Rockingham Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina. It is also known as The Rock and previously hosted NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, CARS Tour, and UARA-Stars races.
| The Rock | |
|---|---|
D-shaped Oval (1965–present) | |
| Location | Rockingham, North Carolina |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
| Coordinates | 34°58′27.05″N 79°36′37.51″W |
| Capacity | 34,500 |
| Owner | Rockingham Properties LLC. (August 2018–present) BK Rock Holdings (May 2016–August 2018) Vets-Help.org (January 2015–July 2015) Andy Hillenburg (October 2007–January 2015) Speedway Motorsports (May 2004–October 2007) International Speedway Corporation (1999–May 2004) |
| Opened | October 31, 1965 |
| Former names | North Carolina Motor Speedway (1965–1996) North Carolina Speedway (1997–2007) |
| Major events | Former: NASCAR Winston Cup Series Subway 400 (1966–2004) Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 (1965–2003) NASCAR Busch Series Goody's Headache Powder 200 (1982–1986, 1988–2004) Target House 200 (1984–2003) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (2012–2013) ARCA Menards Series (2008–2010) NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (1987–1992, 2012) X-1R Pro Cup Series (2008–2011) |
| D-shaped Oval (1965–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.017 miles (1.636 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns – 22 and 25 degrees Straights – 8 degrees |
| Race lap record | 0:27.927 ( Jeff Burton, Ford Taurus, 1999, NASCAR Cup) |
| Road Course (1965–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.6 miles (2.575 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Banking | Straights 8°, T1 22°, T2 25°, RC 0° |
| Little Rock (2008–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt with concrete in turns |
| Length | 0.526 miles (0.847 km) |
| Banking | 12 degrees Straights – 2 degrees |
The track opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed "North Carolina Speedway". Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Until 2013, it was home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School, The track was used often for television and movie filming. Currently, The Rock is undergoing renovations and updates by the current ownership in order to host large-scale racing events and festivals.