Back in 2001, it was a moment that every sports fan hopes they never see. Dale Earnhardt Sr., in heartbreaking incident, died in a crash at the Daytona 500. A silence fell over the sport, and NASCAR banded together. That’s where the Rockingham Speedway came in. It was the next track, the perfect place for a tribute, and when Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it, NASCAR collectively shed a tear.

It wasn’t long before Rockingham would leave the Cup Series. It wasn’t just the tribute that made the track special. It had rich history to it, and we saw it this weekend.

For a moment, Rockingham Speedway didn’t just return for drivers, it was alive. Once a staple from 1965 to 2004, the track had faded into memory, left off schedules, and out of sight. But since Friday, it roared again. Engines echoed, and over 20,000 fans returned, not for nostalgia alone, but for something real. With the Xfinity and Truck Series back after a decade, fans share their feelings. And their comments? It might encourage NASCAR to bring the CUP series to The Rock soon!

Last August, NASCAR fuelled fans’ excitement by announcing their return to the iconic Rockingham Speedway, after a tune-up test in January. Ben Kennedy, the Vice President of NASCAR, said last year, “Rockingham Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, so we look forward to the return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series to the famed racetrack. The holiday race weekend at The Rock will offer the opportunity to showcase the future stars of the sport at a venue with a rich history.” A year after Kennedy’s announcement, NASCAR hosted its Truck Series event last Friday and its Xfinity Series yesterday, fulfilling their promise to return to this prestigious track.

While the Truck Series events last took place on the mile-long track in 2o13, the Xfinity Series races stopped much earlier, in 2004. Therefore, yesterday’s race remained quite special to the people. Prominent journalist Adam Stern tweeted about the massive success of the event, highlighting the presence of 20000 people.

The race delivered the kind of drama every fan likes to see. Sammy Smith claimed the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 even though Jesse Love crossed the finish line before him. It all started in the overtime, right before the restart. Jesse Love, in his #2 Chevy, was waiting right behind Sammy Smith in the #8 car. As soon as the flag turned green, Love didn’t miss a beat. His car dashed down the inside, finding incredible grip as Smith could do nothing but watch.

Love took the checkered just moments later as celebrations erupted. After all, returning to the Rock to see a young driver win is what fans want. That’s when the ruling came. There was an issue with the rear suspension. “All mating surfaces of those parts need to be in complete contact with each other, and unfortunately they violated that rule and were disqualified,” said Eric Peterson, the director.

“It’s a tough way to win that, but I feel like we’ll take ’em any way we can get ’em, We waited here to see what happens, but overall, it was a good day, and I’m very happy with the progress we’ve made recently,” Love said.

From emotions to controversy, the Xfinity Series’ return clearly struck a chord with fans. And their reactions? Overwhelming in a word.

NASCAR fans are enthusiastic about Rockingham Speedway after the Xfinity Series’ return

Judging by the action on track and the strong audience response, it wasn’t just a good day for Smith but a big win for Rockingham, as well. One fan summed it perfectly on Reddit: “that’s great. I thought the racing was good as well,” he said. Given that Rockingham actively hosted races for five decades, featuring legends like Geoff Bodine, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, and Richard Petty, people were nostalgic when it was abandoned in 2004. If we go back to the last time a Cup Series race was held at the track, the 2004 Subway 400, fans saw something similar when a young Kasey Kahne took on the reigning champion Matt Kenseth and nearly stole a win. The point is, the Rock always delivers.

And fans’ hope for a Cup race was renewed when the stadium was crowded with people yesterday. Echoing this sentiment, another Reddit user commented, “My hope is NASCAR does at least a test with the Cup cars. This weekend showed that the fans will come at least. Imagine a crowd for a Cup race.” NASCAR has seen the potential historic tracks have. Just look at the Clash at Bowman gray from earlier this year. And let’s not forget, NASCAR has put in $9 million just to bring the track back to life. It’s not just fans saying it either.

Even Kenny Wallace predicted something similar when he said, “NASCAR is coming right back home and I really believe there’s room for three races a year to go right back to where we came from, cuz the Chicago street course race is working the only thing I could ever see is if politics got in the way.”

People felt nostalgic. “Was at the track today, extremely impressed with how the track did and the racing. Definitely missed a larger video board today and there should be a few other improvements before cup goes back there, but it was a great day to be back at the Rock,” commented another person whose words again aligned with Wallace’s statement, “I saw enough examples today, touring the racetrack. I’ll tell you what it is, and I don’t feel bad about saying it: I saw all three automakers here. And I think they’re here to get data because they know Cup is going to come back here.”

The Cup Series might take some time for its return on The Rock, but NASCAR fans are overwhelmed with the viewership. “I just hope that the tv numbers are just as promising,” commented another fan. In yesterday’s race, Rockingham received a grand welcome with over 20000 guests, including grandstand seating with 45 corporate suits. WBTV also confirmed that all the tickets were completely sold out, marking the event’s success.

Despite their opinions about the race, people stood by Rockingham Speedway, showing how desperately they waited for NASCAR’s return on this grand stage. Such emotions reflected on a Reddit user’s comment, who said, “I’m glad it did well in this regard, but I can’t help but be slightly disappointed with the race.” 

After Rockingham’s grand success, the Xfinity Series will return to action at Talladega Superspeedway next Saturday for the AG-Pro 300. Are you excited?