ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s iconic oval track has a new owner — the International Hot Rod Association.
IHRA announced the purchase of Rockingham Speedway on New Year’s Eve, a move reflecting the sanctioning body’s “commitment to preserving motorsports heritage while thoughtfully reinvesting in legendary racing properties.”
“IHRA recognizes what Rockingham Speedway means to this community and to motorsports fans around the world,” Darryl Cuttell, owner of IHRA, said in a press release. “This is a special place with a strong foundation. Our goal is to be good stewards of the facility, respect its history, and work collaboratively to bring quality racing and entertainment back to The Rock.”
According to the press release, IHRA intents to restore the track “to its former glory while enhancing the venue as a multi-use destination.”
IHRA plans to make upgrades to the facility, expand fan amenities, and add concerts and festivals along with racing events.
“This isn’t about changing what made Rockingham special,” Cuttell added. “It’s about investing in it, taking care of it, and making sure it continues to be a place where great racing and great memories are made.”
The track was purchased by Rockingham Properties LLC in 2018 for $2.8 million.
The track started hosting events in 2021, with MB Drift finding its new home there following the closure of Myrtle Beach Speedway in late 2020.
NASCAR finally returned to the Rock in 2025 with races in the Xfinity Series — now O’Reilly Auto Parts Series — and the Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the Arca Menards Series East. All three are set to come back for another triple-race weekend April 3-4.
In addition to motorsports events, the Rock also hosted a concert by Struggle Jennings, the Tailgate N’ Tallboys Festival featuring Bailey Zimmerman and other country acts, and an electronic dance music festival.
Many renovations have been made to the track in recent years, including a repave for both the oval and the road course, new SAFER barriers and updates to the suites and media center.
Many of those upgrades were made possible by $9 million allocated to the county from the 2021 state budget — via the N.C. Department of Commerce — for infrastructure improvements at the track.
An additional $300,000 came from a reallocation of $2 million that had been set aside for a pedestrian bridge across U.S. 1 to connect the speedway with Rockingham Dragway.
“For decades, The Rock has been one of our community’s most recognizable and celebrated tourism icons,” said Meghann Lambeth, executive director of the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority. “We’re proud to continue supporting Rockingham Speedway as it draws visitors to Rockin’ Richmond County under the new ownership of the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).”
This is the third North Carolina motorsports facility IHRA has purchased this year: GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson; and Piedmont Dragway in Julian.
Recently, IRHA announced purchases of Heartland Motorsports Park in Kansas, Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee, and Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania.
The organization has also announced both a stock car and powerboat series.
More plans for Rockingham are to be announced at a later date.
