When the 2021 racing season kicks off, it will likely do so at the historic Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, NC, a track that has been shuttered since 2013.
The announcement that the CARS Tour would open their 2021 season at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, March 6th was a surprise to everyone last Thursday evening. It was a last-minute addition to the schedule, so much so that it almost didn’t happen. The 11th-hour deal was finalized between the current and former Wake County Speedway owners, Charlie Hansen and Mike Stodder, and Rockingham Speedway Properties LLC owner Dan Lovenheim, just in time for the CARS Tour to announce their opening date at the historic North Carolina venue.
Hansen and Stodder are both excited about the opportunity to put on a race at a venue that is close to the hearts of all stock car racing enthusiasts.
“Rockingham Speedway has such an acclaimed past,” Stodder said. “The heroes of the sport have all etched their story into this wonderful facility. To play a small part in bringing back racing to The Rock is extremely gratifying. We can’t thank the owner of the speedway enough for working with us to make it happen. We’re excited to have the CARS Tour kick off their season in Rockingham. I know there will be a lot of Drivers, Teams, and Fans looking forward to seeing race cars grace the banks of this 1.017-mile historical oval again!”
“This is a great opportunity for us to bring racing back to The Rock,” Hansen added. “That place needs to be operating in some capacity and we’re just glad to be a small part of making it happen. Bringing the CARS Tour there was the perfect opportunity since they are self-sufficient and we won’t have to provide staff to run the race itself. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Mike and appreciate Jack McNelly from the CARS Tour for working with us to make this happen and Dan Lovenheim for giving us the chance.”
Lovenheim is also excited to have partnered with Hansen and Stodder to bring racing back to Rockingham Speedway.
“It’s great to have partnered with Charlie and Mike to bring racing back to The Rock,” Lovenheim stated. “Hopefully this is just the beginning of bringing motorsports back to this legendary facility. The fine people of Richmond County and Rockingham have been longing for racing to return and this is a great way to bring it back.”
The CARS Tour will host two practice sessions instead of offering testing ahead of the March 6th race event. Those practices will take place on January 23rd and February 20th. March 5th will also be a practice for those competing in the CARS Tour race the next day. March 7th is being held as a rain date. The CARS Tour will have fuel and tires available at each of the practice sessions.
More information about Rockingham Speedway can be found at their new website www.therocknc.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/therocknc/ or by calling the event information phone number at 919.926.3069. More information to follow in the coming weeks.
