The North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located in Rockingham, North Carolina. It is affectionately known as "The Rock" and hosted NASCAR events 1966 to 2004. Rockingham is a city located in Richmond County, North Carolina. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The track measures slightly over one mile in length, and is shaped like a D rather than a perfect oval. The track surface is very abrasive compared to other tracks on the circuit, due to the high sand content of paving compounds made from local materials. This abrasiveness notoriously contributes to excessive tire wear; this characteristic is often cited as a demanding element of racing at The Rock, neccessitating strict management of tire wear by drivers.

The Rock played host to two NASCAR top tier races each year, until 2004 when its schedule was reduced to only one race due to disappointing ticket sales. It held its last race on February 22, 2004. Despite wide speculation that it would be its last race on the NASCAR circuit, the race failed to sell out, falling nearly 10,000 short of the 60,000 capacity. In that last race, Matt Kenseth held off then rookie Kasey Kahne on the last lap to win by only 0.010 seconds. This finish was one of the closest in NASCAR history, and viewed by many fans as one of the best races that year. It is also known for a wild crash early in the race in which Carl Long flipped wildly down the backstretch. Upon its exit from the NASCAR circuit, The Rock joined the Ontario Motor Speedway, Riverside International Raceway, and the North Wilkesboro Speedway as racetracks no longer on the circuit. Matt Kenseth Matt Kenseth in the pits in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. ... The Rookie: Norman Rockwells cover for The Saturday Evening Post Rookie is a term for a person who is in their first year of play of their sport and has little or no experience. ... Kasey Kahne signing autographs Kasey Kenneth Kahne (born April 10, 1980 in Enumclaw, Washington) is a driver in NASCARs NEXTEL Cup series. ... Ontario Motor Speedway logo Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, was a 2. ... Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a racing track or road course in Riverside, California. ... North Wilkesboro Speedway is situated in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. ...

Most agree that the lack of any other tourist attractions in the area and the relatively small size of the city hurt ticket sales. In addition, other tracks nearby such as Lowe's Motor Speedway and Darlington Speedway had a tendency to lure away fans looking to catch a race. All of this despite Rockingham's reputation for excellent racing and for having great sightlines for spectators. It must also be mentioned that the facility made limited infrastrucure reinvestments over the years and seemed to lag behind other facilites which continually modernized and updated their business plans. Lowes Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a superspeedway in Concord, North Carolina, a few miles north of Charlotte. ... Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. ...

External links

• Sports Illustrated article on NASCAR considering removing the raceway from the schedule
• AP article on NASCAR being gone from Rockingham