ROCKINGHAM — Many of the motorsports organizations that were part of Rockingham Speedway’s revival in 2021 are returning with multiple events this year.
MB Drift recently announced its schedule with six events slated at the track.
“We are excited about our 2022 season and continuing our partnership with Rockingham Speedway,” organizers of the grassroots drifting organization said in a group statement to the RO on Friday.
The MB Drift team, which made Rockingham Speedway home last year when rezoning shut down Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2020, said in a post that they worked with Rockingham to make the events more affordable and communicated with other regional drift groups to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Each event this year will span two days so drivers can get as much seat time as possible.
MB Drift will start its season with a Spring Matsuri April 2-3, followed by four competition/fun day events — May 21-22, July 9-10, Aug. 13-14 and Sept. 17-18 — and end Oct. 22-23 with Halloween Havoc.
On the competition weekends, organizers say “one day will consist of open drift and practice for all drivers, and the next day will be a competition round.”
“During our competitions, drivers qualify in an open qualifying session and are then placed into a top-32 bracket. The competition rounds are a Formula Drift-tandem style, until the winner is crowned.”
The organization had 10 events in 2021, using both the speedway’s infield road course and the Little Rock — sometimes both during the same event. The drift cars even took a couple of laps around the main track during its final event in November.
So far, there are no details as to which tracks will be used for which event.
As part of a deal with the speedway, MB Drift puts part of its proceeds back into the track for repairs.
“We want to thank the community for being so supportive of our series and the speedway,” the MB Drift team said. “If you have not seen drifting in person, we recommend coming to check us out!”
Ride-alongs are also available for spectators 18 or older.
“We strive for an exciting and safe atmosphere for drivers and spectators alike.”
CLASSIC CAR EXHIBITIONS
Motorsport 4the Masses, which held several events at Rockingham in 2021, announced Friday evening that it would be holding six of its 12 events at the historic track.
During a live video, owner Rob Bolling said M4theM would be starting the Classic American Racing Barnstormer Series, which will feature vintage stock cars — like the ones during Motorfest at Thunder Alley — reenacting older-era racing.
The CARBS events will include practice laps, qualifying and an exhibition race for what Bolling called “a living history experience.”
“We want the fans to be able to experience all that they can,” Bolling said.
Like MB Drift, M4theM will hold two-day events, combining the CARBS exhibitions with its Short Course Driver Education and High Performance Driver Education events and the Hot Pursuit Chase Challenge competition.
The CARBS Tour starts at Rockingham on April 23 and will close out Oct. 1.
M4theM will also be at the Little Rock March 19-20, May 21-22, Aug. 6-7 and Nov. 12-13.
The National Auto Sport Association will also be back Oct. 14-16 for Speedtoberfest.
More than 100 drivers participated in the event last year, which was held on the roval. It was NASA’s first event at the track in nearly 15 years.
All NASA races are free and open to the public to attend.
LEARNING TO DRIVE
While M4theM lets people learn driving skills in their own cars, two organizations give participants the opportunity to get a feel of the track in a stock car.
Seat Time Racing School has five dates at Rockingham this year: March 6, May 1, June 25, Aug. 29 and Oct. 2.
The Charlotte-based school, founded in 1980 by Buck Baker — NASCAR’s first back-to-back champion — used to hold 20-30 events per year at the speedway, driving instructor Walt Young told the RO last year.
For those not ready to get behind the wheel, ride-alongs of a few laps with one of the instructors are available.
The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience, which had to cancel a date in 2021, will also be coming to Rockingham with dates slated for April 2 and Nov. 5.
MORE TO COME
The first event currently on the Speedway’s schedule is the return of the Monster Truckz Mayhem Tour the weekend of March 11-13.
In addition to the big-wheeled trucks jumping ramps and performing tricks, the show also features both a motocross and stunt car exhibition.
Justin Jones, vice president of operations at the Speedway, told the RO on Friday that the Allison Legacy Race Series would be coming to Rockingham this year.
There are also a few other motorsports events coming from NCE30 and the Tarheel Sports Car Club.
The speedway will also host a rodeo, with bull riding, bucking broncos “and everything a rodeo has to offer,” Jones said.
He added that there are several other events still in negotiations, but the track plans to announce some dates next week.
