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Kenny Wallace praised NASCAR’s recent Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway, insisting its success is proof of what he has been saying for a while. He retweeted the data shared by CW Sports about the race’s viewership.
In the tweet posted on X, Wallace insisted that The CW’s coverage was good for NASCAR, clearly referencing the strong viewer turnout for the race. The tweet read:
“Like eye said. @TheCW_Sports is good for @NASCAR 🏁”
Trending
His post followed reports that over one million people tuned in for the Rockingham Xfinity race. The tweet is seemingly a digital form of I told you so.
According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, the Rockingham event drew 1.053 million viewers, making it the second-highest viewed Xfinity Series race at the track. It was also the 10th consecutive race this season to cross the one million mark, a streak that hasn’t been seen in eight years. The CW Sports, now the official broadcast partner for the Xfinity Series, has played a big role in this surge.
Attendance at Rockingham also backed up the numbers at home. The track was filled to capacity, with more than 25,000 fans in the stands. Rockingham hadn't hosted a national NASCAR race since 2013, and the Cup Series hasn’t been there since 2004.
Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, said that a Cup return to Rockingham is “on the radar.” He noted that while scheduling is complicated due to limited dates and regions, the Rock showed it's ready.
“We did everything we needed to do... It’s a process. But we are on the radar,” he said via The Charlotte Observer.
Jesse Love initially won the race after a wild overtime finish, but was disqualified post-race due to a rear suspension violation. That handed the win to JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith, who has his first win of the 2025 season and third of his career. Love dropped to 37th.
“NASCAR is at a turning point” – Kenny Wallace uses Rockingham return to highlight broader shift
Kenny Wallace believes that NASCAR’s decision to bring racing back to Rockingham is more than a nostalgic move, claiming that the sport is shifting its direction. In his “Coffee with Kenny” video, Kenny Wallace pointed out how recent track exits like California Speedway, Kentucky, and Chicagoland are being balanced by returns to places like North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray. To him, Rockingham’s packed crowd and strong viewership established that fans want tradition and history back in the sport.
“NASCAR has left California Speedway. NASCAR has left Kentucky. NASCAR has left Joliet and Chicago land, and now they are right back to Bowman Gray, North Wilkesboro. And of course, the one that was so successful this week was Rockingham,” Wallace said.
Kenny Wallace didn’t stop there. He also directly addressed NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell, saying:
“My buddy Steve O'Donnell is now the president. I see we are at a turning point in NASCAR, for so many reasons. That's going to be my highlight right here. NASCAR is at a turning point.”
Kenny Wallace’s comments come as both the Truck and Xfinity Series races wrapped up successfully at Rockingham. Tyler Ankrum won the Truck Series race ahead of Jack Garcia and Daniel Hemric. Meanwhile, the reshuffled Xfinity race went to Sammy Smith after Love’s disqualification.
