Picture this: it’s 1994 at Rockingham Speedway, and Dale Earnhardt’s black No. 3 car crosses the finish line to seal his seventh NASCAR title. The North Carolina crowd roars, tires screech, and the air smells of burnt rubber and victory. Fast-forward to April 2025, and “The Rock” is alive again—not with the Cup Series, but with a sold-out Xfinity Series event and Kasey Kahne staging his comeback in the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. That same gritty spirit lingers, and fans are buzzing, dreaming of a Cup Series return to this 1.017-mile oval. Rockingham’s revival feels like a love letter to NASCAR’s roots, and the fans are ready to sign it.
This weekend’s races are not just a nostalgic flex—they are a statement. The Xfinity Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 250 sold out its 32,000 seats, a feat Track Enterprises called rare for the series. Meanwhile, the Craftsman Truck Series brought back memories of Kahne’s 2012 win here. Fans see this as more than a one-off; it’s a chance to bring Rockingham back to NASCAR’s biggest stage.
But here’s the catch: Rockingham’s Cup Series dreams aren’t a done deal. The track hasn’t hosted a NASCAR race since 2004, when Matt Kenseth won the Subway 400. A $9 million state investment from Governor Roy Cooper in 2021 resurfaced the track and upgraded facilities, but history looms large. The timing of Rock’s return couldn’t have been better. NASCAR is focused on its expansion, chasing new viewers with an international race in Mexico City. Moreover, they’ve added a new streaming partner in Amazon Prime Video to help them reach their goals. But somewhere along the line, the governing body has turned a blind eye to its historic tracks.
There’s no clear timeline on when the Auto Speedway Club will be restored back to its former glory. And not to forget, Richmond Raceway, a prominent short track, lost one of its dates from the NASCAR calendar. Clearly, there are big plans for the premier series, but the good part about the NASCAR 2025 schedule is that they at least gave Rockingham Speedway a shot at revival, albeit in the lower series.
#NASCAR … Rockingham Speedway announces sellout of its grandstand seats for Saturday’s Xfinity and ARCA East races.
Tickets remain for Friday’s Truck race at Rockingham
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) April 15, 2025
If anything, sold-out seats for the Xfinity and ARCA East races are an indicator that fans are hyped for this weekend’s racing. Expressing their excitement over the event, fans took to social media to launch a movement to bring back Rockingham to the Cup Series. And they had some pretty interesting suggestions.
Hope and Hunger for NASCAR’s Return to “The Rock”
One fan summed it up: “If this weekend goes well enough, I think moving the spring Bristol date to Rockingham would be a no-brainer.” After the dirt experiment went south, the return to concrete hasn’t been all that great. Yeah, last year’s tire wear race was an exception, but the on-track racing is just a tough watch. Last Sunday’s race was a snooze fest, with Kyle Larson leading 411 of 500 laps. If anything, the onus is on NASCAR to improve short-track racing or else suggestions like this will keep
Then there’s the heart: “Just feels right to have a race at the Rock. To me, it was always a fun early or late season TNN race.” For fans who grew up watching Mark Martin rip off 11 Xfinity wins here from 1982 to 2004, Rockingham was NASCAR’s soul. TNN broadcasts in the ‘80s and ‘90s made it a staple, showcasing battles where drivers like Harry Gant thrived on the track’s tricky surface. Its D-shaped design forces skill over horsepower—perfect for fans who tired of watching execution races on Sundays with the spec cars.
Finally, fans are dreaming big: “Honestly probably not far off the attendance for the Bristol Cup race,” one said, while another added, “Interested to see how the cup cars race there.” They’ve got a point—Rockingham’s 32,000 sellout looks packed and rowdy. Apart from the repave, the entire track had a facelift with new facilities and concession stands. We’ve seen that NASCAR opted to race the finale in Phoenix because of the facility, so if everything goes smoothly, a Cup return might not be an ambitious ask.
Another made an interesting suggestion about bringing Kentucky Speedway back to life. “Then bring back Kentucky, this current car races better at that style of track than Bristol. It’s closer to a lot more metro’s in the Midwest than Bristol.” Back in 2011, Kyle Busch won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at the intermediate racetrack. But this race was mired by reports about traffic congestion and 20,000 fans being turned away. Well, all of that was sorted with SMI’s $11 million investment. However, the track hasn’t been on schedule since 2022 and needs a lifeline. If Rock can get a shot at hosting NASCAR events, why can’t Kentucky Speedway?
Fans are curious about Next Gen Cup cars on a 1-mile track, expecting short-track magic like Martinsville’s 12 lead changes in 2024. If The Rock delivers, it could be NASCAR’s next chapter—a revival that started with a roar and ended with a crown.
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