NASCAR is a sport blended with culture and history to its core. Not just conducting races, venues also play an important role in building history around the sport. Fans feel a deep connection to these tracks. These venues have helped in passing the love for racing from one generation to the next. But not every racetrack gets the love and support.

Until recently, North Wilkesboro Speedway was struggling despite its rich history, including hosting NASCAR’s first finale in 1949 and seeing Richard Petty win 15 times. Witnessing its decline, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took action, sparking the racetrack’s revival. By 2023, North Wilkesboro proudly hosted the NASCAR All-Star race. This revival wasn’t just about a single track; it ignited a movement across the NASCAR community to honor and reclaim the sport’s cherished history.

NASCAR’s legendary venue set to make a comeback

What started with North Wilkesboro Speedway was a beginning in many senses. The revival of many other historic racetracks around the States followed. Most prominent among these was the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. The venue will host The Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, also known as ‘The Clash.‘. Another historic venue that is set to make a comeback in the upcoming season is the Rockingham Speedway. The historic venue in North Carolina will host its first Xfinity Series race since 2004 and its first Craftsman Truck Series race since 2013.

The excitement around the venue hosting NASCAR races after a long time is increasing. Even insiders are excited about it. Ben Kennedy, the Executive Vice President of Venue and Racing Innovation Officer at NASCAR, couldn’t contain his excitement. Talking about the venue on NASCAR’s official YouTube channel and the return of NASCAR racing to it, Kennedy said, “Frankly, looking at the success of some of these new events like a North Wilkesboro as an example felt like it was a good opportunity to go back to the rock and not only with our Craftsman Truck Series but the Xfinity Series and on Easter weekend.”

The build-up to NASCAR racing returning to the North Carolina-based racetrack has been going on for a while now. While giving details about the same, Kennedy further added, “We’ve been talking about the rock for a few years now and this one came through our partners at Track Enterprises who’ve put on a number of our Craftsman Truck Series races over the past few years and talked about this opportunity a few months ago.”

Interestingly, the timing of the races is set in a manner that ensures that the races turn out to be a big hit. Through the two races at Rockingham Speedway, NASCAR is expecting to carve out a separate identity for the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series races. Away from the shadow of the Cup Series. The timing of the races and their positioning around the Easter weekend can help NASCAR achieve the desired results.

Benn Kennedy too, during his interview, hopes for the same. Talking about the two races to be held at The Rock, he added, ” We’re going to have races on Friday and Saturday of that weekend. I think we need to see the Craftsman Truck Series or Xfinity Series on its own weekend. It going to be interesting to see if any Cup drivers come down and run that weekend too having that weekend off for the Cup. So excited to see the rock back. I know how fans have been asking about it for a long time it’s going to be a big event for sure.”

Successful or not, one thing nobody can deny is the rich history of NASCAR racing associated with the venue that fans so affectionately call ‘The Rock.’ The return of the venue on NASCAR’s racing map is a step to reclaim the glorious past of the sport, the one that got shadowed in pomp and luxury of late.

The Rock through the years

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The Rockingham Speedway has a rich history and a deep connection with NASCAR. On October 31, 1965, the builders laid the foundations of the Rockingham Speedway as a mile-long flat racetrack. The Rock got its oval shape in the year 1969, and the racetrack has never looked back since then.

It became the home of the Subway 400 and Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 races from 1966 to 2004. It bears witness to some of the most iconic moments in Cup Series history. Its past includes iconic moments from NASCAR legends like David Pearson, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and Bobby Isaac.

The D-shaped oval racetrack was also an instrumental venue for the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. Until 2004, The Rock hosted Goody’s Headache Powder 200, after which the event was unfortunately discontinued. However, the race relocated to Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2021. Fans are eager to see the glory days of the venue once again, with both the Xfinity and Truck Series races set to return to the place where it all started for them.

What are some of the best memories you have of The Rock? Do share with us in the comments down below.