ROCKINGHAM — Just because there aren’t cars racing down the strip doesn’t mean it’s been quiet during the offseason at Rockingham Dragway.
Crews have been working on several improvement projects throughout the property during the winter before the 2025 season gears up in March.
Most of those improvements are being made with the fans in mind, most notably pouring new concrete on the aging grandstands and renovating the restrooms behind the aluminum stands.
Co-owner Dan VanHorn said the first three sections of the concrete stands should be complete by the first event, and that there are plans to add aluminum seats with backs, as well as handrails.
The steps are also being widened and a step and fence will be added at the top as a safety measure.
“Safety and fan experience are paramount,” VanHorn said.
Another major project is relocating the main entrance to the front of the track, since the lease on the backlot was not renewed.
The dragway was paying $20,000 annually to Vance Land to lease the 70-acre lot behind the track.
VanHorn said he and co-owner Al Gennarelli first tried to renegotiate a less-expensive deal at $10,000 per year. When that wasn’t accepted, VanHorn said the track countered with $12,000 and the removal of a clause to equally share any proceeds made from events at neighboring Rockingham Speedway with the property owner. That proposal was also not accepted.
Along with the front entrance, VanHorn said the old “ice house” building is being gutted and will be outfitted with a new roof to serve as the ticket booth.
The new entrance for the track will be near the digital billboard — which advertises events at both tracks and throughout the county — and the entrances on L.G. Dewitt Road will be blocked off.
Other projects include: nearly tripling the size of the covered pavilion at the track’s On the Rocks bar; and building a permanent stage for future musical acts. VanHorn and Gennarelli have steadily been making improvements to the facility since buying it from longtime owner Steve Earwood in late 2022, including repaving the track and upgrading bathrooms — partially funded by state grants. In 2024, the tower received a new roof and renovations to the third-floor suite, partially funded by grants from the Cole Foundation and Richmond County Tourism Development Authority. Local artist Daniel Webb also painted two murals at the track last year. In December, the N.C. General Assembly reallocated $2 million that had been set aside for a pedestrian bridge across U.S. 1 connecting the dragway to the speedway. That funding was split into two grants: $1.7 million for the dragway; and $300,000 for the speedway. Click here to read that story. The dragway, which brings tens of thousands of racers and visitors to Richmond County each year, has a full schedule for 2025. March events include:
Nearly every weekend through early December is booked for the track, with the exception of April 18-19 when NASCAR returns to Rockingham Speedway for the Black’s Tire 200 Craftsman Truck Series and N.C. Education Lottery 250 Xfinity Series races.
The schedule also includes several manufacturer-themed events: two iterations of Mopars at the Rock combined with Modern Street Hemi Shootout (April and November); Civil Wars Ford Mayhem June 6-8; and the annual Super Chevy Show Sept. 19-21.
For more information on events and renovations at the track, visit the dragway’s website and social media pages.
