NASCAR RETURNING TO THE ROCK: Xfinity, Craftsman Truck series races planned for Easter weekend 2025

ROCKINGHAM — The green flag has been waved: NASCAR is coming back to Rockingham Speedway.

The Rock will host a double-header featuring races in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck series the weekend of April 18-19 of 2025 —marking the first major races at the iconic track in more than a decade.

Track Enterprises and the speedway made the announcement about the long-awaited return to Rockingham in a press release early Thursday afternoon.

“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,” Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, said in a press release.

Tickets for the races will go on sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 1.

“We are very fortunate to work with the professional staff at NASCAR and the incredible drivers and teams who will be racing with us,” Sargent added. “This is shaping up to be a great Easter weekend for the fans and everyone involved.”

The last NASCAR-sanctioned event held at the Rock was the Craftsman Truck Series race (then called the Camping World Series) in April of 2013, with Kyle Larson taking the checkered flag.

That race also featured more of today’s top NASCAR Cup Series drivers, including Joey Logano, Chase Elliot, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

In 2012, the track hosted a truck race, as well as the first K&N Series race in a decade. Sergio Pena, who won the inaugural Crown 9 Champion Series race at the Rock earlier this month, placed 8th in the K&N clash.

The last Cup and Xfinity series races were held two decades ago in 2004.

The Arca Menards Series also ran at the speedway, with one race in 2008, two in 2009 and one in 2010. Logano won the 2008 race.

“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,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, said in a statement. “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.”

Formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway, the track hosted 78 top-tier races from 1965 to 2004, with Richard Petty netting 11 wins — the most of any driver in the Cup Series.

Cale Yarborough has the second-most Cup wins with seven, however Mark Martin has the most overall racing victories with 14: two in the Cup Series; 11 in the Xfinity Series (formerly Busch Series); and one in the K&N Pro Series.

Rusty Wallace — who holds the track lap record and is the only driver aside from Petty to have three consecutive wins (five total) — said during the kickoff for the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail in 2023 that Rockingham was one of his favorite tracks and that he was happy to see the track being revitalized “…and hopefully some big races back here.”

The track was closed from 2014 until 2021 and has since hosted a few small-tier car, truck and rig races in addition to drifting and other events. MB Drift just finished up its fourth competitive season at the Rock.

The CARS Tour was initially scheduled to hold a race at Rockingham in 2021, but that race was called off, with a Hoosier tire shortage bearing the blame.

Rockingham Speedway has been favored among many fans and drivers to host another NASCAR race, winning 50% in an online poll from NASCAR on NBC, beating out North Wilkesboro and Nashville Fairgrounds.

NASCAR wound up returning to North Wilkesboro first for the All-Star Race in 2023 and that track will host the third consecutive event next year.

Earlier this year, NASCAR announced that it would be holding the 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.

In an online poll conducted by the RO last year, 35% of fans said they would prefer a springtime race — in contrast to the late winter and mid-fall dates run at the track from 1965-2004.

The announcement comes six years after the speedway was purchased by Lovenheim and company for $2.8 million.

During the track’s open house in mid-July, Lovenheim teased that there were “very good times ahead.”

“Rockingham Speedway is proud to welcome NASCAR and especially race fans from all over the state back to Richmond County,” Lovenheim said in a statement. “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,” Lovenheim continued. “We’ve refreshed the entire facility and are eager to show race fans what we’ve done.”

The main oval was repaved in late 2022 and the road course was repaved earlier this year.

Some of the upgrades were paid for through a $9 million state budget allocation — via the N.C. Department of Commerce — for infrastructure improvements at the track.

“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,” said Lovenheim. 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.”

NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of a name. 2:30 p.m. 8-29-24.