I would love to see Rochingham back in the cup series. Maybe one cup point race and the all-star could rotate between North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. Should never have been taken off the schedule. I am not saying two dates but one date for as many tracks as possible. As someone who is from North Carolina, it is another one of my home-state tracks.
@@crystaljon I agreed. So, the solution to that is to rotate between them or arrange the schedule so they are not close together. However, it would helps the teams save money. Nascar could do like a Carolina Classic (similar to the West coast swing)
@@johnhaas2523 SMI could lease the track, which would be the most likely option for them getting a race to begin with. They already lease COTA for the NASCAR weekends.
@@crystaljon If you space those races out instead of having them all grouped together, and get rid of the second date at pretty much any track that has one (Besides Daytona/Dega), it would work out.
I live legit 5 minutes from The Rock. Thanks for doing this video on our track. I pray they bring NASCAR back soon. Richmond County has a slogan now its #BelieveInTheRock. Rockingham and Richmond County sends much love Eric.
@@Shoreline71 I think he made this video in April before they added all the new stuff. Like now above the Winston Cup sign they have two huge American flags. and they are make a new parking lot beside the track.
@@TrevorLeeKirkley No shit? Ok, I hope it turns into something. Wasn’t it bout 10-12 years ago they held an ARCA race there? Kahne was in it…last race down there, for me anyway. Been a while since I’ve been through there. Went through Biscoe and Albemarle today though! Oh boy! Lol
I'd like to see this place host ARCA and Truck races again at least. This would make a great stand alone track for the Truck Series and I really hope it comes back for them.
To show you how much Rockingham is missed, I asked my dad earlier this year “Guess what track is returning for the All Star Race this year?” His response was Rockingham
I live in myrtle beach, and after they closed myrtle beach speedway and bulldozed it (Dale JR’s home track) our local drift group migrated to the rock. Long before the track paved the oval, my local guys were out there fixing and paving the infield for drift events! They even made the local paper for it. I like to think they started the interest over at the rock because before that there was basically nothing going on there. Now they have regular drift events there!
I came to say the same thing about MB Drift. I've photographed MB at Myrtle Beach Speedway as well as at The Rock. I do believe they started the revival process as they have been doing a lot of moves paving the infield and updates to the facility!
Glad you were able to go and great video as always! Rockingham Speedway is one of my favorite tracks and I'm thankful to have been able to film there the last two years. Hoping NASCAR can return there
Great episode Eric, looks like you had fun in your rental car taking a lap @ "The Rock"! I loved Rockingham on the schedule for years growing up & was sad when it left 😭😭😭 I'd love to see Rockingham come back on the schedule
The only way I could see these old, small-market tracks return is in rotation. I could see Rockingham trading a date with North Wilkesboro every year. Enough to build anticipation. I would say Nashville Fairgrounds too, but I think NASCAR will want to take advantage of that market as much as possible.
I went to the Rock in the 90's and it was a blast. Loved the pitting on both sides. Would love a revival for some kind of cup race. If they did that it would really put NC on the map for racing firsts and start a precedence for revivals.
I loved going to races at the Rock - went to two music festivals there since it closed and supported their christmas light display there this last December. It would be supported by the locals I am sure - but the races need to not be in "freezing February" which is where the last few years of racing there - and yes Eric it was amazing to see Matt win that race in 2004 - but it was COLD! Realistically it would be nice to see The Cars tour, ARCA or maybe the Trucks or Xfinity come back there.
In March we got to run with Stock Car Classics. We have gone out there several times before and I can tell you after running an actual stock car on that surface, the repave was necessary. I was averaging almost 110 mph. a lap. I couldn't have done that on the old surface. Hopefully they can get consistent racing back out there, even if it isn't Cup.
Great video! I love the daily Nascar news videos but more Nascar history videos like this would be awesome. Keep up the great work. Best Nascar channel on TH-cam
My first Nascar race was at the Rock in 1986 .I’ve been to at least 12 races there. My favorite racetrack by far!! I’ve been to North Wilkesboro and Charlotte motor speedway also a few times and I really liked Rockingham the best. Not even close. I would love for Nascar to go back there. Have a lot of great memories of the races there with friends. Cooking out and just having a great time. Thanks so much for doing this video!! Brought back a lot of good memories!!
I attended a then Busch series race at the Rock back in the 1990s on a day that Dale Earnhardt Sr. Qualified fastest in the second round of cup qualifying. I miss that too. That day Chad Little in the Harris Teeter car beat Mark Martin in the Winn Dixie car. Awesome track. We need more like it and the unique Iowa speedway. Awesome racing.
Classic Rockingham was amazing. So much tire fall off. Always seem to have good racing. Multiple grooves. Wish they would go back, even if it was just one race a year.
I always enjoyed races there. It was also one of my favorite tracks to race on in the old EA Sports NASCAR games. The wall off turn 2 felt like it almost came out at you. I always thought the races were good, but much like everything in the 2000’s with nascar, greed meant more than product. Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta all had similar tracks. Michigan and California were carbon copies and usually a snooze fest. All the mile and a half’s were basically the same. The schedule became boring, but tracks like the Rock were unique, and I loved it for that reason.
i agree 100 percent and i think all the mile and a halfs built is what started killing nascar. i blame smi they just built the same tracks just in diffrent states and bought all the indapendent tracks and shut them down to give the dates to there new tracks. they where so boring everyone stopped going and stopped watching.
In the early 80s my dad and i went to The Rock for an open house and we got to take a few laps in his car. On they way back to Atlanta, he noticed the car was handling poorly so he took it to his mechanic who put it on a lift and discovered that nearly new set of Firestones were all chewed up on the right side, so much so that he had to replace them!! They dont call them the Sand Hills for nothing! Thats one of the things that made Rockingham a drivers track - having to manage your tires. Thanks Eric!!
My one concern with racing at Rockingham (and North Wilkesboro for that matter) is that it's in a very saturated part of the country as far as NASCAR tracks are concerned. What I think they should do is treat the All Star Race as a sort of "Grassroots Revival" - rotate it between a bunch of grassroots tracks every year to try and help save some of these tracks that are being bought out and demolished.
I live in southwest Ohio. I wish we had great Nascar tracks around me. The brickyard and Kentucky are the only ones relatively close to me. And I am not paying for tickets to watch them go around the road course at IMS LOL. Fingers crossed for everyone in the NC/SC that this track is brought back. You all are so lucky so much history surrounds you down there!
Excellent vid Eric! I think the ROCK would garner a revival of support for the “Old School Fan” type of feel, but with a more convenient, modern amenities.
I was there and I was a huge Kenseth fan. I was sitting near the start finish line and nobody knew who won until Matt came around and went sliding through the grass.
I was talking toi my son about this last night. We think with the light they need to pitch holding the season finale of SRX at the Rock. that would be an awesome event.
Awesome video of an awesome track, Eric. So glad you went there, and glad you got to drive around a place where your hero Matt Kenseth was a winner. Bring back THE ROCK!!!
Thank u for coming and showing love to rockingham and the rock. Really hope nascar comes back like north wilkesboro. If your in rockingham again stop by dominos highly suggest.
Used to go to Rockingham twice a year. Each time we saw the same faces where we tailgated. Nice to see old friends. Would love to do so again... Old tracks are like finely chiseled works of art. New tracks (i.e. cookie cutters) are cheap plastic knockoffs.
Me and my little boy went by Rockingham just this past weekend. Just looked on the outside. It looked great and i could feel the history there. Seeing all the names on the rock outside the track was great. Hopefully it will come back even if they alternate the all star race or something like that. I'd go to an ARCA and truck race if they wanted to start that way. Great video too 👍
I know this is a primarily Nascar / Oval track racing channel / viewership but would also like to point out that for the last couple of years MB Drift has held drifting events at both Little Rock and the infield of The Rock. So the track is being used for both some oval racing as well as other motorsports which may help the tracks success overall.
As someone who is old enough to remember live NASCAR races at Rockingham, and watching the black #3 battle the rainbow car there... I hope that track gets back on the schedule. I am a big proponent of NASCAR spreading its races out more across the country, which I think would definitely help the sport to grow. Just imagine if NFL, NBA or MLB franchises where distributed across the country the same way NASCAR tracks are. Those sports probably wouldn't have the lifetime popularity they have had. But... I would very happily give up a road course or street course race to get the Rock back. If it does happen... I wouldn't consider it much of a big deal with 3 tracks being close together. First, all the tracks are different layouts which is good, second it is a track that is historic to NASCAR. Rockingham would add another unique track layout which is good for the schedule.
It be q dream come true if nascar in general comes back to the rock 🪨 especially putting new light stands around the track will make it even more beautiful with the new asphalt thinks for eric for giving it a start on the aging it out.
It was awesome back in the 90's to go to Rockingham.And camp out all weekend.Those were the days.I would sit in the stands and watch Dale Earnhardt run every lap.
would love to see a race here again. my first race was a busch race here back in 1993. also got to see cup qualifying that day, and see jeff gordon spin out on his warmup lap coming out of the pits.
Solution to saturation - instead of two Bristol, two Richmond, two Martinsville, two Atlanta, divvy it up: 1 date at each, 1 Rockingham, 1 North Wilkesboro. Rotate All-Star Race between those 6 so every 6th year one of those tracks gets two races. This leaves 2 extra dates. For those, go to the Midwest. Bring back Road America and Chicagoland Speedway. Since Chicagoland is an intermediate, give one of Kansas Speedway's two dates to Iowa Speedway. So, instead of 2 Bristol, 2 Martinsville, 2 Richmond, 2 Atlanta, 2 Kansas it would be 1 Bristol, 1 Martinsville, 1 Richmond, 1 Atlanta, 1 Kansas, 1 Rockingham, 1 North Wilkesboro, 1 Chicagoland, 1 Road America, 1 Iowa.
Really enjoyed this video. I really hope NASCAR gives it another shot, even if its just truck and xfinity to start, and what about a possible all star race. I kind of like the all star race going to tracks that maybe no one in the series has run on yet and make them prove themselves on an unknown, sort of like they did this year.
I went to the last truck race at Rockingham to watch a teenage Chase Elliott drive. Took the family drove down & returned home the same day. Enjoyed every bit of it. Been to more cup races there than Charlotte. Thought it was better racing than most tracks. Problem I see is it’s not in a BIG market area for today’s NASCAR. It’s all about the $$$$$$ today.
I went to the Rock in 1998 and witnessed Gordon clinch his 3rd title. Went again in spring 1999 but unfortunately he blew an engine. I will always cherish the memories and would love to see it back on the schedule again.
The ROCK was my first at track race. Front Row Joe lapped the field due to a caution and that was about it Nov 2001. My seat was in the grandstand shown in video just after turn4. So that was great.
Teams were saying the clash out in LA is a huge expense and a toll on teams going out there maybe have the clash at the rock keep the close to home to start the year so it's not a huge toll on the race teams
I know Currently Rockingham is host to a lot of Local Drift events. After the Myrtle Beach track sold out, its been the prime place for Drifters in the Carolina's to go.
I think we are entering an era, my feeling, where we could see, and benefit, from visiting most tracks 1 time per season. The way the new car is built, it lends itself to being able to have a wide variety of setup possibilities without needing a massive collection of components that are specialized to a single track/style of track. I think it'll keep things fresh and it could help attendance. Fans would could have a lot more options on watching a race closer to their home towns. I'm not even completely sold on any tracks having 2 dates to be honest. I don't think we need 2 Daytona, 2 Talladega and 2 Atlanta. Have 1 each and float a 4th super speedway race each season between the 3. Have throwback weekend during the Southern 500 at the 1 Darlington race in the fall, keep all star at North Wilkesboro for another year or two and then move to a points race. Then, Indy, flip flop oval and road course every other year or every two years. Base the time span on attendance and let the fans tell you what they want. I really think there's more than enough tracks that NASCAR could make something like this work between the tracks visited by any of the 3 top divisions as well as some that we don't go to currently.
You my friend, have a good idea. Now granted some track rlly do deserve 2 dates, but that's a good idea. Make most tracks should have 1 date to leave extra room for other tracks
@@Gage_BrumleyI'd like you to consider literally the REST of the schedule and come back with some new tracks. Cuz jah those 4? I might be biased but hell no those 4 only isnt true. Take Kansas for example, or dover, it be other tracks
@@C4r0n1k I'd be fine with Kansas keeping two races, but Dover definitely only needs one. Attendance is HORRIBLE at that track. Same for Richmond, it also needs to lose a race
The Rock has always been my favorite track. I now go to the spring Darlington race every year instead which is a blast but not the same. My best live memories of NASCAR are from The Rock and I have always hoped they would race there again. Build it and they will come - I hope!
Do you smell what The Rock is cookin’?!? I’m from NC and retired from the Air Force in 2014 and moved back. I go to 6-8 races a year. I’d be a season ticket holder! Loved North Wilksboro week this month!
I was working on a Busch series team back in the 90's - 00's and got to go to "The Rock". How about a IndyCar race there while we are waiting on NASCAR to come to their senses!!!! I'll contact my good friend Roger Penske!!!! 😆
If we are doing a rotating venue for the All-Star race like we have been for the last 4(?) years, I'd say bring back the Rock for the All-Star race in Cup, and maybe for points in Xfinity and Trucks
I have the Rock on the schedule, even if it's on a rolling schedule with North Wilkesboro and other historic tracks. Hickory Motor Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nazareth
Hope they can get that short track behind there up to snuff. Excellent size and age of surface for Modifieds, CARS Tour, Limited Late Models, Legends, etc.
Eric if the modifieds come back to Rockingham that is a must see race, but any race their is great. Charlotte could cut the Roval, as a live spectator it's a waste of money unless they put up a grandstand in the road course section.
Make it 2 openings if Texas is scrapped after thus season. Just a shame that those 3 tracks will never be on the same schedule
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NASCAR can start small with an standalone Xfinity race. Nobody expects Rockingham to host 2 CUP races a year again. It's also unrealistic. But if NASCAR reduce Martinsville, Richmond or Charlotte to 1 race per year, there would be room for Rockingham and also North Wilkesboro as a single race on schedule.
As someone who lives 45 min from the track, we all wanna see it come back. Locals alone around here would keep it going. Over saturation or not, this track is far too entertaining, and the fan base here is far too strong to continue to ignore it. But it doesn’t need to have the same dates as before. Preferably May and September would be more ideal
Love this video, you lucky dog! I think there’s a real shot they get a date back, and they used to run the 2nd or 3rd race and one of the last few races for many years, I don’t think they’re worried at all about the weather
Here's an idea - have North Wilkesboro take Bristol's spring date, and have Rockingham be next year's All-Star Race. Then rotate North Wilkesboro and Rockingham every other between the All-Star Race and a points-paying race.
They can move the dirt to Rockingham. Problem solved. I know NWS would be a better fit, but with that asphalt? It would ruin it, putting 27 years of hard work down the drain
Dan is a good guy and has done a lot of improvements at The Rock and the biggest problem is the track is forgotten or unknown by the modern NASCAR fan. If Dan were to get in talks with a series like SRX or even an event promoter like Garrett Mitchell (Cleetus) to hold a race or automotive events there it would get the track name back in peoples mouths like iRacing and Dale Jr did for N.Wilkesboro. The major objector to Rockingham hosting racing was Bruton Smith (SMI) and with him gone strides could be made if there were some events that would draw attention outside of the region. Hot Rod Power Tour stopped there last year and quite a few of the participants had no idea that it was a former Cup Series track.
Could this replace the Colosseum? I get the fact NASCAR wants to bring the races to the west and put not only a race but an event on near the west coast. However, it a organization that has made recent choices based on saving teams onbtravel, hotels, the logistics of running a race team that are abundantly ecpensive maybe a 90 minute away 1 mile oval is what the teams would prefer for nudgetary reasons.
I would love to see Rochingham back in the cup series. Maybe one cup point race and the all-star could rotate between North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. Should never have been taken off the schedule. I am not saying two dates but one date for as many tracks as possible. As someone who is from North Carolina, it is another one of my home-state tracks.
I just want to see a track in my local area, but there are barely any NASCAR fans here in Idaho
Oversaturation would be an issue if Rockingham returns. In addition to Nashville Fairgrounds, that's SIX tracks in two neighboring states.
@@crystaljon I agreed. So, the solution to that is to rotate between them or arrange the schedule so they are not close together. However, it would helps the teams save money. Nascar could do like a Carolina Classic (similar to the West coast swing)
@@johnhaas2523 SMI could lease the track, which would be the most likely option for them getting a race to begin with. They already lease COTA for the NASCAR weekends.
@@crystaljon If you space those races out instead of having them all grouped together, and get rid of the second date at pretty much any track that has one (Besides Daytona/Dega), it would work out.
I live legit 5 minutes from The Rock. Thanks for doing this video on our track. I pray they bring NASCAR back soon. Richmond County has a slogan now its #BelieveInTheRock. Rockingham and Richmond County sends much love Eric.
I too am just minutes down the road from the track and we all want it back, me and my coworkers.
I’m 45 min up #1, but doesn’t this type of vid pop up about every other year? I remember lights added, bleachers ripped out…..what happened?
@@Shoreline71 I think he made this video in April before they added all the new stuff. Like now above the Winston Cup sign they have two huge American flags. and they are make a new parking lot beside the track.
@@TrevorLeeKirkley No shit? Ok, I hope it turns into something. Wasn’t it bout 10-12 years ago they held an ARCA race there? Kahne was in it…last race down there, for me anyway. Been a while since I’ve been through there. Went through Biscoe and Albemarle today though! Oh boy! Lol
I'd like to see this place host ARCA and Truck races again at least. This would make a great stand alone track for the Truck Series and I really hope it comes back for them.
To show you how much Rockingham is missed, I asked my dad earlier this year “Guess what track is returning for the All Star Race this year?” His response was Rockingham
Same. My dad stopped watching regularly mid 2000’s and when I told him they were reviving NWS he shook his head and said “Naw” like it was a question.
Hey lucmcdowel did you thenat least tell your Dad your announcement was a joke?😊😅😮😂❤😊❤
Could be a good track for a ARCA/Truck doubleheader to get things going again.
I live in myrtle beach, and after they closed myrtle beach speedway and bulldozed it (Dale JR’s home track) our local drift group migrated to the rock. Long before the track paved the oval, my local guys were out there fixing and paving the infield for drift events! They even made the local paper for it. I like to think they started the interest over at the rock because before that there was basically nothing going on there. Now they have regular drift events there!
That’s rad
I live in Charleston and I'm still bummed I never got to make it out to Myrtle Beach Speedway. :(
I came to say the same thing about MB Drift. I've photographed MB at Myrtle Beach Speedway as well as at The Rock. I do believe they started the revival process as they have been doing a lot of moves paving the infield and updates to the facility!
hell yeah, thank ya for the showing of love for the facilities, it was much needed
Moms is in Ocean Isle! Lol
My day gets better every time I watch one of Eric’s videos
There was always great racing at Rockingham. I really wish they would bring it back.
💯
Glad you were able to go and great video as always! Rockingham Speedway is one of my favorite tracks and I'm thankful to have been able to film there the last two years. Hoping NASCAR can return there
Great episode Eric, looks like you had fun in your rental car taking a lap @ "The Rock"! I loved Rockingham on the schedule for years growing up & was sad when it left 😭😭😭
I'd love to see Rockingham come back on the schedule
The only way I could see these old, small-market tracks return is in rotation. I could see Rockingham trading a date with North Wilkesboro every year. Enough to build anticipation. I would say Nashville Fairgrounds too, but I think NASCAR will want to take advantage of that market as much as possible.
I went to the Rock in the 90's and it was a blast. Loved the pitting on both sides. Would love a revival for some kind of cup race. If they did that it would really put NC on the map for racing firsts and start a
precedence for revivals.
Some of the best "parking lot camping" I've done at NASCAR races. Would love to see the Rock get some dates.
Having NC-centered tracks on a rotating schedule is SUCH a good idea.
I loved going to races at the Rock - went to two music festivals there since it closed and supported their christmas light display there this last December. It would be supported by the locals I am sure - but the races need to not be in "freezing February" which is where the last few years of racing there - and yes Eric it was amazing to see Matt win that race in 2004 - but it was COLD! Realistically it would be nice to see The Cars tour, ARCA or maybe the Trucks or Xfinity come back there.
In March we got to run with Stock Car Classics. We have gone out there several times before and I can tell you after running an actual stock car on that surface, the repave was necessary. I was averaging almost 110 mph. a lap. I couldn't have done that on the old surface. Hopefully they can get consistent racing back out there, even if it isn't Cup.
Great video! I love the daily Nascar news videos but more Nascar history videos like this would be awesome. Keep up the great work. Best Nascar channel on TH-cam
I live bout an hr from the track. I would love to see it back to NASCAR. I did get a chance to talk on the track back when I was in high school.
Thankyou for making this video. You are very honest and respectful about The Rock.
would love to see this come back. Maybe not every year, but could rotate a cup date and maybe the all star race there on certain years.
My first Nascar race was at the Rock in 1986 .I’ve been to at least 12 races there. My favorite racetrack by far!! I’ve been to North Wilkesboro and Charlotte motor speedway also a few times and I really liked Rockingham the best. Not even close. I would love for Nascar to go back there. Have a lot of great memories of the races there with friends. Cooking out and just having a great time. Thanks so much for doing this video!! Brought back a lot of good memories!!
I attended a then Busch series race at the Rock back in the 1990s on a day that Dale Earnhardt Sr. Qualified fastest in the second round of cup qualifying. I miss that too. That day Chad Little in the Harris Teeter car beat Mark Martin in the Winn Dixie car. Awesome track. We need more like it and the unique Iowa speedway. Awesome racing.
Classic Rockingham was amazing. So much tire fall off. Always seem to have good racing. Multiple grooves. Wish they would go back, even if it was just one race a year.
I always enjoyed races there. It was also one of my favorite tracks to race on in the old EA Sports NASCAR games. The wall off turn 2 felt like it almost came out at you. I always thought the races were good, but much like everything in the 2000’s with nascar, greed meant more than product. Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta all had similar tracks. Michigan and California were carbon copies and usually a snooze fest. All the mile and a half’s were basically the same. The schedule became boring, but tracks like the Rock were unique, and I loved it for that reason.
i agree 100 percent and i think all the mile and a halfs built is what started killing nascar. i blame smi they just built the same tracks just in diffrent states and bought all the indapendent tracks and shut them down to give the dates to there new tracks. they where so boring everyone stopped going and stopped watching.
In the early 80s my dad and i went to The Rock for an open house and we got to take a few laps in his car. On they way back to Atlanta, he noticed the car was handling poorly so he took it to his mechanic who put it on a lift and discovered that nearly new set of Firestones were all chewed up on the right side, so much so that he had to replace them!! They dont call them the Sand Hills for nothing! Thats one of the things that made Rockingham a drivers track - having to manage your tires. Thanks Eric!!
My one concern with racing at Rockingham (and North Wilkesboro for that matter) is that it's in a very saturated part of the country as far as NASCAR tracks are concerned. What I think they should do is treat the All Star Race as a sort of "Grassroots Revival" - rotate it between a bunch of grassroots tracks every year to try and help save some of these tracks that are being bought out and demolished.
I live in southwest Ohio. I wish we had great Nascar tracks around me. The brickyard and Kentucky are the only ones relatively close to me. And I am not paying for tickets to watch them go around the road course at IMS LOL. Fingers crossed for everyone in the NC/SC that this track is brought back. You all are so lucky so much history surrounds you down there!
I use to be a tour guide at a track. Eric those track laps brought me back! You could really mess with people it was so fun lmao
Crazy, I went to the Rock in 1993 last for qualifying lol. I was very young but still remember it!
Excellent vid Eric! I think the ROCK would garner a revival of support for the “Old School Fan” type of feel, but with a more convenient, modern amenities.
I was there and I was a huge Kenseth fan. I was sitting near the start finish line and nobody knew who won until Matt came around and went sliding through the grass.
You should come to one of our Stock Car Classics events at Rockingham this year! MB Drift Series Also Runs At Rockingham Every Couple Months
Great presentation! I would love to see more of these!
I was talking toi my son about this last night. We think with the light they need to pitch holding the season finale of SRX at the Rock. that would be an awesome event.
Awesome video of an awesome track, Eric. So glad you went there, and glad you got to drive around a place where your hero Matt Kenseth was a winner. Bring back THE ROCK!!!
Thank u for coming and showing love to rockingham and the rock. Really hope nascar comes back like north wilkesboro. If your in rockingham again stop by dominos highly suggest.
Used to go to Rockingham twice a year. Each time we saw the same faces where we tailgated. Nice to see old friends. Would love to do so again... Old tracks are like finely chiseled works of art. New tracks (i.e. cookie cutters) are cheap plastic knockoffs.
Me and my little boy went by Rockingham just this past weekend. Just looked on the outside. It looked great and i could feel the history there. Seeing all the names on the rock outside the track was great. Hopefully it will come back even if they alternate the all star race or something like that. I'd go to an ARCA and truck race if they wanted to start that way. Great video too 👍
Had some crazy times at the ROCK.. INFEILD CAMPING WAS CRAZZZZY!! . SEEN KYLE PETTY ,NEIL BONNETT ,ETC WIN THERE
I know this is a primarily Nascar / Oval track racing channel / viewership but would also like to point out that for the last couple of years MB Drift has held drifting events at both Little Rock and the infield of The Rock. So the track is being used for both some oval racing as well as other motorsports which may help the tracks success overall.
As someone who is old enough to remember live NASCAR races at Rockingham, and watching the black #3 battle the rainbow car there... I hope that track gets back on the schedule.
I am a big proponent of NASCAR spreading its races out more across the country, which I think would definitely help the sport to grow. Just imagine if NFL, NBA or MLB franchises where distributed across the country the same way NASCAR tracks are. Those sports probably wouldn't have the lifetime popularity they have had. But... I would very happily give up a road course or street course race to get the Rock back.
If it does happen... I wouldn't consider it much of a big deal with 3 tracks being close together. First, all the tracks are different layouts which is good, second it is a track that is historic to NASCAR.
Rockingham would add another unique track layout which is good for the schedule.
It be q dream come true if nascar in general comes back to the rock 🪨 especially putting new light stands around the track will make it even more beautiful with the new asphalt thinks for eric for giving it a start on the aging it out.
It was awesome back in the 90's to go to Rockingham.And camp out all weekend.Those were the days.I would sit in the stands and watch Dale Earnhardt run every lap.
would love to see a race here again. my first race was a busch race here back in 1993. also got to see cup qualifying that day, and see jeff gordon spin out on his warmup lap coming out of the pits.
Allstar race rotation North Wilkesboro, the Rock, Darlington Fairgrounds and Martinsville, and make it the throwback weekend.
Love the vibe of this new segment/episode. Well done Eric!
I would love to see Rockingham back! I have passed by multiple times.
Fun Fact: I actually live like 20-30 minutes away from The Rock.
Solution to saturation - instead of two Bristol, two Richmond, two Martinsville, two Atlanta, divvy it up:
1 date at each, 1 Rockingham, 1 North Wilkesboro. Rotate All-Star Race between those 6 so every 6th year one of those tracks gets two races. This leaves 2 extra dates. For those, go to the Midwest. Bring back Road America and Chicagoland Speedway. Since Chicagoland is an intermediate, give one of Kansas Speedway's two dates to Iowa Speedway.
So, instead of 2 Bristol, 2 Martinsville, 2 Richmond, 2 Atlanta, 2 Kansas it would be 1 Bristol, 1 Martinsville, 1 Richmond, 1 Atlanta, 1 Kansas, 1 Rockingham, 1 North Wilkesboro, 1 Chicagoland, 1 Road America, 1 Iowa.
Really enjoyed this video. I really hope NASCAR gives it another shot, even if its just truck and xfinity to start, and what about a possible all star race. I kind of like the all star race going to tracks that maybe no one in the series has run on yet and make them prove themselves on an unknown, sort of like they did this year.
Move the Clash to Rockingham (heck they even used to run there in February anyway) and keep North Wilkesboro for the All Star Race.
@Stapleton42 has a few videos at Rockingham. He has a few more on classic car racing shows there too.
They definitely need to recognize their history as the old saying goes never forget where you come from maybe they should make the schedule longer
I went to the last truck race at Rockingham to watch a teenage Chase Elliott drive. Took the family drove down & returned home the same day. Enjoyed every bit of it. Been to more cup races there than Charlotte. Thought it was better racing than most tracks. Problem I see is it’s not in a BIG market area for today’s NASCAR. It’s all about the $$$$$$ today.
Wilkesboro and Charlotte are sellouts this year, every ticket got sold and used. If that can happen to them, it can happen to Rockingham
I went to the Rock in 1998 and witnessed Gordon clinch his 3rd title. Went again in spring 1999 but unfortunately he blew an engine. I will always cherish the memories and would love to see it back on the schedule again.
Very well put together video. Kudos.
The real problem with Rockingham was it was to damn cold to go to. February in NC is cold November isn't much better.
I went there for the 2002-2004 spring races. So awesome. I’d love to see it come back just for those reasons. But I don’t have much hope.
The ROCK was my first at track race. Front Row Joe lapped the field due to a caution and that was about it Nov 2001. My seat was in the grandstand shown in video just after turn4. So that was great.
Teams were saying the clash out in LA is a huge expense and a toll on teams going out there maybe have the clash at the rock keep the close to home to start the year so it's not a huge toll on the race teams
Look at you, driving on an awesome track! 🤘
Love how you edited Matt K into the script just as you were saying “best of the best”! 😂
Like the style. Maybe do more tracks in a historical motif.
Hope we can see some truck and arca races there soon.
Would be nice if rockingham came back
A NCTS or NXS race would be great here, just for a start. If it works out, NCS could be an option.
I always liked how the back stretch wall wasn’t centered with the banking so they would always climb it lol
I know Currently Rockingham is host to a lot of Local Drift events. After the Myrtle Beach track sold out, its been the prime place for Drifters in the Carolina's to go.
Great video man 👍👍 I would love to see "The Rock " back on the cup schedule
I think we are entering an era, my feeling, where we could see, and benefit, from visiting most tracks 1 time per season. The way the new car is built, it lends itself to being able to have a wide variety of setup possibilities without needing a massive collection of components that are specialized to a single track/style of track. I think it'll keep things fresh and it could help attendance. Fans would could have a lot more options on watching a race closer to their home towns. I'm not even completely sold on any tracks having 2 dates to be honest. I don't think we need 2 Daytona, 2 Talladega and 2 Atlanta. Have 1 each and float a 4th super speedway race each season between the 3. Have throwback weekend during the Southern 500 at the 1 Darlington race in the fall, keep all star at North Wilkesboro for another year or two and then move to a points race. Then, Indy, flip flop oval and road course every other year or every two years. Base the time span on attendance and let the fans tell you what they want. I really think there's more than enough tracks that NASCAR could make something like this work between the tracks visited by any of the 3 top divisions as well as some that we don't go to currently.
You my friend, have a good idea. Now granted some track rlly do deserve 2 dates, but that's a good idea. Make most tracks should have 1 date to leave extra room for other tracks
@@C4r0n1k the only tracks that deserve 2 dates are Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte, and Martinsville
@@Gage_BrumleyI'd like you to consider literally the REST of the schedule and come back with some new tracks. Cuz jah those 4? I might be biased but hell no those 4 only isnt true. Take Kansas for example, or dover, it be other tracks
@@Gage_Brumley also sorey if that came off mean or aggressive
@@C4r0n1k I'd be fine with Kansas keeping two races, but Dover definitely only needs one. Attendance is HORRIBLE at that track. Same for Richmond, it also needs to lose a race
I love to see rockingham speedway return nascar race on the schedule
This was my favorite track in my home state.
I raced a motorcycle (Fz 600 1986) there in 86 great traction and scary going around the banking on a bike.
The Rock has always been my favorite track. I now go to the spring Darlington race every year instead which is a blast but not the same. My best live memories of NASCAR are from The Rock and I have always hoped they would race there again. Build it and they will come - I hope!
I can see my home track pocono getting the axe next. Went from 2 500 mile events donwn to 1 325 mile race.
I would have figured they would need safer barriers around the whole track to bring one of the major series back.
Indy doesnt.
On the outside walls of the corners and on the inside walls of the straights is fine.
Do you smell what The Rock is cookin’?!? I’m from NC and retired from the Air Force in 2014 and moved back. I go to 6-8 races a year. I’d be a season ticket holder! Loved North Wilksboro week this month!
I was expecting Eric to pull a hail melon in turn 3 😅
Great video man really enjoyed this one
Well done Eric.
Well done
I was working on a Busch series team back in the 90's - 00's and got to go to "The Rock". How about a IndyCar race there while we are waiting on NASCAR to come to their senses!!!! I'll contact my good friend Roger Penske!!!! 😆
They should strategize. It may be a step backward for NASCAR, but what would it be for IndyCar? Probably would be outreach to a new market
If we are doing a rotating venue for the All-Star race like we have been for the last 4(?) years, I'd say bring back the Rock for the All-Star race in Cup, and maybe for points in Xfinity and Trucks
i really thing this new cup car would put on a great race at this track. new pavment, high banking in the turns..
I have the Rock on the schedule, even if it's on a rolling schedule with North Wilkesboro and other historic tracks. Hickory Motor Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nazareth
Hope they can get that short track behind there up to snuff. Excellent size and age of surface for Modifieds, CARS Tour, Limited Late Models, Legends, etc.
Eric if the modifieds come back to Rockingham that is a must see race, but any race their is great. Charlotte could cut the Roval, as a live spectator it's a waste of money unless they put up a grandstand in the road course section.
Very well done!
My friends and i went to the Rock twice a year for many years. Hope we can go back
there is a opening in the Auto Club Speedway slot for the 2024 season since its off the schedule until 2025
Make it 2 openings if Texas is scrapped after thus season. Just a shame that those 3 tracks will never be on the same schedule
NASCAR can start small with an standalone Xfinity race. Nobody expects Rockingham to host 2 CUP races a year again. It's also unrealistic. But if NASCAR reduce Martinsville, Richmond or Charlotte to 1 race per year, there would be room for Rockingham and also North Wilkesboro as a single race on schedule.
Would love so much if they would paint the dotted lines back on the track like the 80’s/ early 90’s
As someone who lives 45 min from the track, we all wanna see it come back. Locals alone around here would keep it going. Over saturation or not, this track is far too entertaining, and the fan base here is far too strong to continue to ignore it. But it doesn’t need to have the same dates as before. Preferably May and September would be more ideal
Love this video, you lucky dog! I think there’s a real shot they get a date back, and they used to run the 2nd or 3rd race and one of the last few races for many years, I don’t think they’re worried at all about the weather
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Well Done Mr. Estepp!!!!
Rockingham was one of my favorite tracks back in the old Papyrus NASCAR games. It's much more interesting than all the cookie cutter 1.5 mile tracks.
Here's an idea - have North Wilkesboro take Bristol's spring date, and have Rockingham be next year's All-Star Race. Then rotate North Wilkesboro and Rockingham every other between the All-Star Race and a points-paying race.
I'm a fan of this, though I doubt NASCAR wants to drop their only dirt race.
They can move the dirt to Rockingham. Problem solved. I know NWS would be a better fit, but with that asphalt? It would ruin it, putting 27 years of hard work down the drain
The Winston Cup was unrivaled due to tobacco sponsoring. Winston Cup died when smoking was no longer popular.
Eric is the first to run a lap around the Rock in over 10 years 😂
Dan is a good guy and has done a lot of improvements at The Rock and the biggest problem is the track is forgotten or unknown by the modern NASCAR fan. If Dan were to get in talks with a series like SRX or even an event promoter like Garrett Mitchell (Cleetus) to hold a race or automotive events there it would get the track name back in peoples mouths like iRacing and Dale Jr did for N.Wilkesboro. The major objector to Rockingham hosting racing was Bruton Smith (SMI) and with him gone strides could be made if there were some events that would draw attention outside of the region. Hot Rod Power Tour stopped there last year and quite a few of the participants had no idea that it was a former Cup Series track.
Rockingham NIGHT RACE!!! YESSSS PLEASE NASCAR! that sounds like a sold out grandstands. The cars tour should definitely race there.
Track looks great ‼️🔥if I was there in rental car , open track I’d be trying to set a track record 😂
The only NASCAR race I’ve seen in person was the Spring race in 1997 or 1998. It’d be nice to see it come back as a 2+ mile super speedway.
Could this replace the Colosseum? I get the fact NASCAR wants to bring the races to the west and put not only a race but an event on near the west coast. However, it a organization that has made recent choices based on saving teams onbtravel, hotels, the logistics of running a race team that are abundantly ecpensive maybe a 90 minute away 1 mile oval is what the teams would prefer for nudgetary reasons.