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Rockingham Speedway, also known by the name 'The Rock', is a NASCAR track in Richmond County of North Carolina. Opened in 1965, with the name North Carolina Motor Speedway, it was configured to be a high-banked, 0.94-mile D-shaped oval.
Albeit it was previously dropped from the NASCAR calendar in 2004, it is now making a return in 2025. This weekend is dedicated to the Rockingham races across NASCAR formats. With that, here is a look at three of the most unforgettable NASCAR moments at Rockingham, with a special mention to Dale Earnhardt’s 7th championship win.
#3 Curtis Turner’s first cup victory at Rockingham Speedway (1965)
The NASCAR Cup Series’ first race in Rockingham was on Halloween of 1965. Curtis “Pops” Turner, who drove a Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, won the race by leading 239 out of a total of 500 laps. This win was especially significant since this was when Turner returned to the sport after being banned in the early 1960s for trying to unionize drivers.
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It was his 17th and final Cup win, and it gave the Speedway an unforgettable debut on the Cup calendar. Turner’s performance also helped legitimize the new track. Today, a stock certificate from Rockingham’s early days is displayed at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, nodding to the southern roots of NASCAR.
#2 Matt Kenseth’s final win (2004)
In NASCAR’s race at Rockingham, on February 22, 2004, Matt Kenseth won by beating rookie Kasey Kahne by just 0.010 seconds—one of the closest finishes in series history.
Kenseth drove a Ford Taurus for Jack Roush, a car used only at Rockingham. He had strong results with it—one win and three top-five finishes. The win also followed his 2003 Cup Series championship, which he secured at Rockingham during the fall race. The winning car is now part of the “Greatest Finishes” exhibit at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
#1 Dale Earnhardt’s seventh cup title (1994)
Dale Earnhardt clinched his seventh NASCAR premier series championship at Rockingham during the 1994 AC-Delco 500, tying Richard Petty’s record. Driving for Richard Childress Racing in a Chevrolet Lumina, Earnhardt had a dominant season with 20 top-five and 25 top-ten finishes across 31 races.
Although he won just four races that year, his points lead was massive. His win at Rockingham on October 23 sealed the title with three races to spare. He finished the season 444 points ahead of Mark Martin.
The 1994 season was also the last for the Chevrolet Lumina body style, a car Earnhardt drove to four of his seven championships. This Rockingham win marked the end of an era for Chevy. The car now resides in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the “Dale Jr.: Glory Road Champions Exhibit,” alongside other vehicles from the seven-time champion.
