NASCAR spotter gives a three-word suggestion he never imagined giving amid Rockingham’s Cup future buzz

NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin shared a three-word suggestion to NASCAR on social media. He spoke of removing one of the races in spring in favor of introducing a new track in the Cup Series calendar, something he thought he would never say.

Last weekend, Rockingham Speedway made its return on the NASCAR calendar in over a decade. The North Carolina track last hosted a Truck Series race in 2013 and an Xfinity and Cup Series race in 2004. It returned to the Xfinity and Truck Series for this season after a tune-up test was run in January.

According to Alex Zietlow's report on The Charlotte Observer, the return of the 1.6-mile oval was seen as a huge success by NASCAR officials and stakeholders involved throughout the weekend. Bob Sargent, President and CEO of Track Enterprises, a leading race promoter company in the USA, said that his conversations with the stakeholders after the weekend were full of positive feedback on Friday and Saturday's events.

When asked if he thought the track could also make a return to the Cup Series, Sargent responded positively. He noted, via The Charlotte Observer:

"I feel comfortable, and am not saying anything out of line, that, yes, we did everything we needed to do. It’s a process. But we are on the radar. We are in that process."

However, Sargent was also aware that there weren't many dates left on the Cup Series calendar to squeeze in an extra race or even replace an existing points-paying race for Rockingham to return to the NCS. And that's where Brett Griffin's suggestion comes in.

Responding to Adam Stern's post on X, Griffin suggested getting rid of the Spring race at Bristol and putting Rockingham Speedway in its place.

"Move Bristol Spring," he wrote. "I never thought I would say that."

In the report, Sargent also pointed out that everybody, including drivers, sponsors, and fans, shared a positive response about the race weekend.

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A brief history of Rockingham Speedway in NASCAR

Rockingham Speedway, also known as "The Rock," opened on October 31, 1965, as the North Carolina Motor Speedway. It was originally a flat, one-mile oval constructed by the vision of Harold Brasington and Bill Land with the help of local investors. The inaugural NASCAR race at the track, the 1965 American 500, was won by Curtis Turner.

In 1969, the track went through some big changes, turning into a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. This was done to improve the on-track racing action. In 1997, Roger Penske acquired the track and renamed it North Carolina Speedway.

Two years later, it became part of the International Speedway Corporation (ISC). However, in the early 2000s, the track struggled with low attendance, which led to its removal from the calendar in 2004. Efforts were made to revive the track by bringing it back in the Truck Series in 2012 and 2013, but that didn't seem to work out.

In 2018, a group of investors led by Dan Lovenheim acquired the track and renamed it Rockingham Speedway, which is its current name.