Hillenburg Confirms Rockingham Has Lost Truck Race for 2014

Rockingham loses NASCAR Truck Series race
By Jim Utter
jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013

ROCKINGHAM Rockingham Speedway, which began hosting NASCAR races again two years ago after an eight-year absence, will not host a Truck Series race in 2014, speedway owner Andy Hillenburg confirmed.

The one-mile track located about 90 miles southeast of Charlotte remains open for track rentals but wont be hosting any NASCAR events in 2014.

Weve got a number of issues that have to be resolved before we can host races again, Hillenburg told the Observer on Thursday. These issues have been mounting over the last two to three years.

Im not giving up on this. My plan is to keep doing it. I want it and NASCAR wants it and Im determined to have it continue.

NASCAR is expected to release its 2014 Truck schedule as early as Friday the last of its three national series scheduled to be released.

NASCAR spokesman David Higdon would not speak specifically about Rockinghams date but said the schedule would be released soon.

We are still finalizing a few last pieces, he said.

Rockingham already lost one NASCAR event this season.

In September, NASCAR officials canceled a K&N Pro Series East race at the track. In a statement announcing the decision, NASCAR said the track failed to meet its financial obligations.

A permanent loss of the NASCAR event could have serious consequences for the surrounding community.

When plans for the inaugural Truck race were first unveiled in 2011, city and county officials said the race would bring $4.2million into the local economy.

The first race in 2012, won by Kasey Kahne, was considered a success with a near-capacity crowd on hand. Attendance was down at this years race, won by Kyle Larson, but the venue was still considered to have a home on the series schedule.

From 1965 through 2004 Rockingham Speedway hosted races in NASCARs premier Cup series.

Hillenburg bought the track in 2007 from Speedway Motorsports Inc., which bought the facility from the International Speedway Corp. in 2004. SMI moved the Cup race from Rockingham to Texas as part of a settlement in an SMI shareholder lawsuit, leaving the track void of NASCAR events.

This has been six years of my life and I want to see it succeed, Hillenburg said.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/24/4412907/rockingham-loses-truck-series.html#storylink=cpy

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

Wishing Andy Hillenburg all the best as he works out issues with obtaining race dates for The Rock. Andy has bent over backwards to help our little t.v. show keep going and has always let us have free use of his shops, and has made us feel at home at the races he has promoted. No one is more deserving to make a go of this track than Andy. Whenhe is up and running again, we will continue to support him any way possible. Best of luck to one of the nicest and most generous people in racing. Call us if you need anything at all Andy. Charlie Craig, host of Racing Around Carolina.

Worked with Andy for over 2 years at the Rock, and it is Andys love of the track to make it go, I feel personally that he will overcome these problems and be back on track in the future. Whishing him all the luck and support to make it happen.

I am certainly wishing Andy the best. The "Rock" is an important track to me and to many NASCAR fans. I have many wonderful memories of events there and one or two not so good, but those weren't the fault of the track. Hoping things will work and Andy will get not only a truck date but a Nationwide (or whatever that will become) in the future. That track is too great to go into the ghost tracks file.

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.