In an email delivered on Christmas eve, Rockingham Speedway promoters Mike Stodder and Charlie Hansen announced that the CARS Tour date originally set for March 6th would be postponed to October 30th.
Read More about the Test last Tuesday: https://race22.online/cars-tour-plants-seed-for-speed-at-rockingham-restrictor-plates-likely-for-march-event/
A move that was made in the interest of safety and to give time for Hoosier to develop a proper tire that will hold up for more than a handful of laps. CARS Tour Series owner Jack McNelly had previously announced that the race would move ahead for March 6th with restrictor plates on the cars to slow them down and reduce tire wear.
Hansen, Stodder and McNelly eventually decided against restrictor plates and to move the race back to October. A move that will be met with a lot of praise from racers, teams and fans alike.
Below is the message from race promoters Mike Stodder and Charlie Hansen:
We’ve had a lot of discussion with all involved over the last several days since concluding our second tire test this past Tuesday, December 22nd. It has been determined, in the best interest of competitors and fans, the best way forward is to develop a new tire for the Rockingham surface. If we moved forward in March with what we currently have, we’d potentially have to change tires twice during a 75-lap race, and that is not good for the racers, from an expense standpoint, or for the fans as far as seeing a good show. We are dedicated in providing a great experience for both the competitors and the race fans!
With that said, we are postponing the March 6th show and have rescheduled it for Saturday October 30th. By moving this date, it gives us the necessary time to work closely with Hoosier Tire, and the CARS Tour, in developing and testing this new tire compound. This needs to be done. It is important for us to have a tire, not only for this race, but for races at Rockingham in the future. The safety of the competitors, and the enjoyment of the event by fans, will always take priority.
I think we’re all disappointed that we’ll have to wait a little longer to see racing at Rockingham, but this short delay will make things better overall for the future of this storied facility.
Special thanks to Dan Lovenheim, and the entire Rockingham Properties LLC team, for the dedication and flexibility to make this event happen.
More information about the race, practice dates, ticket sales, etc. will be released mid-summer.
We want to thank everyone for the overwhelming response in bringing racing back to Rockingham. It has been nothing short of spectacular and we sincerely appreciate all the kind words and support.
Photo by Bridger Swinimer @bicubis
