NASCAR, for some time, has been trying to bring back the golden days of the sport. That’s the reason why Bowman Gray Stadium is hosting “The Clash” this year. And why North Wilkesboro Speedway was brought back in 2023.

In a similar attempt, Rockingham Speedway has been revived after being defunct for nearly 20 years (21 to be exact!). However, for now, the track will not be part of the Cup Series. Only the Truck and Xfinity Series will run there in 2025. And like us, even NASCAR cannot wait! Before the season kicks off, drivers and fans will have a taste of the legendary track.

NASCAR holds testing on “The Rock”

Rockingham Speedways used to be a regular in the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series (1965 to 2004). But when NASCAR saw a boom in popularity in the early 2000s, Rockingham Speedway kind of lost its rage. The drop in attendance led to its shutdown. There were several attempts at revival. But nothing worked!

Finally, in 2018, in a joint effort by the North Carolina Government and Rockingham Properties LLC, necessary upgrades were made to the track, getting it ready for the 2025 season. 18th April is the Truck race, 19th is the Xfinity race, and 20th is Easter. So the Cup drivers have an off.

But drivers don’t have to wait till April. Recently NASCAR announced that it will hold an organizational test on 29th Jan there. The test will go from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm ET. And the best part is that the fans can watch it too on the track, free of charge.

The event will have all the drivers from the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series participating. And it’s only fair that the driver gets a pre-season test! The track has long been defunct. In fact, the majority of the drivers in the field have never driven on the Rock. Well, not all, Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton is the only active driver who has.

The Truck Series was last there in 2012 and 2013. Do you remember the 2013 race, when Kyle Larson fended off Joey Logano on the final lap? That was the last time NASCAR raced on the track. While it should drive like any other, one-miler, the high banks might be troublesome. So the practice session should prepare drivers to navigate easily through the D-shaped oval.

While all this is great. The Cup Series not getting a date is a letdown. Could we see it in the schedule in 2026?

Will we have Rockingham Speedway in the Cup Series?

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When the news of the track’s return came out, there were many questions about its absence from the Cup. While NASCAR is still mum on it. It’s Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy had said, “We are not going to have the Cup Series race that weekend. We might get a couple of our cup drivers, they wanna go and compete, and jump in a Truck or Xfinity car that weekend. That’ll be fun to watch.”

Yes, that might fill the grandstands, but for how long? NASCAR can bank on North Wilkesboro’s success to take a bet on Rockingham. But again, that’s an exhibition race. And we all know Rock deserves more than that. Another reason that NASCAR might be skeptical is the over-saturation of North Carolina tracks in the sport. It hurt the track in the past and if things are rushed, it again can.

Maybe NASCAR can decide on the Truck and Xfinity series attendance numbers to decide if they want the track in the Cup or not. But still, they would have to carefully plan the schedule if they want it in 2026. Maybe Darlington’s spring race could be replaced. Or if the Mexico race fails in 2025, a spot might open up.

And no doubt the race would be exciting. None of the active Cup drivers have ever won on the track. Maybe Mark Martin could return for a one-0ff appearance. What do you think? Should Rockingham Speedway make it to the Cup? Share your thoughts with us, in the comments below.