ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY
was NORTH CAROLINA SPEEDWAY "The Rock" NEWS/RUMORS
Phone:
(910) 205-8800
Address:
2152 US Hwy 1
Rockingham, NC 28379
Location:
Richmond County, 10 miles North of Rockingham and 20 miles South of Pinehurst/Southern Pines on Highway US 1.
Grandstand Seating: 60,113
Track Specs: North Carolina Speedway, know as 'The Rock':
Degree of Banking: Turns 1-2: 22 degrees; Turns 3-4: 25 degrees; Straightaways: 8 degrees
Width: Turns 55 feet wide; Straightaways: 50 feet wide
Number of Pits: 45 on front straight (1,436 ft. long) pit road
Pit Stalls: 30 feet long; 16 feet wide
Length of Front Straight: 1,300 feet
Length of Back Straight: 1,367 feet
Length of Turns 1 & 2: 1,256 feet
Length of Turns 3 & 4: 1,437 feet(NCS Website)
Number of pits: 45 on front straightaway
Length of pit road: 1,436 feet in length
Pit stalls: 30 feet long, 16 feet wide
PIT ROAD: was 31 Frontstretch Pit Stalls and 12 Backstretch Pit Stalls but changed to one pitroad in the Fall of 1999
Website:
rockinghamracewaypark.com
rockinghamspeedway.com
- 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) Comment here
- 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) Comment here
- 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) Comment here
- 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.(3-22-008)
- 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)
- IRL at the Rock? Sources inside the IndyCar Series are saying that the series is considering staging an event at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. The track known as the ‘Rock’ was a staple on the NASCAR circuit for almost 40 years. The last Nextel Cup race was staged there in 2004. North Carolina Motor Speedway was built in 1965 as a flat oval. The track was rebuilt in 1969 into the current banked oval. In 1997, NCMS merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Penske subsequently sold his speedway operations to International Speedway Corporation, the parent company of NASCAR. One of the Cup races at Rockingham was transferred to the new California Speedway in 2004. Shortly after a lawsuit (the "Ferko" Lawsuit) involving NASCAR, ISC, and shareholders in Speedway Motorsports was filed. As a part of the settlement, the second and last Cup date at Rockingham was transferred to Texas Motor Speedway. SMI purchased Rockingham, and agreed that there would be no NASCAR events there while the track was owned by SMI. The ovals are currently being used by NASCAR teams for testing. According to the source, the 17 event IndyCar Series, which currently races on seven tracks used for the Nextel Cup Series and three tracks that stage Busch Series races, is interested in the location of the Speedway in relation to the NASCAR fan base. The IndyCar Series currently shares an event weekend with the Craftsman Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway and according to the source, officials have been pleased with the event there and might be interested in the same type of weekend at Rockingham.(CupScene.com)(6-12-2007)
- Petty to test at the Rock: #45-Kyle Petty is scheduled to test his Darlington car at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC on Monday, May 2nd. While the track is not holding any races, it still is open for testing and the Buck Baker Racing School still holds classes there.(4-27-2005)
- Still testing at the Rock: North Carolina Speedway – or "The Rock," as it is known in the sport – hosted two top-level NASCAR races per year for nearly 40 years. But for the 2004 season, one of those races was taken away and given to one of the newer tracks (California Speedway) built by International Speedway Corp., a company majority-held by NASCAR's France family. Then Francis Ferko, a shareholder in the Bruton Smith-led Speedway Motorsports Inc., claimed in a lawsuit that NASCAR had breached agreements by not awarding a second Nextel Cup race to SMI-owned Texas Motor Speedway. As part of the settlement of the lawsuit, North Carolina Speedway was purchased by SMI for $100.4 million and the track's remaining race went to Texas.
Although it's been a year since it hosted its last Cup race, North Carolina Speedway still appears ready to stage an event. For that, credit caretaker Ronnie Chavis, who has worked at the track for 24 years and is one of only two remaining employees. Since racing has ceased, the track has become the home to several driving schools while also serving as a test track for NASCAR teams. Roush Racing is scheduled to test there next week, and the track also is seeing overflow rental business from Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte. There is also activity on the track's infield road course as well as on a go-kart track in the infield. Although there has been some talk about NASCAR staging a Craftsman Truck Series race at Rockingham, it's been just that – talk. Some have suggested that in the future, Rockingham and Darlington might flip-flop the latter track's one remaining race. Any event run at this or any other race track must be profitable for the facility to continue, and stand-alone events like a Craftsman Truck race or a combination truck and Busch Series weekend are only marginally profitable.(Yahoo! Sports)(3-2-2005)
- NC Governor's visit will unveil results of motorsports impact study: Gov. Mike Easley will pay a visit to Mooresville next week for the annual meeting of the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA). Easley is expected to speak Tuesday about the results of an economic impact study for the motorsports industry in North Carolina. The yearlong study analyzed the financial benefits that auto racing has and could bring to the state. N.C. Rep. Karen Ray of Mooresville was instrumental in landing the annual meeting here for the first time. A representative for Iredell and Catawba counties in the N.C. General Assembly, she has brought auto racing, and especially NASCAR, to the forefront of initiatives in Raleigh. That includes sponsoring a bill for stock car racing license plates, helping form a racing caucus in the General Assembly to promote racing, and now, bringing the NCMA annual meeting to Mooresville. “A good cross section of motorsports industry people will be present at the meeting, from (NCMA Chairman) Richard Petty to small businesses,” Ray said. Anyone can become a member of the NCMA [ncmotorsportsassociation.org], she added.(Mooresville Tribune)(10-2-2004)
- Tax/Sale Issues at the Rock: Richmond County officials, already stung by the loss of NASCAR races at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and the accompanying loss of economic benefit, are upset over a discrepancy related to the sale of the track by International Speedway Corporation to Speedway Motorsports Inc. As a consequence of the purchase of North Carolina Seedway [from ISC to SMI], the Rockingham track lost its lone remaining date on the Nextel Cup schedule. That date will move to Texas Motor Speedway, also owned by SMI. North Carolina Speedway Inc. recently recorded its deed of sale with the county for a fee of $9,000. Richmond County officials contend that’s $191,800 shy of what is owed. The county’s Register of Deeds, Patsy McDonald, based her claim against the facility on an announced purchase amount of $100.4 million. However, an attorney representing the speedway cited the purchase price as $4.5 million. The transaction was part of a lawsuit settlement dated April 8 between SMI shareholder Francis Ferko and NASCAR/ISC. In part, the settlement, reads, “SMI shall purchase from ISC, or an agent designated by ISC, all the assets of North Carolina Speedway, Inc. (‘Rockingham’) for a price of One Hundred Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars …” An ISC spokesman, Wes Harris, said Thursday, “The purchase price to ISC was $100.4 million. That is the actual cost of the sale.” At a rate of $2 per $1,000 of that purchase price, the recording of the deed should have cost $200,800, according to Richmond County sources. Instead, the $9,000 fee from the deed of sale was based on a purchase price of $4.5 million. McDonald sent a letter to the track requesting the remaining amount and questioning the purchase price. An attorney representing the speedway, Robert G. Brinkley, replied with a letter that read, in part: “Contrary to the media reports that you reference in your letter, the sales price for the North Carolina Motor Speedway real estate was $4,500,000. This was the price upon which the state transfer taxes were calculated and paid when the deed was recorded, in accordance with North Carolina General Statute Section 105-228.30.” According to Richmond County’s County Manager Jim Haynes, the tax value of the speedway had been recently revalued at $32 million, based on the settlement agreement. Haynes also added that the speedway’s own records showed assets of $40 million. SMI chief executive officer O. Bruton Smith was unavailable for comment on Thursday, as was Lowe’s Motor Speedway president and general manager H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. LMS is also a property of Speedway Motorsports, and Wheeler has met with Richmond County officials regarding the Rockingham track’s future.(Gaston Gazette)(8-13-2004)
- Latest on the NASCAR test track in NC: The budget proposal introduced yesterday by the N.C. Senate includes $4 million to plan for a NASCAR test track - not as much as Gov. Mike Easley wants but definitely more than the House budget, which contains no money for the project. The Charlotte Regional Partnership has pushed for the state to provide $50 million to build a motorsports test track somewhere within 30 miles of Lowe's Motor Speedway near Concord to provide testing for the 400 race teams in the state. But even some in the industry - including the N.C. Motorsports Association, which is conducting its own study of the racing industry's needs - have urged a slower approach. So even though Easley provided $15 million for the test track in his proposed budget for 2004-05, the House's version of the budget provided nothing at all.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-24-2004)
- Delegation Meets With Lawmakers In Effort To Bring NASCAR Back To Rockingham: There is a new push to bring NASCAR back to the North Carolina Speedway. Gov. Mike Easley wants to build a test track in the Charlotte area. Tuesday, leaders from Rockingham said there is no need to build a new track when they have one ready to use. The race is on for cities and counties that want to be the home of NASCAR's new testing and research facility. With NASCAR removing Rockingham from its Nextel Cup Series schedule 10 days ago, local leaders wasted no time getting their dibs in. The overall cost of the facility NASCAR wants is about $50 million. The governor wants the state to kick in $15 million to get it going. Easley is recommending the track be built near Charlotte. Several counties are vying for it.(WRAL.com)(5-27-2004)
- King named Director of PR for Talladega: Kristi R. King has joined Talladega Superspeedway as the Director of Public Relations, track president Grant Lynch announced today. King comes to Talladega after serving as Director of Public Relations for North Carolina Speedway. “Kristi spent some time with us this spring and really fit in well with our team here at Talladega,” Lynch said. “We are excited she has decided to take this opportunity. I think she will quickly become an asset not only to our facility but to our community as well.” A 10-year veteran of the sport, King’s duties at Talladega will include all aspects of public relations including advertising and promotions as well as media relations. She will begin her duties in early June. “I am excited about this new opportunity at Talladega Superspeedway and remaining a part of the International Speedway Corporation family,” said King. “Talladega is known for its competition and tradition and has the greatest fans in world. I am honored to be joining their team and look forward to the EA SPORTS 500 Weekend.” King, an Ellerbe, NC native, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. King and her husband of three years, David, will relocate to Alabama next month.(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(5-19-2004)
- Chris Browning named president of Darlington Raceway: Former North Carolina Speedway Vice President and General Manager Chris Browning has been named president of Darlington Raceway, International Speedway Corporation officials announced today. Andrew Gurtis, who has served as Raceway president for the past three years, has been named senior director, operational planning and integration for ISC. In his new position, he will act as lead assistant to Chief Operating Officer John Saunders on matters related to ongoing business unit operations and field integration. Browning, who has been executive vice president and general manager for North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC since 2002, said he is excited about the move. "I look forward to helping continue the history and tradition that has earned Darlington Raceway its special position in the sport of stock car racing," he said. Browning began his tenure at North Carolina Speedway in 1992 as director of public relations. He is a graduate of Pfeiffer College with a degree in business administration.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-19-2004)
- Darlington Personnel Changes: International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced several key strategic moves including naming Andrew Gurtis, who most recently served as President of Darlington Raceway, Senior Director, Operational Planning and Integration for ISC and former North Carolina Speedway President Chris Browning President of Darlington Raceway. ISC President Lesa Kennedy made the announcements today. Prior to his 3-year stint at Darlington, Gurtis served as Vice President of Administration at Daytona International Speedway for 4 years. In his new position, Gurtis will act as lead assistant to Chief Operating Officer John Saunders on matters related to ongoing business unit operations and field integration. Browning has been Executive Vice President and General Manager for North Carolina Speedway since 2002. As EVP and GM, he was responsible for all marketing, sales, public relations, operations and governmental relations. As President, he will continue those duties at Darlington. ISC is a leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States, currently promoting more than 100 events annually.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-19-2004)
- SMI Not to Shut Down the Rock: Lowes Motor Speedway and SMI President Humpy Wheeler say their company will not shut down the North Carolina Speedway. “No, no there’s no thought about shutting it down at all” said Wheeler who says they’re studying options as to how to use the facility. They may expand the three driving schools which use the Rockingham track, put on various other events, and Wheeler didn’t rule out racing events. “With a lot of these tracks lying around without Nextel Cup races like Kentucky, Memphis and Nashville there needs to be something else. Maybe there’s somebody out there with a good brain that can think up a new type of racing that we can bring to these tracks. It certainly is needed.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(5-15-2004)
- Comments From the 'Rock's' Prez: North Carolina Speedway President Chris Browning says obviously he’s disappointed and a little frustrated Rockingham will no longer host NASCAR racing. “Number one I feel like we’re the victim of our sports own success…and it’s good and it’s bad…it’s bad for facilities like ours. The second part is that I do feel like we never really had a fair shot at filling the facility up with our date. The criteria that NASCAR has laid out for realignment….the saturated market and the major market….those are things that we can’t change and we know that. I know we gave it our best shot with what we had to work with but it’s something that’s way beyond our control.” Given the part Rockingham has played in NASCAR history Browning said “I guess in a way it’s kinda fitting that it goes out like this because this is a pretty historical announcement and again the track was right in the middle of it one more time.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(5-15-2004)
- Martinsville bought by ISC, Rockingham sold to SMI by ISC: International Speedway Corporation [ISC] announced the following: The Company will acquire the assets of Martinsville Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events annually, for $192 million. The acquisition will be funded by $100.4 million in proceeds from the sale of the assets of North Carolina Speedway, which currently hosts one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event annually, and $91.6 million in cash. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. [SMI] will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million, as per the terms of a settlement agreement in the Ferko/Vaughn litigation filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. The Settlement Agreement releases ISC and NASCAR from all claims related to the litigation. The released claims include, but are not limited to, allegations or assertions with respect to the awarding and/or sanctioning of races, the effect of the common control of NASCAR and ISC residing in the France Family Group, and the market power either individually or jointly of NASCAR and ISC. Separately, the Company received NASCAR's approval for the realignment of several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races within its portfolio beginning in 2005. The net result is the addition of a second Cup event for Phoenix International Raceway and the reduction of Darlington Raceway's event schedule by one Cup date. ISC also intends for Nazareth Speedway's NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar events to be realigned to other facilities within its portfolio and will cease major motorsport event operations at the facility after completion of the track's 2004 events. Martinsville Acquisition and Ferko/Vaughn Settlement The acquisition of Martinsville and the sale of North Carolina will happen in a series of transactions that will essentially occur simultaneously. Martinsville is privately owned, and the France family, which controls in excess of 60% of the combined voting interest of ISC, indirectly owns 50% of Martinsville. The addition of an incremental NASCAR NEXTEL Cup date resulting from the Transactions was integral to the Company's decision to settle the Ferko/Vaughn litigation through the sale of North Carolina. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, SMI will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million in cash. The sale of North Carolina is expected to close following the satisfaction of conditions as provided in the North Carolina Asset Purchase Agreement and the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement is subject to Court approval, which the Company anticipates receiving within the next 30 to 45 days. The purchase prices for the assets of both facilities are subject to certain non-material adjustments and prorations at closing, and both are expected to close within the next 30 to 45 days in ISC's third quarter. ISC expects to record an approximate $36 million after-tax gain, or $0.68 per diluted share, from the sale of North Carolina and will reflect the facility's operations as discontinued in the Company's financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles Significant Realignment Initiatives Announced for 2005 NASCAR has approved ISC's proposal for the realignment of several NEXTEL Cup dates, including races at Phoenix, Darlington and California Speedway. Commented John R. Saunders, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ISC. "In addition, race fans in the Southwest will have another opportunity to experience the excitement of live NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. We will install lighting at Phoenix in order for the facility's 2005 spring race to finish under the lights during east coast prime time, typically a time of day with larger television audiences. Also, by realigning Nazareth's Busch and IRL events to other facilities in our portfolio, we believe we can successfully grow these events over the long term at a quicker rate than in their current venue. As such, we are presently working with the various sanctioning bodies involved." ISC will record a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $13 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, to reflect the impairment of Nazareth's long-lived assets.(ISC PR)(5-14-2004)
- Rockingham gone...confirmed...All-Star race back at Lowe's in 2005: The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule will be announced Friday morning at a 9:30am/et news conference at Richmond International Raceway, and North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham will not be on it. "NASCAR has made the decision to not run any more Cup races at North Carolina Speedway after this season," Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president for corporate communications, said Thursday, formally sounding the death knell for the 1.017-mile track. Its date will move to Texas Motor Speedway for 2005. Hunter would not comment further on the details of what will be announced by NASCAR chairman Brian France this morning, but sources tell The Charlotte Observer that next year's schedule will also include a second race for Phoenix International Raceway that will come at the expense of Darlington Raceway. That means the Carolinas will have only three Nextel Cup points events next season after playing host to five in 2004.
There will be some good news today for Lowe's Motor Speedway, however. The Charlotte Observer has confirmed that the schedule to be announced today will leave the Nextel All-Star Challenge at the Charlotte track for 2005.
The announcement of the move of a date from North Carolina Speedway, owned by International Speedway Corp., to Texas Motor Speedway, owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc., indicates that a settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by SMI stockholder Francis Ferko alleging that NASCAR reneged on a promise to give a second Cup date to the Texas track. Speedway Motorsports will own Rockingham as part of that settlement, but in his statement Friday, Hunter emphasized that it is NASCAR's decision to end Rockingham's run as a host of stock-car racing's top series that began in 1965.
Other Press Conferences Friday:
Texas Motor Speedway will host the Dallas-Fort Worth media to listen in via teleconference to the announcement here. Sources said the second Texas race would be held on Nov. 6, making it part of the 10-race Chase for the Championship.
International Speedway Corp. officials will then hold an 11 a.m. news conference at Richmond, discussing its decision to "realign" a date from Darlington to Phoenix.
The Phoenix track will then host media from that area for at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 p.m. Phoenix time) to talk about its new race, which will be slotted on April 24.
When the day is done, the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule is expected to take on a significantly different look.
After beginning the year with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 next season
the circuit will go to California Speedway on Feb. 27.
After taking the first weekend in March off, teams will go West again to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 13.
then go to Atlanta Motor Speedway the following Sunday. That pushes the races back at those two tracks one week later than this year.
Darlington's only Cup race in 2005 will run on May 7, the night before Mother's Day. NASCAR's top series has traditionally taken Mother's Day weekend off.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-13-2004)
- North Carolina Test Facility Planned: The Charlotte Regional Partnership is spearheading plans to seek state money to help build a $50 million motorsports test-track complex near Charlotte, the Charlotte Business Journal reports. The group hopes the facility will cement the area's status as the home of most of NASCAR's top-tier teams in the wake of new and expanded programs in Virginia and South Carolina. Reporter Ken Elkins writes that organizers are looking for up to 150 acres within 30 miles of Lowe's Motor Speedway for a facility that would include super speedway, mid-length oval and road-course tracks. No grandstands would be built. Teams could save money, the story says, by not having to travel to facilities such as Kentucky Speedway to conduct non-sanctioned tests.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-30-2004)
AND An effort is gearing up to build a state-funded motorsports test-track complex near Charlotte, with organizers saying the $50 million facility would help attract more Nextel Cup teams to the area. The Charlotte Regional Partnership is spearheading the idea, seeking up to 150 acres within 30 miles of Lowe's Motor Speedway for a facility that would include super speedway, mid-length oval and road-course tracks. "It could be configured to represent 75% of the types of tracks on the NASCAR circuit," says Michael Almond, chief executive of the regional partnership, a 16-county, public-private economic development agency. The complex, tentatively dubbed the N.C. Motorsports Testing and Research Complex, would include garages, administrative space and about $5 million in testing equipment but no grandstands. No site has been selected. The proposal faces two key challenges: Organizers are seeking state funds to pay for construction, and they want the land to be donated. "We are assuming that the land would be contributed as a way of having skin in the game," Almond says. Such property may already be available. Sources familiar with the test-track proposal say officials in Cabarrus, Iredell and Stanly counties have expressed interest in the project, suggesting sites that would be available at little or no cost. Also, Humpy Wheeler, president of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has offered 100 acres at the Lowe's Motor Speedway for the complex. Presumably, that Cabarrus site would have to be supplemented by 50 acres. Some have suggested using North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham for the testing complex, especially if that track loses its last NASCAR-sanctioned race.(Charlotte Business Journal)(5-5-2004)
- Some Rockingham Notes/Comments: Rockingham has gone the way of North Wilkesboro. And Hickory. And Bowman Gray. And Raleigh. And Asheville-Weaverville. The news out of Daytona is, once again, sad. We will race no more at North Carolina Motor Speedway. NASCAR will sacrifice it for a second race at Texas as a part of a convoluted settlement of a convoluted lawsuit. NCMS will be dropped from the 2005 schedule. The next schedule will also be without one of the Darlington events, the old track finally losing out to progress and legal battles. Phoenix is expected to add a second race for the 2005 season as the sport continues a trend away from its Southern roots toward nationalism. The official announcements will not come until later in the summer, and few people in the sport were willing to talk as the news trickled out this week. People in and around Rockingham were more than willing. "We're mad, we're angry and we're disappointed that we weren't given a chance," Rockingham city manager Monty Crump said. "This was a done deal. We were set up to fail." There's a lot of truth behind Crump's claim. The races at Rockingham could've easily been saved by moving the winter race to the summer, by adding lights and by NASCAR acknowledging that North Carolina Motor Speedway was an important part of the sport.(more at the Roanoke Times)(4-23-2004)
- More on 'The Rock' losing it's date/being sold: It appears one more race is leaving NASCAR's heartland... sources tell WFMY News 2. North Carolina speedway will be purchased as part of a settlement in a lawsuit and the buyer will be SpeedwayMotorsports Inc [SMI]. Their goal is to move a second race date to their Texas Motor Speedway. Here's a breakdown of what's happening and why:
Sources say SMI will buy the Rockingham track for 100-million dollars. Bruton Smith, the chairman of SMI, plans to shut down Rockingham and move that race to Texas Motor Speedway. Smith says NASCAR promised him they would give him a race at his Texas Motor Speedway, but that never happened and he had to go out and find his own. So SMI shareholders believe a deal to buy the Rockingham track and move the race to Texas will finally fulfill that promise from years ago. You may remember Smith set a precedent for moving races when he co-purchased the North Wilkesboro track years ago. That race is now at Texas Motor Speedway. So this new deal would likely mean two races that used to be in North Carolina are now in Texas.(WFMYnews2.com)(4-10-2004)
