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Two former NASCAR stock cars cross the finish line at Rockingham Speedway during a racing school session on July 24, 2021. NASCAR will return to the track in 2025, with dates for the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series April 18 and 19.
Neel Madhavan | Richmond Daily Journal file photo](https://s24474.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/130871155_web1_SeatTimeRacingSchool1.jpg)
Two former NASCAR stock cars cross the finish line at Rockingham Speedway during a racing school session on July 24, 2021. NASCAR will return to the track in 2025, with dates for the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series April 18 and 19.
Neel Madhavan | Richmond Daily Journal file photo
Iconic track welcomes NASCAR Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series
ROCKINGHAM — For the first time in over a decade NASCAR will return to the south-central North Carolina Piedmont for the highly anticipated return of major league stock car racing to Rockingham Speedway.
Thursday, Track Enterprises announced it has reached an agreement with Rockingham Speedway ownership to bring the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series back to the renowned one-mile oval April 18-19, 2025.
“The entire Track Enterprises team is eager and proud to be working with Dan Lovenheim and everyone at Rockingham Speedway to bring the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series back to one of the most storied venues in NASCAR’s proud history,” said Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises. “We are very fortunate to work with the professional staff at NASCAR and the incredible drivers and teams who will be racing with us. This is shaping up to be a great Easter weekend for the fans and everyone involved.”
The Xfinity Series was a regular player at the historic venue from 1982-2004 and features a cast of winners who went on to be some of the sport’s most respected names including David Pearson, Sam Ard, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Harry Gant, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and Jamie McMurray.
Martin was an indomitable force at Rockingham in Xfinity Series competition throughout his career having collected 11 wins in 25 starts, including four straight during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. McMurray matched Martin’s four-peat by recording victories in the most recent Xfinity Series races at “The Rock.”
The Craftsman Truck Series raced at Rockingham twice from 2012-2013 with Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson collecting the victories for late team owner Steve Turner and Turner Motorsports. Matt Crafton, a 25-year Craftsman Truck Series veteran, is the only current series regular to have competed at the high-banked, D-shaped oval when the division last raced there 11 years ago.
Separate from Larson, current NASCAR Cup Series competitors Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace were all part of the field when the Craftsman Truck Series last tested its mettle at Rockingham, just over a decade ago.
“Rockingham Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, so we look forward to the return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to the famed racetrack,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer. “The holiday race weekend at The Rock will offer the opportunity to showcase the future stars of the sport at a venue with a rich history.”
Rockingham Speedway, formerly named North Carolina Motor Speedway, was a staple on the Cup Series schedule for nearly 40 years and included a veritable who’s who of NASCAR on its list of previous winners.
“Rockingham Speedway is proud to welcome NASCAR and especially race fans from all over the state back to Richmond County,” said Rockingham Speedway owner Dan Lovenheim. “Our team has put a tremendous amount of work and resources into modernizing the property and providing the area with a destination to be proud of. This moment validates our plans. We’ve refreshed the entire facility and are eager to show race fans what we’ve done. We’re looking forward to partnering with Track Enterprises and NASCAR to host the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over Easter Weekend. We’re also thankful to Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Legislature for sharing and investing in our vision. We can’t wait to see the green flag wave again on NASCAR racing at The Rock.”
Tickets for NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway will go on sale Friday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Log on to RacetheRock.com for continuing details and updates.