Higher Speeds, But Same Challenging Rockingham Awaits NASCAR's Return

There was a common refrain among drivers during Tuesday’s testing at Rockingham Speedway – speed.

Across the board, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series drivers who spoke about Rockingham’s new racing surface following a 2022 repave could only marvel at the speed they are carrying at the 1.017-mile facility.

“This place caught me off-guard, for sure,” said 2024 Truck Series champion Ty Majeski. “It’s fast. The repave and everything, the trucks are barely lifting. We’re off the throttle, dumping just for a couple of truck lengths and we’re right back to it.”

Majeski logged the fastest lap of the day, with an average speed of 166.547 miles per hour around Rockingham Speedway. The fastest lap for NASCAR Xfinity Series competitors belonged to Corey Day at 162.431 miles per hour.

For reference, the official track record belongs to Rust Wallace, with a 158.033 mph lap turned in a 2000 NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Rockingham.

While NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ross Chastain is not planning to run in either race on Easter weekend, he did partake in Tuesday’s test. He echoed the high speeds, saying the track bears little similarity to the one he raced on in the Truck Series in 2012.

“This is a high sensation of speed,” said Chastain. “I don’t know what speeds we are. I’m going to wait until I’m at dinner tonight and text Mike Shiplett or give him a call on the ride home. It’s definitely high-speed.”

“To have driven here in 2012, it’s a totally different race track. Might as well have never raced here. To be back, it’s exciting what Track Enterprises and Bob Sargent’s putting together to put this race weekend on Easter weekend.”

While Chastain considered it a completely different race track, others with experience at “old” Rockingham still found some similarities.

Kasey Kahne, who finished second to Matt Kenseth at Rockingham in his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season and won a Truck Series event there in 2012, was surprised to learn about the repave while working on plans to make his stock car return at “The Rock.” However, he found it’s still the place he loves so much.

“When I first was like, man, Rockingham’s back on the schedule, if there’s a way I could be a part of that, I didn’t even know it was repaved until after I was far into the whole trying to make it happen,” said Kahne. “That was a surprise that it had been repaved, the grip level and the smoothness. Overall, it’s still pretty similar.”

Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier raced at Rockingham in the ARCA Menards Series in 2008.

“I got to come here years ago in the ARCA Series, running the old surface,” said Allgaier. “Albeit a lot different, it’s still the same old Rockingham. You’re fighting some of the same things, but you’re also benefitting with the surface and the way that it is, the track configuration the way that it is.”

While Majeski has not raced at Rockingham previously, he has turned countless laps at the virtual reproduction of the track on iRacing. He feels that some of that sim racing experience carries over even with the new surface.

“Even though it is a repave, it still has some of those washboardy characteristics that we saw on the old track in three and four. That character’s going to come out of it in a few years, but right now, it’s got some roughness to it, but it’s a high-speed race track with, what we’re seeing right now, very little fall-off.

“We’re hauling ass here. There’s no doubt about it. When you’re full throttle basically on corner entry already, in the banking and turn two comes up quick at you.”

Before he arrived for Tuesday’s test, Craftsman Truck Series competitor Layne Riggs was already receiving advice from his father, Cup Series veteran Scott Riggs. He’s not sure how useful that advice is with the repave.

“I know Dad’s ran here back in the day and has already tried to give me some advice. It’s a repave, it’s a little bit different now. He said this is one of his favorite tracks as well, so it’s exciting to be coming back here, not only as a test but we’re going to be racing.

“It’s been pretty much scratch for everybody,” said Riggs. “The only data people have gotten is from the teams that came and did the tire test here a few months ago. They were willing to give something baseline to each of the manufacturers’ teams to try to get everybody started.

While some of the other, younger drivers preparing for their first race at Rockingham don’t have as much experience to fall back on, the speed is already noticeable.

“It takes some cajones, for sure,” said Rajah Caruth. “It’s very fast, which is typical of a repave, right? With the tire you bring, there’s a really accelerated pace. If there are any sideways moments, they’re really magnified here, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Jesse Love compared the feel of hustling his Xfinity car around Rockingham to driving a Super Late Model around some of the high-banked half-miles in the country.

“From what I can tell, I’m not sure if you can really compare it because it’s so fast,” said Love. “It has places that it’s similar to, shape-wise. I’m not sure yet.

“I think it’s going to be a lot like a really fast half-mile in a Super Late Model, where you’re lifting for a very short period of time and getting back to it early, just playing with the right-rear tire on exit.”

No matter how you describe it, there's no doubt Rockingham will be the fastest place to be on Easter weekend.

-Photo credit: Tyson Gifford, TobyChristie.com