NASCAR is once again leaving Rockingham Speedway. "The Rock," the iconic 0.940-mile oval track in North Carolina’s Richmond County, has hosted races for the Craftsman Truck Series and the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in each of the last two seasons after a 12-year absence. But Rockingham’s promoter — Track Enterprises — announced on Friday, Aug. 14 that NASCAR racing will not be held at the track in 2027. In a statement, Track Enterprises says the decision comes “amid overall uncertainty at the facility.” The owner of the speedway is Darryl Cuttell, and he is currently grappling with a financial strain as he battles liens and lawsuits totaling more than half-a-billion dollars. Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI alleges it has overpaid between $500 to $800 million for services from Darana Hybrid, an international electro-mechanical contractor company that Cuttell owns. Cuttell also owns the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA). Amid Cuttell’s financial troubles, IHRA has laid off employees and canceled some of its racing series. Through IHRA, Cuttell bought Rockingham in December 2025 from North Carolina nightclub magnate and real estate investor Dan Lovenheim.
“The response from the fans over the past two years has been nothing short of incredible,” Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, said in a statement. “Bringing NASCAR back to Rockingham was a special opportunity, and the support we received from race fans, competitors, sponsors, local officials, and the entire community exceeded every expectation. While we’re disappointed that NASCAR won’t be racing at Rockingham in 2027, we remain optimistic about the future and look forward to exploring opportunities to bring racing back in the future.” Rockingham was once a regular stop for NASCAR’s top-level Cup Series. It opened in 1965, and from 1966 to 2003 it hosted two Cup Series races there annually – one in the spring and one in the fall. Richard Petty won 11 races there, and his son Kyle took three checkered flags at Rockingham. In 1994, Dale Earnhardt clinched his seventh championship there. Then, in 2001, it was the first race held after the Intimidator’s tragic death and became the place where fans gathered to mourn and watch the sport resume without one of its legends. On Feb. 22, 2004, Matt Kenseth won the final Cup Series race there in the No. 17 Ford for Roush Racing. Rockingham then became the victim of mismanagement and NASCAR’s ideas for expanding its footprint to the west. After it became somewhat of a bargaining chip in a lawsuit, NASCAR took its Rockingham race dates to Texas and California. Speedway Motorsports — which acquired the track through the lawsuit — auctioned it off in 2007. The Truck Series returned to Rockingham for a two-season stretch in 2012 and 2013 — with Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson winning those races — but again, NASCAR left after it said the track “failed to meet financial obligations.”
In 2021, when ownership of the track was in Lovenheim’s hands, former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper allocated $9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to repair and refurbish Rockingham. The track got a repave, a new media center was built and other upgrades were made. "We know 'The Rock' renovation is going to be successful. And I think we're going to see a lot of great events there," Cooper said in 2023 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which was also revived with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. "As to whether we get NASCAR back there or not, I don't know. But I'm all for it. And I'm willing to step up and do what we need to do. That's for sure." NASCAR did return in 2025 with races for the O’Reilly Series and Truck Series on Easter weekend, and grandstand tickets sold out. Tyler Ankrum won the truck race, and Sammy Smith won in the O’Reilly Series. Those races returned this year with momentum and a positive reception as Corey Heim won in trucks, and William Sawalich took the checkered flag in the O’Reilly competition. But now, Rockingham is once again in the crosshairs of financial issues, and its future with NASCAR is uncertain. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR won’t race at Rockingham in 2027 amid ownership uncertainty