The NASCAR Cup Sequence‘ season-opening Conflict at Bowman Grey Stadium left race followers clamoring for extra.
Final weekend‘s NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Sequence doubleheader at Rockingham Speedway had the identical impact.
The enthusiastic turnout engendered hopes that maybe the Cup Sequence may sometime be a part of its nationwide collection brethren on the rejuvenated “Rock.”
After profitable the Black’s Tire 200 Truck Sequence race on Friday, Tyler Ankrum bought proper to the purpose.
“It‘s actually, actually cool,” Ankrum mentioned. “After we get to deliver again these outdated tracks, it‘s actually cool. You may inform the followers are excited. Even on pit highway, the followers are going loopy on a regular basis, and so they‘re speaking so loudly you may hear ‘em from pit highway.
“You form of get the sensation of what I think about as a child what Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon felt like. They‘re right here for us — they‘re not right here for the Cup guys. It‘s cool to see racing like this come again to North Carolina.
“I used to be actually stunned at how vast the monitor had gotten, how a lot fall-off there was, particularly there on the finish of the race. … I hope Rockingham stays on the schedule for a very long time.”
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Kasey Kahne, the one driver within the Xfinity Sequence subject who had raced at Rockingham earlier than the collection left the monitor in 2004, made a return of his personal after an absence from NASCAR racing of practically eight years. Kahne thought the Cup Sequence could be a viable possibility on the 0.94-mile speedway.
“I feel a Cup race may most likely be actually good right here,” mentioned Kahne, who additionally received a Truck race on the monitor in 2012. “I used to get pleasure from watching it and being part of it the one 12 months I used to be.
“It may make an awesome race.”
Kahne‘s level is tough to argue towards. The racing floor, which was repaved in late 2022, readily took rubber in each follow and the races themselves. The consequence was a viable second groove that lent itself to forcing racing.
“It‘s been cool to return to a few of the venues that will not be as massive locations however the historical past, I feel, of NASCAR and nice racing is at a few of these tracks, Rockingham being a kind of as effectively,” Kahne mentioned.
“I like the place a few of that stuff appears to be headed.”
Jesse Love, disqualified because the ostensible winner of Saturday‘s Xfinity Sequence race, nonetheless waged intense battles on the entrance of the sector towards each Carson Kvapil and Ryan Sieg.
Drivers discovered inventive strains across the monitor, operating larger within the corners to realize momentum and dropping right down to attempt to make passes on the within. It wasn‘t unusual to see opponents swap positions greater than as soon as inside the similar lap with slide jobs and crossover strikes.
As Ankrum indicated, fan reception was distinctive. The grandstands have been packed, and likewise, the hospitality suites have been bought out. As each the Conflict at Bowman Grey and the transfer of the NASCAR All-Star Race to North Wilkesboro Speedway have confirmed, there’s an urge for food inside the fan base for the normal venues which are an integral a part of NASCAR’s previous.
Sure, bringing a Cup race to Rockingham would require enhancements to the monitor‘s infrastructure, however that was additionally the case at Bowman Grey and North Wilkesboro.
MORE: At-track photographs | Rockingham via the years
Although not but three years outdated, the pavement at “The Rock” already is exhibiting some age, and the racing — already compelling — will solely enhance because the asphalt continues to degrade.
There was no concern with entry to the speedway. It’s a straight shot up U.S. Freeway 1, with a number of entrances and ample parking. Even at anticipated peak instances, the site visitors flowed.
The underside line? There’s no motive a Cup race can‘t be a viable possibility at Rockingham, however even when the schedule doesn’t enable such an possibility within the rapid future, the Truck/Xfinity nationwide collection doubleheader — with an ARCA Menards Sequence East race thrown in for good measure — is effectively definitely worth the value of admission.
That was actually the case throughout NASCAR‘s long-awaited return.
