ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — A trail to highlight the roots of NASCAR is making laps across the state.
What You Need To Know
- NASCAR was formed by moonshine runners evading police
- The Moonshine and Motorsports Trail is helping highlight the state’s history to NASCAR
- Rockingham Speedway is one of the locations on the trail
- The track is undergoing renovations after being dormant for years and is holding numerous events
The roots of NASCAR spread across the back roads of North Carolina, getting its start from moonshine runners. During the prohibition bootleggers, like famous driver Junior Johnson, modified their cars to help evade police and make sure “The real McCoy” was delivered. Soon these drivers began racing each other, prompting crowds to gather to watch the race, and soon NASCAR was born.
The Moonshine and Motorsports Trail by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is helping connect the state’s unique history to NASCAR with locations such as race tracks, museums and more to help highlight the state's history and economic impact of NASCAR.
One of the locations on the trail is Rockingham Speedway, also known as the “Rock,” located in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Rockingham Speedway is a staple in racing history, dating back to its first race, the inaugural American 500 on Halloween of 1965.
“It's one of the first tracks. You know, a lot of heritage here. A lot of championships were decided here. And it's, you know, been here for just as long as NASCAR has,” said Dustin Russell, the track manager at Rockingham Speedway.
Russell has been at the track for about three years but has always loved racing, even getting his drag license at 18 years old. He is just one of the few full-time staff members at the Rock helping bring the track back to its prime.
“It was dormant for a long time. But unfortunately the track has seen its fair share of people breaking and entering and stealing stuff, and so it's been a long road to recovery, but we're definitely getting there quickly,” Russell said.
Rockingham Speedway has traded hands and names many times throughout the years, finally falling dormant for years. Since the track was purchased by its current owner, many renovations have begun to take place, including the renovation of suites, the pit car garage as an after concert venue, the track being repaved, stands being removed due to structural issues and much more.
“It's hard to see something this big and this majestic just doing nothing. And luckily enough, the owner is just putting a lot of money into it. We got some state backing and now we're trying to bring it back to its glory days,” Russell said.
The track helped launch numerous names into the limelight.
“Everybody's got their favorite driver and everybody that's been around here has always wanted to come out and, root for their favorite driver. Mine was Ward Burton back in the day. And, of course you got all the Earnhardts and Richard Petty, everybody that's been on this track. And like I said, it's been here forever,” Russell said.
One name that is not as well known is L.G. Dewitt, the largest peach grower in the world, and a businessman who saw the value in the placement to the economy of the track in Rockingham and helped kickstart the speedway's construction.
Today that testament lives on, with many of the employees as local residents in Rockingham, which Russell says makes it personal.
Not only does Russell want to see the track that sits on 260 acres back at its prime and help the community, he grew up coming to the speedway.
“I always said I grew up here. As a kid, we made side hustle money selling firewood to all the campers. And I can tell you about times where I've sat in the pit road selling ice cream to all the crew chiefs and the pit crew … you had skipped school on Friday to come watch time trials, which was pretty much the county-wide standard. Everybody in high school was out here on a Friday instead of at school trying to kind of get a glimpse of what was going on and go into souvenir alley and just all the all the fun stuff you do at the track,” Russell said.
Although NASCAR is not back at the track yet, Russell has big hopes for the Rock in the meantime.
“We'd love to see a Cup race back here, of course, but we also want to fill the other 51 weekends. We want to bring racing back and not just racing, but concerts. We want to bring as much as we can to the state in the county. And that is that's the ultimate goal, is to be constantly busy and stuff that everybody can afford," Russell said.
"Everybody can go do, everybody can have fun. But still keeping the glory of this old track down here,” Russell said.
The one-mile track, is just one of 17 stops on the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail and said its pit stop on the trail is bringing out visitors daily to take a photo with the plaque.
“We get everybody that's traveling, going to the beach or going to Wilmington or coming through this area, they make it a stop to come by and get their picture with the rock and take a picture at the plaque. And so it's pretty cool. And you get a chance to come out here and talk to them for a few minutes and you get to hear their stories and their memories. And that's probably also one of my favorite things is hearing everybody's memory or what race they were in the last time they were here,” Russell said.
The Moonshine and Motorsports Trail is made up of Occoneechee Speedway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Museum of the Albemarle, Stone Mountain State Park, N.C. Museum of History, Dale Earnhardt Tribute Plaza, Orange County Speedway, Musuem of Ashe County History, North Carolina Museum of Transportation, Dismal Swamp State Park, Bowman Gray Stadium, Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center, North Carolina Zoo, Johnston County Heritage Center & Johnston County Museum.
Rockingham Speedway has many events that take place at the track, including different kinds of races, concerts and more.
The Rock, which was also a filming location for "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," will have its open house on May 18 with classic stock car races and concert.