The Rockingham Speedway was once considered one of the best race tracks in America. However, in the past few decades, ‘The Rock,’ as the speedway is fondly known, has hoped for a comeback to the mainstream racing scenario, and the responsible authorities have searched for a method to do so. Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace was reminded of one of the jewels of NASCAR as a fan questioned him on Twitter about the lack of races at the speedway.

While Wallace has no concrete idea about the reason for the scarce racing at Rockingham, he dissected the situation from his perspective. Citing the presence of more suitable short tracks like Charlotte and Bristol, he suggested that this might be why Rockingham’s importance has become redundant.

Kenny Wallace believes there are better options for short-track races than Rockingham

Kenny Wallace began his career during a period when the Rockingham Speedway was one of the hubs of racing in North Carolina. Alongside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, The Rock was a sacred race track for NASCAR drivers. The short track had undergone some modifications through the years, and the laps were rather long for a short track. While the track was opened as a one-mile flat oval, it was restructured into a high-banked, D-shaped oval with increased length.

A curious fan with the handle @DrMicrobe asked Kenny Wallace on Twitter, “Do U have any ideas / comments as to why none of the racing series (NASCAR, CARS tour, SRX, etc.) have yet to return to race at Rockingham Speedway”. Honestly answering the question, Wallace said, “Well, Eddy, I don’t know. I have no clue whatsoever. But I’ll take a guess.

“I would say that the Rock does not add anything. Maybe. Remember, I’m taking a stab at this. If I ask myself how come, there’s no racing series that will go to the Rock. I think it’s kind of in between heaven and hell. It’s too big for a short track, right? The Rock is a superspeedway… You don’t want to take any Late Model Stocks or big cars there.”

“However, I love Rockingham. I think it’s one of the greatest race tracks ever,” claimed Kenny Wallace. “It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s like, why would we go to the Rock when we have Charlotte? We’ve revived Wilkesboro. We’ve got Richmond. We’ve got Bristol.”

As time passed, the racetrack underwent several changes in its ownership. In 1997, the track became a part of Penske Motorsports and was renamed ‘North Carolina Speedway.’ However, only two years later, the International Speedway Corporation acquired Penske Speedways. Surprisingly, its position in NASCAR then started to diminish.

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The Rockingham Speedway’s fall from grace has been sad to see. From hosting two Cup races every season until 2003 to ending up as the inferior speedway to its fellow short tracks, the downfall has been significant.

A case of so near yet so far for the Rockingham Speedway

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In August 2018, Rockingham Properties LLC took over the track’s ownership. Daniel Lovenheim, the current owner of the Rockingham Speedway, has invested an estimated $10 million in renovating the track. In addition, North Carolina governance allocated another $10 million in COVID recovery funds in 2021. The funds received were used to repave the race track and prepare it for any possible future racing.

The outcome of Lovenheim’s efforts could have been different if not for an unfortunate circumstance in November 2021. The CARS Solid Rock Carrier Tour had an idea of bringing stock car racing back to the track on November 6. However, the series’ tire partner Hoosier cited tire shortage as the reason for the race’s cancellation in an unexpected turn of events.

The struggle with finding races during the pandemic could be one reason the speedway could not capitalize on its renovation. “I feel like during that whole Coronavirus, didn’t Rockingham get like seven million dollars for the Coronavirus package? To revive it or something like that. I don’t know… It is kind of a strange development,” added Kenny Wallace.

Looking at the recent revival of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, one would wonder if something similar is possible with the Rockingham Speedway. The NWB Speedway went on to host the 2023 All-Star Race shortly after its repaving. Meanwhile, The Rock has failed to gather suitors despite undergoing a similar arc. Whether NASCAR considers it a serious possibility remains to be seen.

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