North Carolina Speedway
Encyclopedia
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina
. It is affectionately known as "The Rock" and hosted two NASCAR Cup Series, the Subway 400
(1966–2004) and the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
(1965–2003), as well as two Busch Series
races, the Goody's Headache Powder 200
(1982–2004) and the Target House 200
(1984–2003). Rockingham has hosted Automobile Racing Club of America
and USAR Hooters Pro Cup series races since 2008. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School, which is owned by new track owner Andy Hillenburg
, and is used extensively for NASCAR testing. It has been used often for television and movie filming, and the 2004
ESPN
telefilm 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
was filmed at the track along with some scenes from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
. For the filming of the later movie, the walls were repainted to resemble famous tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It also was the site of the 2007 Bollywood
film Ta Ra Rum Pum.
The track opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval measuring slightly over one mile in length. The track surface is rather abrasive compared to other tracks on the circuit, due to the high sand content of paving compounds made from local materials. This abrasiveness notoriously contributed to excessive tire wear. This characteristic is often cited as a demanding element of racing at the facility, necessitating strict management of tire wear by teams. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. North Carolina Speedway played host to two NASCAR Winston Cup races each year through 2003. The final NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Rockingham was held on February 22, 2004 with Matt Kenseth
winning the event.
In 2008, a new half-mile oval was built behind the backstretch for driving schools, but quickly became a popular test track for NASCAR race cars in preparation for races at Martinsville Speedway
, as the tracks are similar in length and radius of turns. Since Rockingham is not on the NASCAR circuit, testing is unlimited. (Martinsville cannot be used for Sprint Cup testing.) On August 16, 2011 it was announced that Rockingham would install SAFER Barrier
along the track walls to improve driver safety. However, rumors spread of the track possibly getting a date on the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. On September 2, an announcement was made by ESPN that Rockingham would receive a Truck Series race scheduled for April 2012 and a press conference would be held on September 7 with Andy Hillenburg and North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue
to announce plans. The press conference on September 7 confirmed that the race would be called the "Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200" and be held on April 15. Wayne Auton, the director of the truck series, confirmed that teams can still test at Rockingham until December 31. However, testing on the .526 mile oval would remain legal.
On November 22th, 2011. The track announced that the track will be getting a NASCAR
K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Southern Modified Tour
dates along with the UARA Stars Late Model Series race on November 3rd, 2012
's first superspeedway, Darlington Speedway, in 1950. Land owned the property, which is settled in the sandhills of North Carolina, and together, they set out to find funding. They went to local lawyer Elsie Webb who assembled a group of backers. The duo also sold shares to the locals for $1 per share, and at one time had about 1,000 shareholders.
The speedway was built as a 1.000 mile oval with flat turns. North Carolina Motor Speedway opened on October 31, 1965, holding its first race on the same day. The American 500 was a 500 lap, 500 mile NASCAR Grand National Series race won by Curtis Turner
at an average speed of 101.942 miles per hour. Turner dominated the race, which was attended by 35,000 people, leading 239 laps and winning by 11 seconds. The winner's purse was $13,090 ($88434.05 adjusted for inflation). The American 500 was the 54th of 55 races in the 1965 season, which included NASCAR
legends including Cale Yarborough
(who finished second), Richard Petty
, Ned Jarrett
(who would go on to win the championship), Buddy Baker
, David Pearson, and Junior Johnson
. Only 19 of the 43 car were running at the end of the race.
The speedway held two Grand National races the next year, the Peach Blossom 500, and American 500. The Peach Blossom 500 would change names multiple times, usually using the name Carolina 500, before ending as the Subway 400
. The American 500 would also change names multiple times ending as the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
. The first race was typically held in early March or late February, and the second race was held in late October. In 1967 and 1968 the Carolina 500 was run in June. The speedway held two Grand National series races every year until 2004.
(ISC) and in 2004, one of its two Sprint Cup races (the crucial fall race, often the penultimate date on the schedule) was transferred to ISC's California Speedway
. The change was made after sagging attendance at Rockingham Speedway. It left the track with only one date, in late February, a highly unpopular date for spectators due to the commonly unpredictable weather. That date was moved up from the traditional early spring date in 1992 when Richmond International Raceway
wanted a later date than the traditional post-Daytona date because of two postponements in the late 1980s caused by snow. Rumors persisted that the track's lone remaining date was also in jeopardy, as several new tracks in larger, warm-weather markets coveted the date, which was the first race following the Daytona 500
, and in 2002 and 2004, Fox's
first race of the season.
Despite wide speculation that the race was in its final year, it failed to sell out, falling nearly 10,000 short of the 60,000 capacity. The track indeed hosted its final race on February 22, 2004. In that last race, Matt Kenseth
held off then rookie
Kasey Kahne
on the last lap to win by only 0.010 seconds. This finish was one of the closest in NASCAR history, and viewed by many fans as one of the best finishes that season. It is also known for a wild crash early in the race in which Carl Long
flipped wildly down the backstretch.
In the wake of the Ferko lawsuit
, and the sagging attendance, the track's state of affairs was sharply altered. In the settlement, ISC sold Rockingham Speedway to Speedway Motorsports (SMI), and the track's lone remaining race was "transferred" to Texas Motor Speedway
. Some NASCAR fans saw things differently, however, because it was Darlington Raceway
's prestigious Southern 500
removed from the schedule for the second race in Texas, and the date for The Rock was sent to Phoenix International Raceway
. SMI agreed to host no NASCAR events at the track while it was under their ownership. Upon its exit from the NASCAR circuit, The Rock joined such facilities as Ontario Motor Speedway
, Riverside International Raceway
, North Wilkesboro Speedway
, Texas World Speedway
, and Music City Motorplex
as tracks removed from the circuit.
Most agree that the lack of any other tourist attractions in the area (the nearest major attraction is the legendary golf
venue Pinehurst Resort
, where a NASCAR on Fox
promotion had a sweepstakes winner winning a trip there as part of race tickets), and the relatively small size of the city hurt ticket sales. In addition, other tracks nearby such as Lowe's Motor Speedway
and Darlington Speedway (in the Florence-Myrtle Beach region) had a tendency to lure away fans looking to catch a race. All of this despite Rockingham's reputation for good racing (though it never reached 40 official lead changes in a single race; the most was 37 in 1981) and for having great sightlines for spectators. It must also be mentioned that the facility made limited infrastructure reinvestments over the years while being owned by the DeWitt family, and seemed to lag behind other facilities which continually modernized and updated their business plans, especially after it was sold to pay off estate taxes owed by the DeWitt and Wilson families which had owned the track.
ARCA RE/MAX Series
Series car owner and former driver Andy Hillenburg
, who owns Fast Track High Performance Driving School, paid $
4.4 million for the track.
Just hours after closing the deal for the sale, he called some sanctioning bodies to arrange dates for his new circuit.
A 500-kilometer ARCA RE/MAX Series
race took place during the weekend of May 3–4, 2008, featuring two rounds of qualifying and practice on Saturday and the Carolina 500 on Sunday. It was the richest race on the 2008 ARCA schedule and featured a starting field of fifty cars. Up and coming NASCAR star Joey Logano
won the race at 17 years 346 days, the youngest to win a major race at the track, by passing Ken Schrader, who was making his 53rd start (39 NSCS, 13 NNS) at the track, after a caution. Logano dominated the 500-kilometer affair, winning the pole, leading the most laps, and passing Schrader with five laps remaining to win the track's return to major racing with Bill Venturini's Chevrolet. The 500k distance was not held again for ARCA, as ARCA had a pair of 200 miles (321.9 km) races in 2009 at the track. Rockingham lost one race in 2010, but will still hold the season ending American 200. For 2011, ARCA left and was replaced by the UARA and USAR series for the two races.
The road course has been restored, and in December 2007, testing on the road course commenced. The road course's first week of racing was on January 5–6, 2008, featuring Legends Cars, Bandolero, and Thunder Roadsters.
A 150-lap street stock race, the Polar Bear 150, was held on January 1, 2009, and the event has since become an annual race. Street stock is generally the entry-level class of racing at most short tracks, become an annual race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered a pair of cars for the race, one for his car chief at Hendrick Motorsports and another for an Earnhardt Ganassi Racing mechanic who decided to race in the event. His brother-in-law, Jimmy Elledge (crew chief for Scott Speed in the Sprint Cup) also drove in the race. The race was moved for the 2010-11 offseason to Thanksgiving weekend, and in November 2010, Kurt Busch
drove in the street stock race, debuting his new number (#22).
.
On September 7, 2011, it was announced that Rockingham would hold its inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on April 15, 2012, the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race held at the track since the series inception. The announcement made by track owner Andy Hillenburg and North Carolina governor Bev Perdue
, who said that the track would help the local economy by about $7.2–$10.5 million (2011 USD). Wayne Auton, the Truck Series director, announced that NASCAR testing would end on December 31, 2011 on the main track, but would remain on the half-mile facility.
tested his Darlington car at Rockingham days before its race to not waste one of his five assigned tests.
In 2006, new rules banned all testing at active Sprint Cup tracks except at selected NASCAR-approved open tests during the season, thereby making testing at Rockingham crucial. Penske Racing
tested at the track in mid-April 2006, and with the abrasiveness of the Atlanta Motor Speedway
surface, which has not been repaved since reconstruction in 1997, and Atlanta's participation in the Sprint for the Cup, many teams are considering returning to Rockingham in September or October to test their cars to simulate Atlanta's similar surface.
NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow
(or COT) has led to a boom in testing at the track, and many teams used the track for testing the new cars when it was announced the car would be used in 2007.
In the runup to the COT's debut, Michael Waltrip Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Yates Racing
, and Roush Fenway Racing tested their COT's at the track.
Elliott Sadler
was asked about testing the Car of Tomorrow at Phoenix International Raceway
the day after the 2006 Checker Auto Parts 500
.
Greg Biffle
said during the 2007 NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder press conference, "Pat (Tryson, crew chief, who was subsequently released and joined Penske Racing) and I are going to Rockingham (January 18) with a COT to try to learn some things about them, bump stops and all of the things that are new on them, you know, because we are going to race them at Darlington. But those are going to be keys to making the Chase is running well with that COT car and getting our downforce cars to handle good."
Testing at Rockingham has become a premium because of NASCAR's rules limiting testing imposed since 2006 to the NASCAR-sanctioned open tests. NASCAR rules state testing at tracks not on the series in question is not controlled by the sanctioning body, and many teams evade the testing ban at such tests, which also include the Greenville-Pickens Speedway and Concord Motorsports Park (short tracks), and the Kentucky Speedway (Sprint Cup tests only). Testing at Rockingham is restricted to series that do not run at the circuit (NASCAR mostly), while restrictions to ARCA and USAR-sanctioned open testing apply in those two series because Rockingham is on both series' schedules in 2008. For NASCAR teams, the track has become one of the most popular tracks to test shorter to intermediate tracks on the circuit.
For the 2009 season, NASCAR imposed a blanket ban on testing at any track used by any of NASCAR's three national series or its Camping World touring events. Rockingham, unlike many tracks used in testing historically, is not on any of the series in question, and teams will use both tracks to run around NASCAR's testing ban.
With the opening of the new half-mile oval, the track expects more testing on both the half-mile and mile ovals. The blanket ban will be reimposed on the main speedway for 2012, but the half-mile oval will be legal for testing.
at Martinsville Speedway
that ensuing weekend, as "Little Rock" is designed similar to Martinsville with 800' straights, 588' turns, and the inside lanes of the turns are concrete. Unlike the 1.017 miles (1.6 km) oval, which will be restricted to NASCAR testing on January 1, 2012), NASCAR testing will remain unrestricted on the Little Rock.
The half-mile oval is unique in that instead of a traditional guardrail around the outside of the track, it uses gravel traps similar to road courses. Hillenburg said this is for economical reasons, as a car sliding into a sand trap will not damage a car as much as hitting a wall.
Hillenburg noted, “We've designed a track that can measure one's skill level and they can slide off into a sand trap and not a wall. I can now give parents a straight-up answer as to where their kids stack up.” Jimmie Johnson
was part of the opening group of drivers to test at "Little Rock," and blew a tire. He joking said he nearly ran into his own transporter because of the track's design that lacked the concrete wall for safety.
The new half-mile track, with its intentional similarity to Martinsville, quickly became a testing venue for Sprint Cup teams in 2008, and it with NASCAR testing rules, will likely be a testing hotbed for Sprint Cup teams to test before Martinsville's two races in 2009, since new NASCAR rules prohibit testing on any track on the three national series or the Grand National division, and Rockingham is not on any of those schedules.
The track also has an integrated quarter mile oval for the Bandoleros and Legend's Cars.
When it was part of the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, it also was a filming location for
Rockingham, North Carolina
Rockingham is a city in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States named after the Marquis of Rockingham. The population was 9,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richmond County...
. It is affectionately known as "The Rock" and hosted two NASCAR Cup Series, the Subway 400
Subway 400
The Subway 400 was the second race of the NASCAR Nextel Cup season until 2004, held a week after the Daytona 500. This 400 mile annual race was sponsored by Subway and was held at North Carolina Speedway since 1966...
(1966–2004) and the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup event that took place in November at the North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 2003...
(1965–2003), as well as two Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
races, the Goody's Headache Powder 200
Goody's Headache Powder 200
The Goody's Headache Powder 200 was a NASCAR Busch Series stock car race held at North Carolina Speedway. It was last run in 2004, after which Rockingham was removed from both the Busch as well as Nextel Cup Series schedules....
(1982–2004) and the Target House 200
Target House 200
The Target House 200 was a NASCAR Busch Series stock car race held at North Carolina Speedway as an accompanying race to the Pop Secret 400. It was last run in 2003, after which the fall weekend of racing at Rockingham was removed from both the Busch as well as Winston Cup Series schedules.Like its...
(1984–2003). Rockingham has hosted Automobile Racing Club of America
Automobile Racing Club of America
Automobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...
and USAR Hooters Pro Cup series races since 2008. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School, which is owned by new track owner Andy Hillenburg
Andy Hillenburg
Andy Hillenburg is an American race car driver, team owner and track owner. He began his racing career at age 11, when he competed in the Indianapolis soap box derby. He currently owns Fast Track Racing Enterprises, a racing team that competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA...
, and is used extensively for NASCAR testing. It has been used often for television and movie filming, and the 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
telefilm 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 television movie produced by ESPN documenting the life of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, his poor upbringing in Kannapolis, North Carolina, his rise to dominance in NASCAR, his relationship with his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and his death in the 2001 Daytona 500...
was filmed at the track along with some scenes from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
. For the filming of the later movie, the walls were repainted to resemble famous tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It also was the site of the 2007 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Ta Ra Rum Pum.
The track opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval measuring slightly over one mile in length. The track surface is rather abrasive compared to other tracks on the circuit, due to the high sand content of paving compounds made from local materials. This abrasiveness notoriously contributed to excessive tire wear. This characteristic is often cited as a demanding element of racing at the facility, necessitating strict management of tire wear by teams. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. North Carolina Speedway played host to two NASCAR Winston Cup races each year through 2003. The final NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Rockingham was held on February 22, 2004 with Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
winning the event.
In 2008, a new half-mile oval was built behind the backstretch for driving schools, but quickly became a popular test track for NASCAR race cars in preparation for races at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
, as the tracks are similar in length and radius of turns. Since Rockingham is not on the NASCAR circuit, testing is unlimited. (Martinsville cannot be used for Sprint Cup testing.) On August 16, 2011 it was announced that Rockingham would install SAFER Barrier
SAFER barrier
The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, sometimes called a soft wall, is a technology found primarily on oval automobile race tracks and intended to make racing accidents safer...
along the track walls to improve driver safety. However, rumors spread of the track possibly getting a date on the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. On September 2, an announcement was made by ESPN that Rockingham would receive a Truck Series race scheduled for April 2012 and a press conference would be held on September 7 with Andy Hillenburg and North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
to announce plans. The press conference on September 7 confirmed that the race would be called the "Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200" and be held on April 15. Wayne Auton, the director of the truck series, confirmed that teams can still test at Rockingham until December 31. However, testing on the .526 mile oval would remain legal.
On November 22th, 2011. The track announced that the track will be getting a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned by NASCAR and operated in the Southeastern United States as part of its Modified Division...
dates along with the UARA Stars Late Model Series race on November 3rd, 2012
Opening
Rockingham Speedway, then known as North Carolina Motor Speedway, was the project of Harold Brasington and Bill Land. Brasington, a land developer, also built NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
's first superspeedway, Darlington Speedway, in 1950. Land owned the property, which is settled in the sandhills of North Carolina, and together, they set out to find funding. They went to local lawyer Elsie Webb who assembled a group of backers. The duo also sold shares to the locals for $1 per share, and at one time had about 1,000 shareholders.
The speedway was built as a 1.000 mile oval with flat turns. North Carolina Motor Speedway opened on October 31, 1965, holding its first race on the same day. The American 500 was a 500 lap, 500 mile NASCAR Grand National Series race won by Curtis Turner
Curtis Turner
Curtis Turner was an early NASCAR driver. In addition to his success in racing, he made a fortune, lost it, and remade it buying and selling timberlands. Throughout his life he developed a reputation for drinking and partying...
at an average speed of 101.942 miles per hour. Turner dominated the race, which was attended by 35,000 people, leading 239 laps and winning by 11 seconds. The winner's purse was $13,090 ($88434.05 adjusted for inflation). The American 500 was the 54th of 55 races in the 1965 season, which included NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
legends including Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough
William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
(who finished second), Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, Ned Jarrett
Ned Jarrett
Ned Jarrett is a retired race car driver and two-time NASCAR champion.Jarrett was best known for his calm demeanor, and he became known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett", yet he was an intense competitor when he put his two hands on the steering wheel of a NASCAR Grand National stock car...
(who would go on to win the championship), Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
, David Pearson, and Junior Johnson
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
. Only 19 of the 43 car were running at the end of the race.
The speedway held two Grand National races the next year, the Peach Blossom 500, and American 500. The Peach Blossom 500 would change names multiple times, usually using the name Carolina 500, before ending as the Subway 400
Subway 400
The Subway 400 was the second race of the NASCAR Nextel Cup season until 2004, held a week after the Daytona 500. This 400 mile annual race was sponsored by Subway and was held at North Carolina Speedway since 1966...
. The American 500 would also change names multiple times ending as the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup event that took place in November at the North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 2003...
. The first race was typically held in early March or late February, and the second race was held in late October. In 1967 and 1968 the Carolina 500 was run in June. The speedway held two Grand National series races every year until 2004.
Demise
As part of the acquisition of the Penske Speedways in 1999, the Speedway was sold to International Speedway CorporationInternational Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to...
(ISC) and in 2004, one of its two Sprint Cup races (the crucial fall race, often the penultimate date on the schedule) was transferred to ISC's California Speedway
California Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
. The change was made after sagging attendance at Rockingham Speedway. It left the track with only one date, in late February, a highly unpopular date for spectators due to the commonly unpredictable weather. That date was moved up from the traditional early spring date in 1992 when Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
wanted a later date than the traditional post-Daytona date because of two postponements in the late 1980s caused by snow. Rumors persisted that the track's lone remaining date was also in jeopardy, as several new tracks in larger, warm-weather markets coveted the date, which was the first race following the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, and in 2002 and 2004, Fox's
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
first race of the season.
Despite wide speculation that the race was in its final year, it failed to sell out, falling nearly 10,000 short of the 60,000 capacity. The track indeed hosted its final race on February 22, 2004. In that last race, Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
held off then rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kenneth Kahne is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #5 Farmers Insurance Group Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series....
on the last lap to win by only 0.010 seconds. This finish was one of the closest in NASCAR history, and viewed by many fans as one of the best finishes that season. It is also known for a wild crash early in the race in which Carl Long
Carl Long
James Carlyle Long is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver and mechanic who is currently returning from suspension after a violation on his car during the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Prior to his suspension, he was a crew member on the #34 Front Row Motorsports Cup team...
flipped wildly down the backstretch.
In the wake of the Ferko lawsuit
Ferko lawsuit
The Ferko lawsuit is a common nickname for an American lawsuit that was challenged between plaintiff Francis Ferko, a resident of Plano, Texas and a shareholder of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.'s Texas Motor Speedway, and defendants NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation , which are both owned...
, and the sagging attendance, the track's state of affairs was sharply altered. In the settlement, ISC sold Rockingham Speedway to Speedway Motorsports (SMI), and the track's lone remaining race was "transferred" to Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
. Some NASCAR fans saw things differently, however, because it was Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
's prestigious Southern 500
Southern 500
The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...
removed from the schedule for the second race in Texas, and the date for The Rock was sent to Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
. SMI agreed to host no NASCAR events at the track while it was under their ownership. Upon its exit from the NASCAR circuit, The Rock joined such facilities as Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
, Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
, North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996...
, Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway was built in 1969 and is one of only seven superspeedways of two miles or greater in the United States, the others being Indianapolis, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega, Auto Club, and Michigan. TWS is located on approximately 600 acres on State Highway 6 in College Station, Texas....
, and Music City Motorplex
Music City Motorplex
Fairgrounds Speedway is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racetrack located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is one of the oldest tracks in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984...
as tracks removed from the circuit.
Most agree that the lack of any other tourist attractions in the area (the nearest major attraction is the legendary golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
venue Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst Resort is a historic upmarket golf resort at Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments.-History:...
, where a NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
promotion had a sweepstakes winner winning a trip there as part of race tickets), and the relatively small size of the city hurt ticket sales. In addition, other tracks nearby such as Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
and Darlington Speedway (in the Florence-Myrtle Beach region) had a tendency to lure away fans looking to catch a race. All of this despite Rockingham's reputation for good racing (though it never reached 40 official lead changes in a single race; the most was 37 in 1981) and for having great sightlines for spectators. It must also be mentioned that the facility made limited infrastructure reinvestments over the years while being owned by the DeWitt family, and seemed to lag behind other facilities which continually modernized and updated their business plans, especially after it was sold to pay off estate taxes owed by the DeWitt and Wilson families which had owned the track.
New ownership
Speedway Motorsports put the track up for auction on October 2, 2007.ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
Series car owner and former driver Andy Hillenburg
Andy Hillenburg
Andy Hillenburg is an American race car driver, team owner and track owner. He began his racing career at age 11, when he competed in the Indianapolis soap box derby. He currently owns Fast Track Racing Enterprises, a racing team that competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA...
, who owns Fast Track High Performance Driving School, paid $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
4.4 million for the track.
Just hours after closing the deal for the sale, he called some sanctioning bodies to arrange dates for his new circuit.
A 500-kilometer ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
race took place during the weekend of May 3–4, 2008, featuring two rounds of qualifying and practice on Saturday and the Carolina 500 on Sunday. It was the richest race on the 2008 ARCA schedule and featured a starting field of fifty cars. Up and coming NASCAR star Joey Logano
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...
won the race at 17 years 346 days, the youngest to win a major race at the track, by passing Ken Schrader, who was making his 53rd start (39 NSCS, 13 NNS) at the track, after a caution. Logano dominated the 500-kilometer affair, winning the pole, leading the most laps, and passing Schrader with five laps remaining to win the track's return to major racing with Bill Venturini's Chevrolet. The 500k distance was not held again for ARCA, as ARCA had a pair of 200 miles (321.9 km) races in 2009 at the track. Rockingham lost one race in 2010, but will still hold the season ending American 200. For 2011, ARCA left and was replaced by the UARA and USAR series for the two races.
The road course has been restored, and in December 2007, testing on the road course commenced. The road course's first week of racing was on January 5–6, 2008, featuring Legends Cars, Bandolero, and Thunder Roadsters.
A 150-lap street stock race, the Polar Bear 150, was held on January 1, 2009, and the event has since become an annual race. Street stock is generally the entry-level class of racing at most short tracks, become an annual race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered a pair of cars for the race, one for his car chief at Hendrick Motorsports and another for an Earnhardt Ganassi Racing mechanic who decided to race in the event. His brother-in-law, Jimmy Elledge (crew chief for Scott Speed in the Sprint Cup) also drove in the race. The race was moved for the 2010-11 offseason to Thanksgiving weekend, and in November 2010, Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 22 Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will race on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA...
drove in the street stock race, debuting his new number (#22).
Since 2008
Starting in 2008, Rockingham has held the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards season ending race, dubbed the American 200. This has been the premier event at Rockingham since its reopening. In 2009 Rockingham held an additional ARCA race, however that race will not be held in 2010. Rockingham also holds the Carolina 200, the finale for USARacing. In addition to these events, Rockingham will also have Chumpcar World Series, Legends and Bandolero racingBandolero racing
Bandolero car racing is a type of entry-level racing in the United States. Many bandolero car drivers move into Legends racing. Cars can reach in excess of 70 mph, but do not accelerate very quickly. The cars are built like miniature stock cars, with a tube frame and sheet metal cage. Drivers...
.
On September 7, 2011, it was announced that Rockingham would hold its inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on April 15, 2012, the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race held at the track since the series inception. The announcement made by track owner Andy Hillenburg and North Carolina governor Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
, who said that the track would help the local economy by about $7.2–$10.5 million (2011 USD). Wayne Auton, the Truck Series director, announced that NASCAR testing would end on December 31, 2011 on the main track, but would remain on the half-mile facility.
Testing
Rockingham has become a test track for many Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams because of testing restrictions by NASCAR on active tracks. After the track was stripped of its dates, teams began using the circuit to test cars and engines, especially to simulate abrasive wear at certain tracks (Darlington and Atlanta most notably). In 2005, Kyle PettyKyle Petty
Kyle Eugene Petty is a former American NASCAR driver and is currently a co-host for NASCAR RaceDay and panel member for NASCAR Smarts which are both on SPEED. He also commentates for TNT in the summer. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam...
tested his Darlington car at Rockingham days before its race to not waste one of his five assigned tests.
In 2006, new rules banned all testing at active Sprint Cup tracks except at selected NASCAR-approved open tests during the season, thereby making testing at Rockingham crucial. Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
tested at the track in mid-April 2006, and with the abrasiveness of the Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
surface, which has not been repaved since reconstruction in 1997, and Atlanta's participation in the Sprint for the Cup, many teams are considering returning to Rockingham in September or October to test their cars to simulate Atlanta's similar surface.
NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow
Car of Tomorrow
The Car of Tomorrow, sometimes called CoT or "Car of Today", is the car style for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larger and boxier than the design it replaced, the Car of Tomorrow is safer, costs less to maintain, and was intended to make for closer competition.The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup...
(or COT) has led to a boom in testing at the track, and many teams used the track for testing the new cars when it was announced the car would be used in 2007.
In the runup to the COT's debut, Michael Waltrip Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Yates Racing
Yates Racing
Yates Racing was an American stock car racing racing team that competed in NASCAR until the 2009 season when it merged with Richard Petty Motorsports. Previously known as Robert Yates Racing, the team was owned by Doug Yates, who has officially owned the team since his father Robert's retirement on...
, and Roush Fenway Racing tested their COT's at the track.
Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is one of only 23 drivers to have won in each of NASCAR's top three series...
was asked about testing the Car of Tomorrow at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
the day after the 2006 Checker Auto Parts 500
Checker Auto Parts 500
The Kobalt Tools 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race held at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The race is sponsored by Lowe's through its Kobalt Tools brand.-Past winners:*1998: Race shortened due to rain....
.
"No, I'm going to Rockingham on Wednesday to test the (Car of Tomorrow). We wanted to go to a very bumpy racetrack. The car slams down on the banking very hard at Rockingham and make sure we've got all the springs and all the bumps very smooth feeling. That'll be my first time in the COT. I'm pretty anxious and looking forward to it. NASCAR fans, and we're all fans in this garage, don't like change. We're just skeptical of it, and we've had some really good racing this year, some of the best racing we've had in a while. We're just starting to learn how to get our cars better with the short spoilers. Nobody really wants to change, but how can you complain or argue with NASCAR? They've done such a good job the past 10 years of growing our sport and making it more fan friendly and appealing to TV and things like that. If they think this is going to help our sport grow, we've got to get in there whether we think it's right or wrong and do it with them."
Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle
Gregory Jack "Greg" Biffle is a NASCAR driver who drives the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-90s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former announcer Benny Parsons...
said during the 2007 NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder press conference, "Pat (Tryson, crew chief, who was subsequently released and joined Penske Racing) and I are going to Rockingham (January 18) with a COT to try to learn some things about them, bump stops and all of the things that are new on them, you know, because we are going to race them at Darlington. But those are going to be keys to making the Chase is running well with that COT car and getting our downforce cars to handle good."
Testing at Rockingham has become a premium because of NASCAR's rules limiting testing imposed since 2006 to the NASCAR-sanctioned open tests. NASCAR rules state testing at tracks not on the series in question is not controlled by the sanctioning body, and many teams evade the testing ban at such tests, which also include the Greenville-Pickens Speedway and Concord Motorsports Park (short tracks), and the Kentucky Speedway (Sprint Cup tests only). Testing at Rockingham is restricted to series that do not run at the circuit (NASCAR mostly), while restrictions to ARCA and USAR-sanctioned open testing apply in those two series because Rockingham is on both series' schedules in 2008. For NASCAR teams, the track has become one of the most popular tracks to test shorter to intermediate tracks on the circuit.
For the 2009 season, NASCAR imposed a blanket ban on testing at any track used by any of NASCAR's three national series or its Camping World touring events. Rockingham, unlike many tracks used in testing historically, is not on any of the series in question, and teams will use both tracks to run around NASCAR's testing ban.
With the opening of the new half-mile oval, the track expects more testing on both the half-mile and mile ovals. The blanket ban will be reimposed on the main speedway for 2012, but the half-mile oval will be legal for testing.
Little Rock
A new half-mile track (.526 miles), dubbed the Little Rock, was built behind the backstretch for other classes of short-track cars and for the Fast Track driving school Hillenburg owns, and opened October 13, 2008. NASCAR Sprint Cup teams immediately christened the track for testing in preparation for the TUMS QuikPak 5002008 TUMS QuikPak 500
The 2008 Tums QuikPak 500 was the thirty-second race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and started off the second half of the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 500-lap, event, the only race on the Chase that is scheduled to be held on a short track , was held on October 19 at Martinsville...
at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
that ensuing weekend, as "Little Rock" is designed similar to Martinsville with 800' straights, 588' turns, and the inside lanes of the turns are concrete. Unlike the 1.017 miles (1.6 km) oval, which will be restricted to NASCAR testing on January 1, 2012), NASCAR testing will remain unrestricted on the Little Rock.
The half-mile oval is unique in that instead of a traditional guardrail around the outside of the track, it uses gravel traps similar to road courses. Hillenburg said this is for economical reasons, as a car sliding into a sand trap will not damage a car as much as hitting a wall.
Hillenburg noted, “We've designed a track that can measure one's skill level and they can slide off into a sand trap and not a wall. I can now give parents a straight-up answer as to where their kids stack up.” Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
was part of the opening group of drivers to test at "Little Rock," and blew a tire. He joking said he nearly ran into his own transporter because of the track's design that lacked the concrete wall for safety.
The new half-mile track, with its intentional similarity to Martinsville, quickly became a testing venue for Sprint Cup teams in 2008, and it with NASCAR testing rules, will likely be a testing hotbed for Sprint Cup teams to test before Martinsville's two races in 2009, since new NASCAR rules prohibit testing on any track on the three national series or the Grand National division, and Rockingham is not on any of those schedules.
The track also has an integrated quarter mile oval for the Bandoleros and Legend's Cars.
Film and commercial usage
The speedway has become a venue for active filming for movies, television programs, and television commercials, often with its venues being used for various facilities. Notable films include:- 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story3: The Dale Earnhardt Story3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 television movie produced by ESPN documenting the life of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, his poor upbringing in Kannapolis, North Carolina, his rise to dominance in NASCAR, his relationship with his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and his death in the 2001 Daytona 500...
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
- Ta Ra Rum Pum (a BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film) - SPEED Road Tour ChallengeSPEED Road Tour ChallengeSpeed Road Tour Challenge is a reality television game show that airs on the United States cable/satellite network Speed Channel. The host is Rutledge Wood....
(final task) - 2007 UPSUnited Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
commercials featuring Dale JarrettDale JarrettDale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...
, the UPS truck, and team.
When it was part of the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, it also was a filming location for
- Days of ThunderDays of ThunderDays of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
External links
- Rockingham Speedway Track Page
- 2008 Rockingham Speedway Schedule
- Track statistics and winner list at racing-reference.info
- Track page at NASCAR.com
- Tom Roberts Public Relations news release on Kurt Busch and Penske Racing testing at Rockingham.
- 2003 Sports Illustrated article on NASCAR considering removing the raceway from the schedule
- AP article on NASCAR being gone from Rockingham
- An article on the pending auction of the track
- Andy Hillenburg's Fast Track High Performance Driving School