Can you believe it’s been 20 years since the roar of Cup Series engines last echoed at Rockingham? The final race was a nail-biting showdown between Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth, with Kenseth seizing the checkered flag in a thrilling finish. That victory marked the end of an era at Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway, which was shuttered due to dwindling audiences and profitability.

But hold on to your racing caps—Rockingham Speedway is revving up for a comeback! Recently, the track hosted an open house to unveil plans for rejoining the Cup Series. When asked about the timeline for this exciting revival, Speedway owner Dan Lovenheim confidently replied, “Soon.”

Does this mean a Cup Series race at Rockingham Speedway in 2025?

The inaugural Cup Series race at the Rockingham Oval was called the American 500 and was held in 1956. It was won by the legendary Curtis ‘Pops’ Turner. The track hosted several races from 1965 to 2004. It was in 2004, because of its close proximity to other racetracks, its audience was diminishing and the track wasn’t making a profit. Eventually, they shut down operations. However, the good news for fans is that ‘The Rock’ is on the path of revival.

The track’s comeback journey started in 2018. Rockingham Properties LLC purchased the former NASCAR track for $2.8 million. They made commitments to bring the track back to life. While work was underway at the track, an initiative by the government also helped speed things.

In May 2022, in a press release, they said, “Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced that 15 local governments were awarded $45.8 million to help 17 motorsports venues recover from the pandemic. The money was used for public infrastructure and facility upgrades to the speedways.” Where Rockingham Speedway received a $9 million grant aiding its revival.

It was only recently that Rockingham Properties LLC, in an open house at the track, instilled new hopes. However, no official dates are out, but the track owner Dan Lovenheim hinted at it being ready soon when he said, “We hope to have very good and positive news for you soon. Please be patient with us … we see very good times ahead.”

The time delay is perhaps because of the state in which Lovenheim received the track. According to him, weeds were growing out of the track, damaging the pavement. The track had water damage because of a lack of maintenance, rendering the track unusable. Although there are continued efforts to bring back the track. Fans have become restless, as a recent photo of the track surfaced on Reddit. They want the races to start there immediately!

A demand for races to resume at Rockingham

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The fans are restless. Who wouldn’t be? It’s been 20 long years.

Expressing his eagerness, a fan wrote, “I’m waiting for that day when they announce that they’re returning Rockingham (Speedway) to the NASCAR schedule.” The photo surfaced, and even after what Lovenheim shared, the track renovation is nearing its end. To another fan, the track looks good enough to race. “Looks like it could hold a race right now. Another shared the same emotions, as he wrote, “I’d like to see cars on it again please.”

The track never hosted a race with Cup cars again after 2014. The Truck Series briefly returned to the North Carolina track from 2012 to 2013. However, it was shut back down in 2014 as the track management said they weren’t ready as problems still resided. A new track will come with new challenges. The revival of the races would add thrill to the all three series. An Xfinity fan excited for the Xfinity series to be played here said, “Xfinity would be banger as fuck on Rockingham.”

The image of the track that stirred the discussion between fans was of a pilot doing his practice rounds, who clicked the track photo while soaring above it. A fan taking a funny note referred to the pilot aiding in renovations. He wrote, “Target lock. The garage area is going down!” 

Let’s hope that racing soon resumes on the track and we get to see great races. How excited are you if a new track comes in the series? Let us know in the comments below.