ROCKINGHAM — The sounds of screeching tires and roaring engines will be heard on both sides of U.S. 1 this weekend with events at both Rockingham Dragway and Rockingham Speedway.
Dig or Die returns to the dragway for overnight no-prep action, with drivers lining up on the back side of the track and racing toward the tower.
No-prep racing is a throwback to drag racing's roots in the ‘50s and ‘60s with “no special attention given to the racing surface,” according to a 2022 press release from the track.
Local business Full Custom Fabrication and Performance is hosting a racer appreciation party Thursday night, including limo rides for the drivers from and back to the track.
Racing starts at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
Dig or Die has one more event this season, Christmas Clash 6, scheduled for Dec. 5-6, which is the last race on the dragway’s schedule for the year.
RO file photo
Earlier this week, Rockingham Dragway announced a new policy in response to the theft of electric scooters at recent events.
Spectators will be:
Every vehicle and trailer exiting the gate will be checked and if the scooter count doesn't match, spectators will be referred to on-site deputies.
“We apologize for any delay on entry and exit that this will create but we cannot ignore the issue,” reads the post on the track’s Facebook page. “We are extremely disappointed to even have to address this in such an invasive manner.
“If this procedure proves to be ineffective, we will disallow all scooters at Rockingham Dragway. Please help us … prevent theft. We will not allow a few thieves to ruin our reputation and your visit. We want you, our customer, to feel protected and safe.”
RO file photo
DRIFT VIBES
MB Drift, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will be at the speedway for its Summer Matsuri.
The grassroots series started in 2005 as a safe and legal way for drivers to drift and ran for 15 years at Myrtle Beach Speedway. When that track closed down in late 2020, the series was moved to the Rock.
Organizers have designed nine layouts on the infield road course for the two-day event, including classics like the “Initiation,” the “Chute” and the No. 3-shaped “Dale Lane” —named in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. — as well as the new “Continental Drift” and an unrevealed “mystery layout.”
Like the Spring Matsuri and Halloween Havoc, the Summer Matsuri is a non-competitive event that gives drivers ample seat time and opportunities to hone their drifting skills, with night drifting on Saturday.
The event also includes drift games, a crazy shirt contest and music from the band Live Wire. Free ride-alongs are available for spectators 18 or older.
RO file photo
The track goes hot at 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
MB Drift still has two other events lined up for the 2025 season: the third and final round of competition Aug. 30-31; and Halloween Havoc Oct. 25-26.
For more information on these and other motorsports events, visit the websites or social media pages for Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham Speedway and MB Drift.
