Racing Returning to Rockingham

A return to The Rock was another thing that global bastard disease has taken from us.


COVID has caused shortages across a lot of sectors
 
I forgot this thread existed. I know I posted this before in the schedule thread maybe but heres a pretty recent video of The Rock. Some work looks to be done there.
 
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Back when the rules permitted testing at tracks that weren't on the schedule, Andy did a brisk business in test sessions.
 
Attempted to go to the rock today.

They had open track last weekend, appeared to be a good turn out of guys who’s hobby’s are fixing up old cup cars up and running them. I had to work so I wasn’t able to make it.

This weekend they had the “monster truckz” tour, so we loaded the neighbors kids up and went… I noticed on the tracks Facebook page that they kept saying “we aren’t responsible for prices” which struck me kinda weird but whatever. Arrived to a pretty good crowd on hand but a lot of people walking away from the box office. On the monster truckz website it said $16.50 for adults kids under 13 free…. We went to buy our tickets and it was $120!!!! Apparently we weren’t the only ones caught by surprise…. Took the kids bowling instead. (Would have been cold as hell in the grandstands anyhow)

Seems like the track takes a step forward and 2 steps back. I will say they have something going on just about every weekend, the only racing to speak of is a big rig race series I saw race in Florence and it’s entertaining as hell, so looking forward to that one…


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Old 97 said:
I just read a X post from Dale Jr. getting behind a NASCAR return to The Rock.
Oh how I would love to see the "Never Gonna Happen" crowd with egg on their face once again.
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I'll say the same thing about Rockingham that I said about North Wilkesboro... North Carolina did not commit that kind of money just to have a CARS Tour or Truck Series race there.
 
Okay fine, but let's see if the people who were begging for The Rock to return actually show up on raceday, if they don't well they had their chance to bring it back and failed
 
DewChaser988 said:
Okay fine, but let's see if the people who were begging for The Rock to return actually show up on raceday, if they don't well they had their chance to bring it back and failed
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I wonder if Andy Hillenburg had been released from his bankruptcy yet?
 
Old 97 said:
Oh how I would love to see the "Never Gonna Happen" crowd with egg on their face once again.
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Don't mistake thinking it won't happen with not wanting it to happen. I would gleefully crush an dozen rotten eggs on my head and another dozen in my shorts if that would do the job.

So far, there's nothing.
 
They still need another $5 million from the state for structural improvements before the notion of a NASCAR event can even be entertained, but sounds like it's going to happen.

 
DewChaser988 said:
Okay fine, but let's see if the people who were begging for The Rock to return actually show up on raceday, if they don't well they had their chance to bring it back and failed
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I'm 500 miles away, and I'll go. The Rock was one of my favorite tracks to watch on TV back in the day, and as far as attending in person, I would make that race a priority over any other track on the schedule.
 
2 Sweet said:
I'm 500 miles away, and I'll go. The Rock was one of my favorite tracks to watch on TV back in the day, and as far as attending in person, I would make that race a priority over any other track on the schedule.
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Like how I made it a priority to get to Wilkesboro, this too would be a priority.
 
Mispeedway15 said:
I don’t love it for the future though. Rockingham, Martinsville, Charlotte, Darlington and North Wilkesboro are all so close to each other it’s hard to imagine there’s enough of a fan base to attend 8 consistently on an annual basis
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That and the track is independently owned. I don't think anybody would give up a race date. They might get ARCA, Xfinity or the Trucks, but I don't see the Cup series with all of the saturation of that area with the other tracks being that close TV and track attendance would be a question mark. Personalty, I would rather see the Rock than Wilkesboro.
 
JimmyJ4UK said:
They still need another $5 million from the state for structural improvements before the notion of a NASCAR event can even be entertained, but sounds like it's going to happen.

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I’m glad they’re starting to put some of the appropriated money towards improvements now. I agree that $1.2M chunk would be better spent on the big track rather than Little Rock. If the end goal really is a NASCAR national series event, every penny they get would be better spent towards that.

I’ve said this before but I always would’ve preferred the Rock to a Wilkesboro return in the first place. I was only old enough to catch the last few years of races at Rockingham and never saw any live from NWS, and at least from what I saw on replays the Rock seemed to have better racing. I would love to see Cup return there, but I’m not holding my breath. You still have to consider that NWS had the benefit of being owned by SMI while the Rock is independently-owned.
 
1.2 mil is a pittance compared to what they spend on high school football programs in comparison.
 
I’d like to see a Xfinity/Truck doubleheader standalone weekend (close to shops) and a CARS Tour/Modified weekend.

I would like to see NASCAR allow limited testing again at Little Rock, Pikes Peak, Kentucky, etc or something while we’re at it.
 
StandOnIt said:
1.2 mil is a pittance compared to what they spend on high school football programs in comparison.
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The total sum is closer to $10M, and the $1.2M is a part of the remaining $5M they’re requesting from the state right now that @JimmyJ4UK mentioned.

But yeah, especially in Texas…Chris Buescher’s “small town” of Prosper, TX tried to get $95M allocated towards a new high school football stadium but was rejected by voters. I guess the $50M stadium they built four years ago will have to suffice. But that’s Texas for you. A lot of their HS football facilities are nicer than that of a number of colleges at the FCS and even FBS level.

www.dallasobserver.com

UPDATED: Prosper ISD's New Football Stadium Might Be the Most Expensive Texas High School Stadium Ever

Even though Prosper ISD built an expensive new stadium in 2019, the district is asking voters to approve $94 million for a new one. How much is too much?
www.dallasobserver.com www.dallasobserver.com
 
StandOnIt said:
That and the track is independently owned. I don't think anybody would give up a race date. They might get ARCA, Xfinity or the Trucks, but I don't see the Cup series with all of the saturation of that area with the other tracks being that close TV and track attendance would be a question mark. Personalty, I would rather see the Rock than Wilkesboro.
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I think we’re headed fast for one race at many of the tracks
 
Mispeedway15 said:
I think we’re headed fast for one race at many of the tracks
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We’ve been trending in that direction for a while now. This is one of those things where we’ll cross that bridge if we ever get to it, but if Rockingham does get back into working order and generates enough support for national series events I could see the Darlington spring date moving there. As long as the Southern 500 remains in its traditional spot.
 
JimmyJ4UK said:
^More like the Richmond spring race
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Good shout, tbf. I’d be okay with either one making way. I think the end of summer event for both tracks is the marquee anyways. As long as those are there I’m good. Just wish that summer Richmond race ran at night again.
 
FLRacingFan said:
We’ve been trending in that direction for a while now. This is one of those things where we’ll cross that bridge if we ever get to it, but if Rockingham does get back into working order and generates enough support for national series events I could see the Darlington spring date moving there. As long as the Southern 500 remains in its traditional spot.
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I’d like to see the Darlington Spring date get moved there for sure.

Richmond has a much better airport and transportation option compared to Darlington & Atlanta, just saying to everyone.

We don’t need SIX plate races either unless one of them is the Budweiser Shootout @ Daytona Speedweeks, so one of the Atlanta races should go.
 
StandOnIt said:
That and the track is independently owned. I don't think anybody would give up a race date. They might get ARCA, Xfinity or the Trucks, but I don't see the Cup series with all of the saturation of that area with the other tracks being that close TV and track attendance would be a question mark. Personalty, I would rather see the Rock than Wilkesboro.
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I think the track being independently owned is the biggest obstacle.
I loved Wilksboro and Rockingham and attended races at both. I am more of a short track fan and preferred North Wilksboro over the two. I would be happy to drop the Richmond spring race for either one getting a date but I dont't believe it will ever happen.

Jr is going to need a bigger weedeater.....
 
racingfan7 said:
I’d like to see the Darlington Spring date get moved there for sure.

Richmond has a much better airport and transportation option compared to Darlington & Atlanta, just saying to everyone.

We don’t need SIX plate races either unless one of them is the Budweiser Shootout @ Daytona Speedweeks, so one of the Atlanta races should go.
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My gut feeling is that more tracks will get the Atlanta treatment.

I can definitely envision Las Vegas, Texas, and Chicagoland getting this type of reconfiguration.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
My gut feeling is that more tracks will get the Atlanta treatment.

I can definitely envision Las Vegas, Texas, and Chicagoland getting this type of reconfiguration.
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I won’t be watching or spending $$$ on the sport much if that happens. There’s plenty of awesome demo derbies around Topeka, KS to suit everyone’s needs.
 
racingfan7 said:
I won’t be watching the sport much if that happens. There’s plenty of awesome demo derbies around Wichita, KS to suit everyone’s needs.
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I would've rather seen Texas get this treatment than Atlanta. And I could live with Las Vegas becoming a spectacle because it fits the market.

I'm sure we'll never get an F1/NASCAR doubleheader but the Las Vegas street circuit would be the perfect place to do one.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I would've rather seen Texas get this treatment than Atlanta. And I could live with Las Vegas becoming a spectacle because it fits the market.

I'm sure we'll never get an F1/NASCAR doubleheader but the Las Vegas street circuit would be the perfect place to do one.
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Atlanta isn’t a spectacle. Has no history, no heritage of being that type of track.
 
racingfan7 said:
Atlanta isn’t a spectacle. Has no history, no heritage of being that type of track.
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Neither did any other track when it first opened or was repaved. History and heritage have to start sometime; they didn’t appear fully grown out of the primordial ooze. Nobody had kissed the bricks before Todd Parrott had the notion.

Disclaimer - none of the above should be interpreted as indicating I approve of what was done to Atlanta.
 
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