Rockingham Speedway

[C Body Bob]

Officially named North Carolina Motor Speedway. Located just a few miles from the towns of Hamlet & Rockingham. It was affectionately called "The Rock". First race 1965 won by Richard Petty. I have been to many races & car shows at this track. I went to the next to last race before NASCAR abandon it & us (the fans) who packed this place year after year. As more seats where added. More restaurants , hotels, motels, C stores & shops. NASCAR just up & left. Here are some pics of the glory days & the track as it is today.

 

[C Body Bob]

The Wing cars ran there

1 mile tri-oval

 

[C Body Bob]

Left to die

Recent pics. ARCA racer Andy Hillenburg bought the track from Speedway International (Bruton Smith) a few years ago & spent money repairing it. Ran a very good sportsman series there & talked NASCAR into running the truck series there. Apparently it wasen't enough. Hearing the track has shut down again

 

[C Body Bob]

The Rock

I still remember the awesome radio spots promoting the upcoming races. That's gone too.

 

[C Body Bob]

The Rock

NASCAR can't even come close to filling the stands of all their new super tracks. They won't be filling the stands at The Rock anymore either

 

[Rwc]

they may never go back, but the cookie cutter 1.5 mile tracks will never replace this place

 

[C Body Bob]

The fans, the racers & the locals who lived around this place where told it would be good for the sport. Turns out NASCAR shot themselves in the foot.

 

[patrick66]

NA$CAR lost me around 2002 or so. They jacked up the price on everything. That was the start of the cookie-cutter cars, and by the time Dodge pulled out, it was one body, three engines. Oh, and the oh-so-exciting "debris caution" to keep the leader from getting more than a half-lap ahead...can't have THAT, right?

The local roundy-rounders are pretty good. Haven't been to a local race in a long time.

 

[C Body Bob]

Nascar

Yea it's completly Gone amuck. I'm not so sure it can be fixed.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Nascar will continue to shoot themselves in the foot. They need to move into the modern world racing 50 year old engines and generic egg shaped bodies is just not that interesting. They banked too much on the drivers when they were characters then tried to corral them. Which the corp. sponsors really put the kabosh on them in a P.C. world, this will not change. The way I see it is they are the top dog in the U.S. so they need to be on the cutting edge. Modern engines, modern trans., fuel inj., traction control, and back to a body that looks like something I can buy. Every manufacture has a V8 that is in new vehicles. I can see a better show at a local dirt track with the same 50 year old engines and generic bodies, heat races to get into the main, at least 3 different classes, dirt.

 

[71Newp]

It seems like most of the racing is to see who is first out of the pits, because "aero-push" has eliminated any on-track racing. I also don't like the generic cars and I really don't like that a once-convicted felon (is allowed to??) dominates the sport

 

[C Body Bob]

The leader into turn 1 usually ends up being the leader & pulls away to a sizeable lead now a days. Also we have lost the attrition. Other than crashes the cars finish the race in most cases

 

[C Body Bob]

1968 American 500 at Rockingham



Pretty cool 8 minute vid

 

[C Body Bob]

opps wrong video

 

[C Body Bob]

1968 Rockingham



This is the one I meant to post

 

[patrick66]

It's IROC these days.

 

[Rwc]

Sadly, crybaby millionaires that can't win if the car isn't perfect. Love to see a couple of them jump in the wayback machine to either race in these videos and see if they could do more than whine.

 

[C Body Bob]

Sadly, crybaby millionaires that can't win if the car isn't perfect. Love to see a couple of them jump in the wayback machine to either race in these videos and see if they could do more than whine.

Me too. It was a different breed for sure