SAFER Installation Continues at Rockingham Speedway: The second phase of Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers is underway at Rockingham Speedway in advance of the April 15, 2012 running of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Good Sam Club Roadside Assistance Carolina 200.
When complete, this installation will encase the south and north ends of the speedway (turns one and two and turns three and four, respectively) in the force absorbing barriers. For the first phase, crews installed SAFER barriers along the inside backstretch wall in October 2011 before the American 200 and Polar Bear 150. NASCAR requires the technology at any facility at which it sanctions an event in its top-three National Touring Series - Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Commonly referred to as "soft walls," SAFER barriers are designed to absorb a portion of the energy in a crash, lessening the impact on the driver. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the speedway office at 855.NC.ROCKS or visit online at rockinghamspeedway.com.(Rockingham Speedway)(1-10-2002)
SAFER Barrier Installation Underway at Rockingham: For over 40 years, Rockingham Speedway has been a tough place to get around. Time and time again, one little miscue or a worn-out tire has led to some hard hits against the track's unforgiving concrete walls. While the track won't be any less difficult for drivers to navigate when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes its inaugural trip to Rockingham on April 15, 2012 for the Good Sam Club Roadside Assistance Carolina 200, the hits will not be quite as bone-jarring as the speedway has begun the installation of Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers along the inside back stretch wall. Installation of the SAFER barriers in the turns will begin at Rockingham after the running of the American 200 doubleheader (Nov. 5, 2011) and the Polar Bear 150 (Nov. 26, 2011). In all, a mile's worth of the soft walls will be installed around the facility. Commonly referred to as "soft walls," SAFER barriers are designed to absorb a portion of the energy in a crash, lessening the impact on the driver. The project, when complete, represents a nearly one million-dollar investment. But to speedway president Andy Hillenburg, it's a worthwhile expense. "As a racer, safety is always my number one concern," said Hillenburg, who made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start at the track in 1991. "Regardless of NASCAR's decision to come back to Rockingham, SAFER barriers were a need for us and I'm glad we are able to get that process underway. As we've seen over the years, there are some hard hits along that inside wall coming off of (turn) two and when things go bad getting into (turn) one, they go very bad." NASCAR requires the technology at any facility at which it sanctions an event in its top-three National Touring Series. For more information, or to order tickets for any event at Rockingham Speedway, please contact the ticket office at 910.205.8800 or visit us online at www.rockinghamspeedway.com. Great seats and suite packages are still available.(Rockingham Speedway)(10-5-2011)
Rockingham to make announcement - Trucks? UPDATE Governor Bev Perdue and Rockingham Speedway owner, Andy Hillenburg are scheduled to make a joint announcement on the facility’s growth and the potential economic boost it will have to Richmond County, the city of Rockingham and the state of North Carolina (Rockingham Speedway), rumor has it that the track will get a NASCAR Truck Series race in 2012.(9-3-2011)
AND: Rockingham Speedway will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, tentatively scheduled for the second weekend of April 2012, sources have told ESPN The Magazine. The event will mark the track's first NASCAR event since the then-Winston Cup Series held its 78th and final race at "The Rock" on Feb. 22, 2004.(ESPN)(9-3-2011)
UPDATE: Rockingham Speedway announced that Richmond County and the city of Rockingham, N.C., will once again be home to NASCAR-sanctioned racing with the addition of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on April 15, 2012.
“In 2007, we set a goal to return Rockingham Speedway to its roots,” states Andy Hillenburg, president of Rockingham Speedway. “The introduction of the truck series to Rockingham Speedway is representative of years of hard work and the support of the county, city and state government officials, who understood the positive economic impact a NASCAR-sanctioned race could offer to the Piedmont region. We are very excited about this news and know our supporters are just as proud to have Rockingham’s national racing roots become a reality once again.”
Good Sam Club, the world's largest RV owners’ organization will serve as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway, while Cheerwine, legendary soft drink of the south will serve as presenting sponsor. “We are thrilled about the return of NASCAR racing at Rockingham Speedway and we're even more excited to have a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on the schedule for 2012," said Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World & Good Sam. "The Rock has a rich tradition of hosting tough racing and thrilling finishes, and we expect the same to hold true next April. We look forward to being a part of next year's race and exposing those avid fans to the Good Sam RV products and services.”
Rockingham Speedway, affectionately known as “The Rock,” will begin safety improvements to its race track this fall. One improvement will include the installation of a Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, known as the SAFER barrier system, which is a required feature for all top three tier NASCAR-sanctioned race tracks to help improve driver safety. Additional upgrades will be made to the track’s scoring system and pit road, as well as other aesthetic improvements. “NASCAR is looking forward to returning to Rockingham Speedway with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in 2012,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice-president for Racing Operations. “The fans and community have shown strong support and the track is making significant improvements to its facility. We appreciate all the hard work by Andy Hillenburg and his staff to get to this point. It should be a fun event.”(NASCAR)(9-7-2011)
SAFER walls to be installed at the Rock: The Rockingham Speedway, which hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup races from 1965 to 2004, is taking a huge step toward once again hosting big-league racing as SAFER "soft wall" barriers will be installed next month. The energy-absorbing system will be installed in two phases, in mid-September and late December, covering all four turns of the one-mile oval and the inside of the backstretch wall. The most common estimate of the SAFER barrier cost is $1 million per mile. "Yes, that's expensive," said Robert Ingraham, the track's general manager, "but nothing's more expensive than having someone hurt." NASCAR requires racetracks to have the SAFER barrier in place before they can host one of the sanctioning body's top three national series -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide, or Camping World Trucks. Rockingham, then known as North Carolina Motor Speedway, hosted 78 Sprint Cup events and 42 Nationwide Series races, but it hasn't held a NASCAR event since Matt Kenseth's victory in the Subway 400 on Feb. 22, 2004. The track and the 244 acres it sits on were dormant for nearly four years before it was purchased by veteran racer Andy Hillenburg at auction on Sept. 27, 2007. Rockingham officials have had discussions with NASCAR, albeit informal, about the possibility of a Nationwide or Truck Series event returning to the track more commonly known as The Rock. A source within NASCAR, speaking on condition of anonymity, admits as much. However, the lack of a SAFER barrier had always been an insurmountable issue. Without the promise of a NASCAR race, Hillenburg wasn't confident enough to try and secure funds for SAFER installation. That now appears to have changed. Just last month, Nashville Superspeedway announced it was closing, essentially orphaning four NASCAR events, two each in Nationwide and Trucks. Since that announcement, speculation has run rampant as to where those races might end up in 2012. Next season's NASCAR schedules have not yet been finalized.(ESPN)(8-17-2011)
Dillon wins ARCA race at Rock; Sheltra the champ: Ty Dillon returned Richard Childress Racing to victory lane at Rockingham Speedway Saturday, winning the American 200, while Patrick Sheltra claimed his first-ever championship in the ARCA Racing Series [by 20 points over ]. Dillon, who played with “little box cars” in the Rockingham grandstands as a child, said he plans to compete for the ARCA championship in 2011. Racing returns to Rockingham Speedway on Nov. 27, 2010 with the third-annual running of the Polar Bear 150 Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals. Tickets are available by calling the 910.205.8800 or by visiting www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(Rockingham Speedway), Pole Sitter Kevin Swindell finished 2nd followed by Chad Finley, Patrick Sheltra and Craig Goess. Former Sprint Cup driver Steve Park finished 35th.(10-10-2010)
Steve Park returns to race at the site of his biggest win UPDATE: Most race fans remember Steve Park's last NASCAR Winston Cup victory. Coming just one week after car owner's Dale Earnhardt tragic death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Park edged Bobby Labonte for the emotional win in the Dura Lube 400. The track? The Rockingham Speedway. Park makes his return to the track for the Oct. 9, 2010 running of the ARCA Racing Series. "It is always great to have former winners back to race at 'The Rock,'" said track president Andy Hillenburg. "Steve's win here was one of the most memorable races I have ever seen, being such a fantastic finish and coming on the heels of such tragedy for that team and race fans everywhere. We are thrilled to have him back racing at Rockingham in the American 200."
Also scheduled to race in the American 200 is Ricky Carmichael. A 30-year-old native of Clearwater, Fla., Carmichael is best known for his successful motocross career which includes 10 AMA Motocross Championships, five AMA Supercross Championships, and two World Supercross Championships. Carmichael has driven to six top-10 finishes in 20 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season. Rockingham will mark Carmichael's fifth ARCA Series start of the year, with a best finish of seventh in the season-opener at Daytona.(Rockingham Speedway)(10-5-2010)
UPDATE: Kevin Swindell, son of three-time national Sprint Car champion Sammy Swindell, earned his first career pole in the ARCA Racing Series Friday during qualifying at Rockingham Speedway for Saturday's season finale American 200 presented by Black's Tire and Auto Service. Swindell, driving a Toyota, posted a 145.378-mph, 24.763-second lap on Menards Pole Day presented by Ansell, to edge Chad Finley for the No. 1 starting position. Finley's Chevrolet clocked in at 145.361 mph. Craig Goess earned the third starting position to edge five points closer to standings leader Patrick Sheltra in the championship battle. Sheltra qualified eighth. Entering Saturday's season finale, which will be televised live at 1:30pm on SPEED, Sheltra now leads Goess by a mere five points -- 4,495 to 4,490. Tom Hessert is third in the standings, 20 points in arrears to Sheltra. He qualified his Dodge 14th. Rounding out the top five, respectively, were Justin Marks and Steve Arpin. Ty Dillon, grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress and the winner of the most recent ARCA event at Kansas Speedway, qualified sixth. Brandon McReynolds, son of TV analyst and former NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds, qualified seventh. Steve Park, who won a NASCAR Winston Cup race at the 1-mile oval in February 2001, qualified 20th in a Ford. Veteran James Hylton used a provisional to gain entrance into the 41-car starting field. He will start 37th.
For more info about the American 200 race weekend, annual Thunderfest in downtown Rockingham and tickets for the races, contact the Rockingham Speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com. Tickets, starting at $20 in advance, and suite packages are still available.(Rockingham Speedway)(10-9-2010)
Rockingham would like a NASCAR race: Wedneday's announcement that Gateway International Raceway doesn't want NASCAR racing next year has piqued the interest of Rockingham Speedway owner Andy Hillenburg. "There's always interest" in a NASCAR return to the track, Hillenburg said. But, he added, "with the timetable we have for the next couple of years, I don't feel like we're ready yet." The 1-mile oval formerly hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series races. Gateway is giving up its two Nationwide and one Camping World Truck Series events at the end of the year. NASCAR's return is "something that's been on my mind," Hillenburg said. "It's encouraging to see opportunities present themselves." Of more immediate concern for him is the Oct. 9 ARCA season finale, and Hillenrburg has also moved the track's New Year's Day event for the Kimmel Street Stock cars. That's been shifted to Nov. 27 because of "sponsorship, it's a tick warmer, and we think this will help us getting closer to the idea of having a 99-car field," Hillenburg said.(Fayetteville Observer), the track would need SAFER before NASCAR would consider a race there.(8-2-2010)
Barnes wins Polar Bear 150 at the Rock: Chuck Barnes Sr. held off a furious charge from Brett Hudson over the last five laps to win his second Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals Polar Bear 150 at the Rockingham Speedway. In a race that featured 18 lead changes and was slowed by 12 caution flags and 2 red flags, Barnes bested Hudson by less than car length at the checkered flag. Will Kimmel came home in third with Frank Kimmel II finishing fourth. Chad Hall rounded out the top-five. Jimmy Elledge, crew chief for #82-Scott Speed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, found trouble on lap 60 that ended his day. More info and images at the Rockingham Speedway site.(1-2-2010)
Moody to Wave Green Flag at The Rock: Dave Moody, host of "SIRIUS Speedway" on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio 128 and lead turn announcer for MRN's NASCAR race broadcasts, has been named as the official starter of the Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway. Moody will wave the green flag at the New Year's Day event, officially starting the first race of 2010. The 2nd Annual Polar Bear 150, which will be held at noon January 1, will be a chance for race fans to celebrate the beginning of the 2010 racing season with competitive racing by the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals Series. The entry list, which already has 61 registrants, includes a combination of NASCAR drivers and crew members, drivers from the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, and previous Rockingham winners from the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals Series. The 2nd annual Polar Bear 150 kicks off on Thursday, December 31, 2009. Gates open at 8:00am/et and practice sessions take place from 1:00-1:45pm/et and 3:00-3:45pm/et. Grandstand admission for Thursday's activities is free, and tickets for Friday are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Kids (12 and under) are $5. Military discounts and public suite options are both available as well. Tickets can be purchased at www.rockinghamspeedway.com or by calling (910) 205-8800.(Rockingham Speedway)(12-28-2009)
Humpy Wheeler to wave the green flag at the Rock: Legendary race promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler will serve as the Grand Marshal and will wave the green flag for Sunday’s running of the ARCA RE/MAX American 200 at the Rockingham Speedway. Wheeler, the former President and General Manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, currently is the chairman of The Wheeler Company, a consulting management firm focusing on general business, professional sports, and motorsports he founded last year with his son, Trip. The Wheeler Company has been involved with the Rockingham Speedway through a driver development program, Humpy’s Heroes, which has used the facility for testing and practice for its young drivers. For more information about the ARCA/REMAX American 200 or the accompanying USARacing Aaron’s 150 October 9-11 or to order tickets, please contact the Rockingham Speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit the website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com. Tickets begin at $20 for single-day reserved seating with $5 back-to-school special pricing for students. Weekend and pit passes are also available.(Rockingham Speedway)(10-8-2009)
- Kevin Harvick Will Wave the Green Flag at the Carolina 200: Kevin Harvick will be atop of the flagstand at the start of the ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 200 race at the Rockingham Speedway on April 19th and will wave the green flag to begin the highly anticipated race. Harvick’s part time Nationwide Series driver, Tony Stewart had the honor during last season’s ARCA race at the historic track. Kevin Harvick Incorporated will also field a car in the Carolina 200 with Ricky Carmichael getting his first laps at the one-mile speedway. For more information about the Carolina 200 or to order tickets, please contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit our website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(4-9-2009)
- Economaki and Schrader to be Honored at the Rock: Last season, Rockingham Speedway honored three of NASCAR’s greats and made them a permanent part of the historic track. The Benny Parsons Tower, the Papa Joe Hendrick Garage Area and the Ricky Rudd Grandstands were all named for three men instrumental to the speedway’s legacy. This year Chris Economaki and Ken Schrader will be honored by the speedway with the naming of the Media Center and Turn Four grandstands, respectively. The Chris Economaki Media Center is dedicated to the man who has covered the sport of auto racing for more than 70 years as a journalist, track announcer, radio and television announcer and has been the editor for National Speed Sport News since 1950. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993. Ken Schrader is no stranger to Rockingham Speedway - he earned six top-fives at the track including a second place finish in 1991 during his Cup career at the track. He also had 10 top-10’s at the historic track as well as one pole in 1990. Schrader just missed winning last year’s ARCA race when he finished second in the first race since the track was reopened. He will be looking to improve by one position with the second running of the race on April 19th. Carolina 200 race weekend kicks off on Friday April 17th with Thunderfest in downtown Rockingham from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. There will be a hauler parade through downtown Rockingham at noon on Friday for the day-long celebration as well as most of the drivers signing autographs at 6:00 p.m. For more information about the Carolina 200 or to order tickets, please contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit our website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(4-8-2009)
- Rockingham Speedway Announces Free Saturday Ticket Promotion: Rockingham Speedway has announced a special promotion for tickets for the Carolina 200 race weekend – Buy For Sunday, Bonus For Saturday. Starting Monday March 23rd until Friday April 10th, fans that purchase a reserved seat ticket for the Carolina 200 on April 19th will receive a complimentary ticket for the UARA Late Model race/ARCA Pole Day events on April 18th. That is a $20 value for the UARA race and two races for the price of one! For more information about the Carolina 200 or to order tickets, please contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit our website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(3-23-2009)
- Barnes Wins the Polar Bear 150 at the Rock: Chuck Barnes, Sr., who started from the R.A. Jeffrey’s Distributing Company pole, took advantage of blown engine in Brett Hudson’s Chevy Monte Carlo with ten laps to go to take the checkered flag in the inaugural Polar Bear 150 at the Rockingham Speedway Thursday afternoon. Clinton, Indiana’s Anthony White, the NASCAR Technical Institute’s Hard Charger of the race award winner, finished second in his first start on a paved track. Rounding out the top-five were Clint Watkins of Maggie Valley, NC and Bonaire, Georgia’s Tim Jensen and Tony Conway of Louisville, KY. J.D. Frey, a mechanic for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s Sprint Cup team, whose entry was owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., ran with the leaders most of the day, only to be caught up in a late-race accident.(Rockingham Speedway PR)(1-2-2009)
- RADIO coverage of the Polar Bear 150: RaceTalkRadio.com and Victory Lane Productions will team up to bring race fans exclusive Internet Radio coverage of the Polar Bear 150 from Rockingham Speedway on New Year's Day. Visit racetalkradio.com to listen live to the race. The green flag will fly at 1:00pm/et on New Year's Day and you can listen to it live on RaceTalkRadio starting at 12:00noon/et.(12-31-2008)
- R.A. Jeffreys Distributing Company to Sponsor the Pole Award at the Polar Bear 150: The Polar Bear 150 is already one of the biggest Street Stock races in the country and now the competitors will have another prize to claim – a pole award from R.A. Jeffreys Distributing Company. The driver winning the award will have their work cut out for them. With up to 99 drivers starting the race, qualifying will be very important and will be determined through a very exciting ‘European Style’ qualifying format. Several will be on the track at the same time making qualifying runs to get the best time and win the R.A. Jefferys Distributing Company Pole Award. The pole award is not the only involvement that the R.A. Jefferys Distributing Company will have with the Polar Bear 150 – they will be supplying the concession stands with Anheuser-Busch products as well as the New Years Eve Celebration that will ring in the New Year in the Rockingham Speedway’s Infield. The Polar Bear 150, the New Year’s Eve Celebration and the partnership with R.A. Jeffreys Distributing Company are all new traditions for the Rockingham Speedway that are a part of a long term strategy for the track. The Polar Bear 150 kicks off on December 31st with practice during the day and a New Years Eve celebration in the garage area and infield of the track starting at 7:30 p.m. Fans can join the drivers and teams for the celebration for only $10. The race will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday January 1st with qualifying at 10:00 a.m. General admission seating is only $15 when purchased in advance and $20 the day of the race. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult. For more information please call the speedway at 910-205-8800 or visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(Rockingham Speedway PR)(12-30-2008)
- Testing at the Rock: GEM tested Tuesday and Wednesday at
Rockingham Speedway with #9-Kasey Kahne and on Wednesday, Stewart-Haas Racing was at the track with #39-Ryan Newman testing. Bill Elliott was behind the wheel Wednesday of his own ARCA car early in the test session to get a base line set up and then assumed the role of driver coach for Casey Roderick the 16 year old phenomenon who was getting his first laps on a superspeedway. Roderick is hoping to come back next spring and race in the Carolina 200 ARCA Series race on April 19th, 2009 as well as the season ending ARCA race on October 11th, 2009. The first race of the 2009 season for the Rockingham Speedway is the Polar Bear 150 on New Year’s Day. For more information visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(12-18-2008)
- Teams test at new 1/2 mile track at the Rock: Monday morning, October 13th, the final strip of pavement was placed on “Little Rock,” the new half-mile track built [supposedly shaped and banked like Martinsville] just outside the backstretch of the one-mile oval at Rockingham Raceway Park. Fast Track High Performance Driving School cars worked rubber into the new track surface Monday evening and then turned the track over to 10 Sprint Cup and Craftsman Truck Series teams that were testing for this weekend’s race at Martinsville. Kyle Busch’s #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Joe Nemechek’s #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy, Scott Riggs’ #66 Haas CNC Racing Chevy and Jack Sprague’s #60 Wyler Racing Toyota Truck all tested at the Little Rock Speedway on Tuesday. Wednesday’s test session featured current Sprint Cup Series points leader, Jimmie Johnson and his #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy as well as Chad McCumbee’s #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge and two test teams from Gillett Evernham Motorsports driven by A.J. Almendinger and Dennis Setzer. Thursday, Roush Fenway Racing’s test team brought two cars to be driven by Colin Braun. The team spent the morning on the one-mile speedway before taking their second car to Little Rock for the afternoon testing. The Little Rock Speedway will also see plenty of racing action during the 2009 season with over 15 races planned on the ¼ mile race track that is contained inside of the half-mile. Those races will feature the INEX Legend Series and Bandolero Series cars. Tickets will be going fast for the Black’s Tire American 200 with reserved seats starting at $25 and kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult. A special John Anderson concert will be held following the race and is included in the ticket price as well. Call the Rockingham Speedway ticket office to order your reserved seats today at 910-205-8800 or visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(Rockingham Raceway Park PR)(10-17-2008)
- Polar Bear 150 Coming to Rockingham Speedway: On January 1, 2009, 99 cars will take the green flag for the first ever Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway. The Frank Kimmel Street Stock Series has given Street Stock drivers who normally only run their hometown short track the opportunity to race on major speedways including Bristol and Kentucky in addition to the "The Rock". The Polar Bear 150 will be the third race since Andy Hillenburg purchased the track last year. In addition to last weekend's Carolina 500, the Hooter's Pro Cup Series will crown there champion at "The Rock" on November 1st. Other activities at the track this summer include the Super Stang Fest on June 14th - an all Ford Mustang car show as well as several Fast Track High Performance Driving Schools. More info at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(5-17-2008)
- The Rock is Racing Again: Joey Logano led ARCA RE/MAX Series practice Friday at Rockingham Speedway, but only in the final minutes of the three-hour session as festivities began for Sunday's Carolina 500 - the reopening of "The Rock". Throughout Friday's practice at the 1-mile track, Matt Carter, the series point leader and son of former NASCAR crew chief and team owner Travis Carter, sat atop the speed chart. But in the session's final minutes, Logano's team placed a new set of tires on his Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevrolet, allowing him to leap over Carter and into the No. 1 position with a 25.111-second, 143.363-mph lap. Carter, in his Stine Seed-NuSouth Lemonade Ford, wasn't far behind at 25.121 seconds, 143.306mph. Rounding out the top five, respectively, were Michael Annett and Justin Marks, both in Toyotas, and Dexter Bean in a Chevrolet. Austin Dillon, grandson of NASCAR championship car owner Richard Childress, posted the 13th quickest lap. Driving his Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet,
Dillon recorded a lap of 25.852-second, 139.254-mph lap. Defending series champion Frank Kimmel was 17th quickest, while Chad McCumbee was 18th fastest. Craftsman Truck Series regular Johnny Benson, a former Cup winner at Rockingham, practiced Ken Schrader's Four Winds Motorhomes Dodge. Schrader was in Richmond for Sprint Cup qualifying. He will be at Rockingham Saturday for qualifying. Veteran James Hylton, who finished second to Richard Petty in the Grand National [now Sprint Cup] standings in 1967, hit the wall during practice and had to settle for 48th quickest. Qualifying for Sunday's race begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the second round of time trials set for 2:30 p.m. Tony
Stewart is scheduled to wave the green flag on the Carolina 500, signaling the reopening of The Rock, at noon on Sunday. For more information or to order tickets for the May 4 ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 500 and the Nov. 1 Hooters Pro Cup American 200, please contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit rockinghamspeedway.com.(5-3-2008)
- Schrader, other notables, planning to run Rockingham ARCA race: The Carolina 500, ARCA's May 4 race at Rockingham Speedway, has drawn the attention of several drivers who don't typically participate in the ruling body's races. Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Ken Schrader have recently joined the list of entrants. Schrader has won 15 ARCA races during his career. Other notable entries have been filed in the names of drivers Joey Logano by Joe Gibbs Racing, Austin Dillon by Richard Childress Racing, Scott Speed by Eddie Sharp Racing, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by Roush Fenway Racing, Michael Annett by Bill Davis Racing, Chad McCumbee, Bobby Gerhart and Matt Carter. Dillon is Childress's grandson. Speed is a former Formula One driver. Carter is the son of famed NASCAR mechanic Travis Carter.(Gaston Gazette)(4-20-2008)
- Rockingham Speedway Honors NASCAR Greats: Honoring Rockingham Speedway’s history has been paramount with owner Andy Hillenburg since he acquired the track last fall, and Friday he continued his philosophy with the naming of the tower, garage and grandstands for three men instrumental in the speedway’s legacy. The frontstretch tower housing race control, scoring, the track’s suites, and press box is now the Benny Parsons Tower. Parsons, a former Ellerbe resident, earned the ARCA championship in 1968-69 and in 1973 claimed NASCAR’s Cup title at the 1-mile track while driving for Richmond County businessman L.G. DeWitt, builder of the facility that opened in 1965. Recently retired NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd will now have his name on the first- and second-turn grandstands, while the garage has been named for Papa Joe Hendrick, the father of Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. Parsons’ family called the naming of the tower for the late driver and broadcaster “outstanding” and “quite an honor.”
“I think Benny would be so proud to have the tower named after him, because this was his home track,” said Terri Parsons, Benny’s wife. “For us, as a family, it means a lot. For Benny, personally, I think it would be huge in his mind; he would be very humbled by it.” Son Keith Parsons added, “I can’t really express how much gratitude I feel toward Andy and everybody at the race track. It’s such a neat thing for Andy to remember my dad at a time like this. We’re all just very, very thrilled.” Rick Hendrick said he remembered winning a pole at Rockingham during his team’s first season – 1984 – and how special it was for everyone. “I started going to races there back in 1975, and it’s always been a great track with really good, close racing,” Hendrick continued. “It’s exciting that Andy (Hillenburg) is reviving it the way he is. I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that. Andy has been a close friend of our family for a long time, and my dad always thought so highly of him. Pop loved Andy, and he loved the old tracks – the ones with great racing history – so he would be truly humbled and honored by this gesture. It means so much to my family and to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports.” Rudd, who made his Cup debut at Rockingham in 1975, said having the grandstands named for him was a “tremendous honor” and “something I never expected.”
“I always liked that speedway because you could run on the bottom and nobody ever handled perfectly there,” Rudd said. “That was the good thing about it; it made for good racing all day long. Andy is a great guy and he’s trying to revive the speedway. If you talk to all of the competitors that raced on it, they never wanted to see it leave the schedule. That was a lot of drivers’ favorite track and I put that in my category, also. To have him [Andy] named a grandstand after me, it’s unbelievable.” Hillenburg’s announcements came on the first day of a two-day ARCA test at Rockingham Speedway. The ARCA teams are preparing for the May 4 Carolina 500. For more information about the Rockingham Speedway or to purchase race tickets for the upcoming Carolina 500 ARCA RE/MAX Series race, please visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com or call the track at 910-205-8800.(3-22-2008)
- Racing returns to the Rock in 2008: Pack the motor home, throw a grill in the truck and head for North Carolina's Sand Hills Region, because with the arrival of 2008, auto racing returns to “The Rock” with the inaugural Carolina 500 ARCA race, Rockingham Speedway President Andy Hillenburg announced Friday. The ARCA race, which carries the name of the tough, 1-mile track's inaugural Grand National [Nextel Cup] event in 1965, is scheduled for May 4 at noon. Practice for the 312-lap race will be May 2 with qualifying set for May 3.
“The Carolina 500 is going to be a cornerstone event for the ARCA schedule,” said Hillenburg, the 1995 ARCA champion who became the speedway's new owner on Oct. 31. “It's going to be the longest race in the series and carry the richest purse. It also will have the largest field with 50 cars.” The May 4 Carolina 500 will be the second-ever ARCA race at the Richmond County track. ARCA's only other race at the speedway occurred in 1973 and was won by Charlie Glotzbach. Fans may begin requesting ticket information on Wednesday, Nov. 7, by calling (910) 205-8800 or by going to the speedway's Web site, www.rockinghamracewaypark.com.(PR)(11-2-2007)
UPDATE: United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR) president Gene Cox said his circuit will wrap up the 2008 season and crown its champion with a race Nov. 1 [at Rockingham Speedway](Fayetteville Observer)(11-3-2007)
- Rockingham Speedway Purchased for $4 Million: The owner of a high-performance driving school in Charlotte submitted the winning bid Tuesday -- $4 million -- for the nearly abandoned North Carolina Speedway. Andy Hillenburg, who competed in 16 NASCAR races, finished 28th in Indianaolis 500 in 2000. His bid was one of less than 10 submitted.
Hillenburg is trying to bring lower-tier NASCAR races to the track, which was abandoned by NASCAR in 2004. "We'll definitely have racing here," Hillenburg said. "We'll have some driving shcools. We'll have some movies and commericials, and have a few legends races, and hopefully be an important part of the community. And that's the thing. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part of this community. I love this sport a lot, and I want to make a difference." Hillenburg plans to move his family to Rockingham from Charlotte. The speedway was put up for auction by Speedway Motorsports Inc., whose chairman is Bruton Smith. Speedway Motorsports owns tracks in Concord; Atlanta; Fort Worth, Texas; Bristol, Tenn.; Las Vegas; and Sonoma, Calif. "Today is a win for Rockingham. No question about it," said Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin. "It's a win for this community. And I'll tell you what else it's a win for. It's a win for race fans, too."(WRAL.com)(10-2-2007)
- Rockingham to be autioned off on Oct 2nd: The National Auction Group has been retained to auction the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 1:00pm/et. With a long and distinguished track record for selling high-end, high-profile properties, The National Auction Group has made its specialty
finding buyers for unique properties by attracting bidders from all over the world. The legendary race track dates to 1965. North Carolina Motor Speedway enjoyed a rich tradition of NASCAR racing and other motorsports events spanning five decades. The 253.6-acre facility features a 1.017-mile speedway with more than 60,000 grandstand seats, an administrative building, an infield garage, control tower with suites and numerous other buildings. Located convenient to the Carolina coast, Southern Pines Resort area, Charlotte and Interstate 95, the facility is a complete multi-use entertainment complex with several recent upgrades. More info at The National Auction Group site. The property will be open for inspection daily and by appointment, from 10:00am to 5:00pm beginning Sept. 14. To schedule an appointment prior to this date, please call 1-800-503-9434 or (256) 547-3434. Beginning Sept. 14, call the site directly at (256) 504-6858 or (256) 504-5201.(PR)(8-12/10-1-2007)
- The Rock goes up for auction in Oct: The sale of North Carolina Speedway, which last held a race in February 2004, has been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 2. The date for the track’s absolute auction — meaning it will be sold to the highest bidder without a minimum price or “reserve” — appears on the Web site of National Auction Group, a company in Gadsden, Ala., that is handling the sale. William Bone, the president of National Auction Group, said the Oct. 2 date could change, but that the final date should be “carved in stone” within a week. “I don’t think anybody’s ever sold anything like this. It’s unusual, but there’s got to be a big demand for it,” Bone said from Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., where he is conducting the auction of a dozen condominium units today. That place has got to have a lot of other uses for racing,” he added. “It ought to be quite an event. It’s going to sell. Regardless of price, it’ll sell, and we hope we do well for them."
“Them” is Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte. It acquired the 1.017-mile track and the 247-acre site in May 2004 as part of a lawsuit settlement. The track wedged into the intersection of U.S. 1 and N.C. 177 north of Rockingham, NC. It has hosted only racing schools, private track rentals, and movie and video recording since the SMI acquisition. It opened in October 1965 and has seating for 60,112 spectators.(Fayetteville Observer)(7-16-2007)
- The Rock up for Auction: The North Carolina Motor Speedway will be put on the auction block. Speedway Motorsports Inc. notified Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin by letter of the impending sale. “I wanted to make you aware ahead of time that our company has made the decision to sell North Carolina Motor Speedway via an auction,” wrote H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, in a June 13 letter. The track also known as “The Rock” was built in 1965 and is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc. Lowe's Motor Speedway Senior Vice President and SMI spokesman Jerry Gappens said Wednesday Wheeler sent the letter to the mayor, because he has remained in contact with city and county economic development officials about exploring opportunities for the track. “We regret we have to make this decision but we really have no other choice,” Wheeler wrote in his letter. “We have been unable to sell it and track rentals are simply not enough to keep the facility running.” Since SMI bought the track in 2004, Rockingham's final race date was moved to the Texas Motor Speedway also owned by SMI. The 1.017-mile oval has since been used by NASCAR drivers for testing and for a variety of special events and movies. No date has been set for the auction. “We've had some meetings with an auction company,” Gappens said. A fall auction date is anticipated. McLaurin said Wednesday the community has been concerned about the track's fate since the loss of the Nextel race. “It's a situation where we may have to wait and see,” he said. Recent rumors about an Indy Racing League event at the track are just rumors. “No one has contacted us about using it,” Gappens said.(Daily Journal)(6-21-2007)
