weekend will provide an opportunity to showcase the sport’s future stars at a venue with a rich history.”
This will be the first Truck Series race at Rockingham since 2013 and the first Xfinity race there since 2004. Rockingham also hosted Cup races from 1965 through the 2004 season. There was a brief attempt to revive it in the early 2000s with the Truck Series, but it only lasted two years. The first revival failed as money quickly dried up, and the track has been auctioned off several times in the past two decades.
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So how does this work in 2025? It’s not unlike the events surrounding the revival of North Wilkesboro Speedway. After falling into disrepair, North Wilkesboro Speedway has been miraculously restored and now hosts the All-Star Race every year. The money for the project came from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which planned to help the country recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has allocated millions of dollars to three racetracks in the state—including $9 million directed to Rockingham for infrastructure purposes. Less than a year later, the 1,017-mile track has been completely repaved, the garages updated, a new media center built, and many other improvements.
The final NASCAR Cup Series race at Rockingham in 2004, where Matt Kenseth beat Kasey Kahne in a photo finish.
filming: Motorsports Pictures
“Rockingham Raceway is honored to welcome NASCAR fans, especially from across the state, back to Richmond County,” said Dan Lovenheim, owner of Rockingham Raceway. “Our team has put a tremendous amount of work and resources into updating the property and providing the area with a destination to be proud of. This moment validates our plans. We have completely renovated the facility and are excited to show off to race fans what we have accomplished.”
“We look forward to partnering with Track Enterprises and NASCAR to host the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series over Easter weekend. We also thank Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Legislature for their participation and investment in our vision. We can’t wait to see the green flag wave again for NASCAR racing at The Rock.”
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