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Amid the Whirlwind of North Wilkesboro’s Return, NASCAR Veteran Fuels Chase Elliott Demand to Revive a Historical Short-Track

Published 05/21/2023, 4:31 PM EDT

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It is a walk down the memory lane for NACAR fans this season. A dream of many fans took shape with the restoration of the North Wilkesboro Speedway. The stage is set to host the Cup Series, with the All-Star Race right around the corner. Boasting a new look and new amenities, the venue is more than ready to host its audience again after a gap of 26 years.

With the resurrection of North Wilkesboro Speedway, it is paving the way and also raising hopes for the other tracks that now occupy the pages of NASAR’s history. Apart from the Speedway in North Carolina, there are a few other venues that still need to see bustling activity. And Kenny Wallace is among the few who are advocating it.

Kenny Wallace and NASCAR’s Golden Boy, Chase Elliott, propose the return of an iconic track

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In the long list of dilapidated venues, it was North Wilkesboro Speedway that got revamped due to the proper interference of veterans like Dale Earnhardt Jr. Another venue that has long been forgotten but has been brought back to life is the Rockingham Speedway. 

A NASCAR staple, this speedway had last hosted a Cup Series race in 2004. The raceway received a $9 million grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan. 

And recently, it was NASCAR’s golden boy, Chase Elliott, who had also endorsed the return of this legendary track. The 2020 Cup Series champion also deliberated on this topic in a press conference before the race at Wilkesboro. 

He said, “I’d be up for it. I thought Rockingham was a great racetrack and I had a chance to race there too a few times, I ran a truck there I think once, and had a couple K&N races up there and ran Late Model race there once as well. So yeah, I thought Rockingham was a great race track.” 

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The HMS driver also added, “I loved racing there. Especially at the time I was just getting going, it was the biggest place I had been to, so I thought that was really cool then but it was a great track and really wide.

And it seems the veteran driver, Kenny Wallace, is also resonating with Chase Elliott. This is evident from his Twitter post, where he wrote, “Mistakenly, a lot will be learned by @NASCAR executives and this race weekend at @NWBSpeedway. VINTAGE is where it’s at. Bring back Rockingham.”

Ecstatic fans join Wallace and Elliott and share their enthusiasm

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With veterans proposing the reopening of “The Rock,” the fans are already visualizing what it would be like racing on that iconic track. Their excitement is evident from their comments.

A fan ecstatically wrote, “Other than Darlington,  the Rock was the best race track in NASCAR.” 

Someone added, “Great truck race with a huge crowd. It was a blast. Shows you can bleed off tires and not have train wrecks. Fun old track.”

Another wrote “Amen” in agreement

A fan pointed out, “The problem is that Rockingham is not doing anything to promote itself, whereas North Wilkesboro did. NASCAR isn’t just going to show up and say let’s have a race here.”

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“The Rock is ready.”

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Like its counterpart, if Rockingham Speedway gets the proper and timely intervention of the NASCAR authorities, then perhaps adding this venue to the racing calendar will be a possibility. While fans can only hope, it is the executives, as Kenny Wallace puts it, who hold the real power in bringing it back.

Chase Elliott Hopes Not to Be “On the Opposite End” as He Delivers His Plea Ahead of the North Wilkesboro Race

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Written by:

Ayantika Maitra

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Ayantika Maitra is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. It was initially Formula 1 that made her fall in love with the world of motorsports. But quickly, the raw and unfiltered nature of NASCAR is what led her to build an affinity for the Stock Car Racing Series.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal