William R. Toler
ROCKINGHAM — Most of the attention for the upcoming race weekend at Rockingham Speedway has been focused on NASCAR’s return to the track, however a new crop of ARCA drivers will have their first experience on the legendary oval.
At least two drivers, Zachary Tinkle and Austin Vaughn, have confirmed they will be signing autographs at ThunderFest — organized by the city of Rockingham and the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority — on April 17, just two days ahead of the ARCA Menards Series East race at the Rock.
Although Tinkle, 22, was just a child when ARCA last ran at Rockingham from 2008-2010, he does have a quasi-connection with the track — team owner Andy Hillenburg is a former owner of the Rock.
Hillenburg — a former driver who won the 1995 ARCA championship and ran his first Cup series race at the Rock in 1991 — purchased the speedway in 2007 and hosted four ARCA races from 2008-2010, with the first being won by three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano. The Craftsman Truck Series also ran in 2012 and 2013 under Hillenburg’s ownership.
Tinkle currently drives the No. 11 Toyota for Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing and is starting his third season with the team.
“I’m honored to be driving the #11 car for a third year in a row since it was Andy’s championship number 30 years ago,” Tinkle said in a February press release.
Aptly hailing from Speedway, Indiana, Tinkle started his racing career driving go-karts before moving to late models and then to the ARCA series in 2021.
Since driving for Fast Track, Tinkle has had two top 10 finishes in the ARCA Menards Series, and nine in the ARCA Menards Series East, with his best being fourth place at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 2024. He has also finished fourth in the regional series the past two years.
“It’s been great watching Zachary’s development as a driver because he’s now turning into a contender,” Hillenburg said in a press release. “With the combination of Zachary’s experience and our team getting better, we hope for Zachary to compete for a couple wins this year.”
Tinkle placed 10th in the first race this season at Five Flags Speedway.
For the Rockingham race. Tinkle’s car will feature a Pinewood Derby design from a Cub Scout
Vaughn, of Burnsville, Mississippi, will be one of the youngest drivers on the track at the age of 16.
“I’m really excited to race at Rockingham,” Vaughn, said in an April 5 press release. “It’s a track with so much history, and it’s a place where legends have raced. I’ve been working hard to get ready for this race, and I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learned to the test. It’s going to be an amazing experience.”
This will be Vaughn’s second race in the ARCA Menards Series East, after placing 15th at Five Flags. He made his ARCA debut last year in the main series, placing 16th in his only race.
“I love meeting the fans, especially those who’ve supported me from the start,” Vaughn said about the pre-race meet-and-greet. “ThunderFest will be a great event for us drivers to interact with the people who cheer us on. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing this experience with them.”
Max Reaves, who signed a development deal with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, took the checkered flag at Five Flags in his debut race in the series at the age of 15.
Several ARCA drivers have promoted the upcoming race in short videos including Tinkle, Timmy Hill, Tyler Reif, Kole Raz — and 10-time ARCA champ Frank Kimmel.
Kimmel said he never won at Rockingham, “but I’d love to go back and try it again.”
In the four races — 2008, two in 2009 and one in 2010 — Kimmel placed 10th, 11th, 12th and sixth, respectively.
The entry list for the race has not yet been published.
Other drivers confirmed for meet-and-greets at ThunderFest include: Rajah Caruth, Matt Mills, Bayley Currey, Andres Perez de Lara, Kaden Honeycutt and Connor Mosack from the Craftsman Truck Series; Dean Thompson from the Xfinity Series;
and former racers Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace, hosts of the Herm & Schrader podcast.Mosack is also competing in the ARCA Menards Series East this season, placing third in the first race behind Reif (2) and Reaves.
The Rockingham race is the second of eight in the series.
Jamie McMurray, who won the previous four consecutive Busch Series (now Xfinity) races at the Rock drove for ARCA in a Goodyear tire test in November.
ThunderFest, slated to run from 4-9 p.m. at Harrington Square in downtown Rockingham, will also feature a Kidz Zone, food trucks, vendors, beer garden, and a performance by the Marshall Tucker Band.
The Rockingham ARCA 150 is currently scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19 ahead of the N.C. Education Lottery 250 Xfinity race. The Black’s Tire 200 Craftsman Truck Series race is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18.
Tickets for the races are still available at racetherock.com, as well in person at Rockingham City Hall from 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays.
