The spectacle of high level stock car racing returns today to Rockingham Speedway with the ARCA/Remax North Carolina 500. Touted as the “biggest race in ARCA history,” the starting lineup includes fifty cars, featuring several NASCAR developmental drivers, ARCA veterans, and NASCAR drivers Mike Harmon, Ken Schrader, and Chad McCumbee. The youngest driver in the lineup is Richard Childress’ sixteen-year-old grandson Austin Dillon, while the oldest is NASCAR veteran James Hylton.
Andy Hillenberg, who bought the unused track last year, has done a fantastic job at promoting the race, getting Tony Stewart to wave the green flag and Stewart’s crew chief Greg Zippadelli to drive the pace car.
If you are a race fan, you do not want to miss this race. Rockingham Speedway is a classic track from NASCAR’s history, and you will want to see some great old-school style action at a great old-school style track. The race can be seen on Speed TV starting at 12 noon EDT.
Read more about this race at Rev’Jim’s RantsnRaves, Full Throttle, and Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.
May 4, 2008 at 6:17 pm
The cars may be rockin’ the place, but the crowd only looks to be filling maybe a third of the stands.
Pitiful after so 4 years of whining and complaining about NASCAR pulling out of there.
May 4, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I agree, Marc. Hillenberg said it was a little more than half, but it is in his interest to say that.
It was still dismal. After spending so much time on the Web and reading all the complaints about “racing isn’t what it used to be,” and “bring back Rockingham,” I would have thought the place would be filled. That turnout, along with the lack of SAFER barriers sank my hopes of seeing a Truck Series race there in the near future.
May 6, 2008 at 3:04 am
ALWAYS great to see racing at the Rock. I still say that Rockingham got screwed by poor scheduling from NASCAR. I went there for the November race back in 2003 and froze my butt off!