What’s Happening?

NASCAR fans may have a nice surprise on the 2025 schedule. On a recent episode of “The Morning Drive” on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Pete Pistone asked Jordan Bianchi about an industry rumor about returning to a race track that NASCAR hasn’t been to for a while on Easter weekend in 2025. Bianchi gave the following response, raising speculation about the 2025 schedule.

I have heard that, absolutely. I don’t know how detailed we want to get on that, but I think you are going to see NASCAR racing on Easter weekend in some facet, not necessarily Easter Sunday. If what I am hearing is true, and probably what you’re hearing as well, I think fans are going to be kind of happy about where NASCAR could be headed…The journalist in me wants to tell you where it is, but I also need to do my due diligence in the fact that I haven’t buttoned up everything on that fact yet. So, I can’t feel comfortable saying that, and I get real hesitent on spreading rumors that I don’t know 100% are true.

Jordan Bianchi

• There are plenty of race tracks NASCAR could go to, and fans would love to see NASCAR revisit. However, it has to make sense for NASCAR to come back, and there are very few tracks where it makes any sense.
• The rumor that NASCAR could race on Easter weekend but not Easter Sunday opens up a potential standalone Xfinity/Truck Series weekend. This is something that’s become increasingly rare in the NASCAR schedule.
• Knowing this is a rumor within the industry; we can also look at what those within the industry have said in recent months. Rumors that may have been brushed off initially now could have some more merit.

What Track Could They Revisit?

Easter is scheduled for the third Sunday of April, meaning NASCAR needs to find a proper place to host a race during that time of year. There are a few venues that NASCAR could go back to that fans would love.

Chicagoland Speedway and Road America are popular Midwestern race tracks that NASCAR no longer visits. However, fielding a race in that area of the country in April is like playing roulette with the weather; just ask baseball fans from the area.

Maybe NASCAR could revisit Kentucky Speedway. However, how exciting would that actually be, and what realistic chance is there of NASCAR revisiting the track that is currently a storage lot?

What about the Nashville Fairgrounds? NASCAR held springtime races at Nashville Superspeedway in the 2000s, but with the Superspeedway probably coming back in 2025, why would NASCAR visit the Nashville metro area twice at two different venues in the same season? Not to mention the local political issues.

This leaves one last fan-favorite race track, Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina. A track the Cup Series hasn’t visited since 2004 and one the Truck Series visited in 2012 and 2013. It’s also a venue that received government funding earlier this decade, just like North Wilkesboro.

The track was also recently repaved and continues hosting various events. Eric Estepp paid the track a visit in the spring of 2023.

While it hasn’t been confirmed that this is the track Bianchi is talking about, it certainly makes sense for NASCAR to revisit it. If NASCAR plans to go international to reach new fans, why not throw the hardcore fans a bone and add a race at a traditional NASCAR venue? A venue that has been pushing for NASCAR return for a long time.

Rockingham track owner Dan Lovenheim told Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer in May that the track would be “NASCAR-Ready by the end of 2024.” He also hinted that the track would “Surprise a lot of people” in 2025.

Rumors were further fueled when Carson Hocevar declared on a Twitch stream that Rockingham would return in 2025. It was tough to tell if he was talking flippantly or being serious, but the rumors are now starting to gain some more steam.

Now, this doesn’t confirm that Rockingham will return by any means. However, it makes sense for NASCAR to go there in some capacity, and there is some momentum for NASCAR to go there.

Who Will Race There?

Bianchi has previously reported that Easter Sunday could be the Cup Series’ only off-weekend in 2025. However, if Friday and/or Saturday are open, could an Xfinity and Truck Series standalone weekend happen?

NASCAR previously hosted Truck Series standalone weekends at Rockingham in 2012 and 2013. Fans came out, but financial issues ultimately kept the track from staying on the schedule.

All that to say, a Rockingham return could absolutely happen. Will it happen? We don’t know for sure, but it seems something is in the works for some interesting fan service in the 2025 schedule.

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