NASCAR insider reveals estimated crowd turnout at Rockingham
NASCAR is set to return to the historic Rockingham Speedway this weekend, with the one-mile oval hosting the Xfinity, Truck, and ARCA East Series. With track promoters announcing a sell-out crowd for Saturday's Xfinity race, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi reported the estimated crowd turnout for the event.
'The Rock' was built in 1965 and had been a mainstay on the NASCAR calendar, hosting the Cup and Xfinity Series until 2004. During the sport's heyday, it boasted a seating capacity of over 60,000, which was reduced to 32,000 in 2012 (as per ESPN) when the Truck Series briefly raced at the one-mile oval.
With the Xfinity Series returning to Rockingham Speedway after a two-decade hiatus, Jordan Bianchi reported that around 26,000 spectators will witness the historic track roar back to life on Saturday, April 19. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Hearing attendance for tomorrow's sold out Xfinity Series race is expected to be around 26,000."
Ahead of the race weekend, track promoters announced that the enthusiastic fans had bought every grandstand ticket, making the Saturday event a sell-out. The last time the Xfinity Series drivers raced in front of a sell-out crowd was at Iowa Speedway last year.
In a press release, Track Enterprises president Bob Sargent expressed his gratitude to fans for showing support for the revival of 'The Rock.' Sargent expressed his excitement for the weekend with the statement:
"Excitement continues to build, and this news reinforces what we knew all along – race fans are delighted to have NASCAR back at Rockingham Speedway. Wow! When’s the last time Xfinity Series race was sold out of grandstand tickets? We want to thank the entire community, and the thousands of fans that have spoken with their support, to show the world NASCAR is back at The Rock." (via rockingham-speedway.com)
Rockingham Speedway will host the Black's Tire 200 Truck Race on Friday (Apr. 18) at 5:00 PM ET. The NC Education Lottery 250 Xfinity Race is slated for Saturday (Apr. 19) at 4:00 PM ET.
North Carolina Rail Division will be running the Rockingham Special train on Saturday, April 19, between Raleigh Union Station and Rockingham Speedway.
Dale Jr. opens up about NASCAR's return to Rockingham
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is "glad" that stock car racing has returned to the iconic oval in Rockingham. Although he shared a love-hate relationship with the track, he admitted feeling sad when it lost its slot on the calendar after the 2004 season.
Dale Jr. played a key role in the revival of another historic oval, North Wilkesboro Speedway. However, he wasn't as optimistic about Rockingham Speedway's chances of making a return. He said (via jrmracing.com):
"I am glad (it’s back in the schedule). I didn’t think Rockingham had a shot. I hated that place until the very last race, and then I was sad that I didn’t get more shots to run there."
The JR Motorsports owner elaborated that early in his career, he hated older, worn-out tracks like Rockingham and Darlington, preferring repaved ones with higher grip. However, by the time he had mastered Rockingham Speedway, NASCAR dropped it from the schedule.