Rockingham Speedway through the years

For 30-plus years, Rockingham Speedway was a staple on the NASCAR circuit. After a hiatus stretching more than a decade, the iconic North Carolina track returned to the NASCAR schedule, with the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series in April 2025.

Rewind the clock to Rockingham Speedway's beginnings and look through the history of the famed facility.

RELATED: Results from return to Rockingham

1964

A superspeedway construction boom in the 1960s quickly produced a thought: Could Richmond County perhaps join in on the fun? Together, with contractor Harold Brasington (who built Darlington Raceway) and property owner Bill Land, a plan quickly came together, with construction beginning for a 1-mile track -- which took the name North Carolina Motor Speedway -- in 1964.

However, financial problems ensued. A meeting between several local leaders -- including attorney Elsie Webb and businessman L.G. DeWitt -- construction proceeded and was completed in 1965.

1965

The track officially opened on Oct. 31, 1965, with the 1965 American 500 being the first Cup Series race to compete on the 1-mile track. Wood Brothers Racing's Curtis Turner, in a 1965 Ford, led 239 laps and captured the victory, with Cale Yarborough finishing 11 seconds behind for the runner-up result. 

1969

North Carolina Motor Speedway was originally designed as a 1-mile oval. A 1969 reconfiguration, however, saw the track transition to just over a mile in length -- 1.017, to be exact -- with steeper banks. 

LeeRoy Yarbrough won the first race in this new layout on Oct. 26, 1969, during the 1969 American 500. 

1973

Benny Parsons entered the 1973 American 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway with only one race win on the season, yet he still had a chance to clinch the Cup Series championship. A Lap 13 crash involving Parsons' No. 72 Chevrolet, however, perhaps cast doubt on whether he could finish the job and seize the crown. 

Then came his car crew, owned by none other than DeWitt. With help from volunteers, Parsons' Chevrolet was rebuilt, eventually completing 308 of 492 laps, good enough for a 28th-place finish. That proved to be just enough to take the title home.  

1982 

North Carolina Motor Speedway opened its venue to the newly formed Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series -- now called the Xfinity Series -- in 1982.

David Pearson -- seen here celebrating a Cup Series victory at the facility in 1974 -- won the 1982 Coca-Cola 200, the series' first event at the track. 

1983 

Piloting his No. 43 STP Pontiac, Richard Petty led 48 laps and prevailed over Bill Elliott in the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 to claim his 11th win at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Petty's 11 Cup Series wins at the track are the most among all Cup Series drivers, with Yarborough's seven ranking second.

1994

Consistency was Dale Earnhardt's bread and butter during the 1994 season, thanks in large part to his tendency for collecting top 10s. Entering the third-to-last race of the season, Earnhardt finished 11th or worse in only five of 28 races. 

Such consistency resulted in a monumental points margin leading into the 1994 AC-Delco 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway, and with Earnhardt's victory there in October, it clinched his seventh Cup Series championship with two races remaining during the campaign. 

1997 

DeWitt, who eventually gained sole control of the track, sold the speedway to Roger Penske in 1997. The track was then renamed North Carolina Speedway.

2001

North Carolina Speedway marked the second Cup Series race of the 2001 season and the first since Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona International Speedway the previous weekend. 

A weekend filled with emotion, tribute and remembrance culminated with Steve Park taking the checkered flag in the 2001 Dura Lube 400.

2004 

The 2004 Subway 400 was a memorable race at North Carolina Speedway for two reasons. First off: Matt Kenseth, in the No. 17 Ford, just beat out Kasey Kahne's No. 9 Dodge for the race triumph. The 0.010-second margin of victory is currently tied for 12th among the closest finishes in Cup Series history. 

Secondly, the 2004 contest marked the Cup Series' final race at the track, as of the 2025 season. 

2007 

Speedway Motorsports Inc. sold the track to former NASCAR driver Andy Hillenburg. With the purchase, the track was again renamed, this time to Rockingham Speedway, as it is known today.

2012

After renovations to the facility, NASCAR returned to the track following an eight-year hiatus, with the Craftsman Truck Series (then called the Camping World Truck Series) racing there for the first time in series history. Kasey Kahne, in the No. 4 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet, prevailed by 1.478 seconds over teammate James Buescher in the 2012 Good Sam Roadside Assistance Carolina 200. 

The Truck Series raced there in 2013 as well, with Kyle Larson taking the checkered in the 2013 North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Joey Logano finished runner-up.

2018 

A group of investors -- under Rockingham Properties LLC -- purchased "The Rock" in 2018, with Dan Lovenheim as majority owner. 

2025

A return to Rockingham was announced in August 2024, and after a tune-up test in January 2025, all eyes are on the upcoming race weekend, where the Xfinity Series will mark its return to the track for the first time since 2004. The Craftsman Truck Series, meanwhile, makes its first appearance there since the 2013 campaign. 

2025

NASCAR made its highly anticipated return to Rockingham in April 2025 with the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series. Tyler Ankrum snapped a 130-race winless drought in the Truck race, while Sammy Smith won the Xfinity Series race the following day.