Added to the complicated weekend of NASCAR scheduling, testing at Rockingham for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series has been postponed. This testing will now take place on Friday, Feb. 6, due to the regional effects of Winter Storm Gianna across North Carolina.
The testing, sponsored by Track Enterprises, was meant occur this week, and was to be open to fans. Per Weather.gov, Rockingham ended up with five inches of snow on the ground. Not only is that a solid amount, but also less common for the region, which averages 1.6 inches of snow annually. They had no choice but to postpone the event.
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If you want to attend the event this Friday, you may still show up to watch on turn four, free of charge. The testing will be a single-day event, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Select drivers will have availability from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the media center. For more information, fans may visit the FAQ section of racetherock.com.
Rockingham Returns to Racing on Easter Weekend
Rockingham Speedway opened in 1965 and hosting NASCAR races until 2004.©Ed Clemente for The Fayetteville Observer via Imagn Content Services, LLC
(©Ed Clemente for The Fayetteville Observer via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
A famed track, NASCAR fans are glad to have it back on the schedule. Rockingham returned to action in 2025 after a decade-long absence, hosting the event on Easter weekend.
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When it came to the main event of the weekend, Sammy Smith found victory lane for JR Motorsports in the now-branded O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In that race, Smith led just nine of the 250 laps on the mile-sized oval. Parker Retzlaff and Jeb Burton both tied for the most points earned (44).
The other two races of the weekend were in the Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. Tyler Ankrum won the truck race, and Brent Crews won the ARCA Menards Series East race.
The NASCAR Cup Series will not be at Rockingham in 2026, or any time soon, due to logistical and structural limitations. Nick DeGroot of Motorsport.com nailed it on the head, stating that NASCAR is “shuttering historic tracks in favor of new, cookie-cutter facilities in new markets.”
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Instead, the Cup Series enjoys the weekend off from racing to be with their families. This gives NASCAR a weekend to exhibit its two more developmental series as everyone watches from home. They also get to do this at a famed, fan-favorite track that can much more easily host the lower-tiered NASCAR races.
With testing now scheduled for Friday, teams will still show up, being under 100 miles from most of their headquarters. It will be a great chance to test out the track in year two of its return, as well as an opportunity to see where their teams are at ahead of Daytona’s season debut in under two weeks.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
