ThunderFest 2026

The pre-race celebration, ThunderFest, returns to downtown Rockingham around Harrington Square on Thursday, April 2, from 4PM-9PM ahead of the NASCAR trio of races at Rockingham Speedway on Friday, April 3, with the Black's Tire 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and the ARCA Menards Series East and North Carolina Education Lottery 250 Presented by Black's Tire NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts races on Saturday. See more details and purchase tickets on www.racetherock.com.

Join us for an unforgettable pre-race celebration presented by Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas as we kick off Easter weekend and welcome NASCAR back to Rockingham Speedway in a big way. Live music, high energy, vendors, family fun, and that signature ThunderFest atmosphere—all leading into an action-packed NASCAR weekend at The Rock. 

🎶 In addition to the The Eli Young Band is headlining ThunderFest in downtown Rockingham around Harrington Square, Anna J will get the celebration started for us! Huge thank you to our music sponsor Fidelity Bank! 

🎶 Live Music

🏁 NASCAR Driver Meet & Greets

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Free Kids Zone

🍔 Local Vendors

🍻 Beer Garden

🔥 That signature ThunderFest energy

🎉 Celebrate another year of NASCAR at The Rock with a high-energy street festival pre-race party around Harrington Square in downtown Rockingham — FREE.

Mark your calendar, bring your friends, and come experience ThunderFest the way it was meant to be — loud, lively, and completely FREE! 

📍Harrington Square, Downtown Rockingham, NC

📅 Thursday, April 2, 2026

⏰ 4PM–9PM

🎟️ FREE Admission

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Aug. 20, 2025) – Following a sellout weekend for NASCAR’s celebrated return to Rockingham Speedway, the newly unveiled NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR

CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to the venerable Richmond County oval April 3-4, 2026.

“We’re thrilled NASCAR took notice of all the incredible support we received both during and following the North Carolina Education 250 presented by Black’s Tire and the Black’s Tire 200 and chose to include

Rockingham Speedway on the 2026 schedule,” said Track Enterprises President, Bob Sargent, the official NASCAR event promoter at Rockingham Speedway. “We knew people in Richmond County and

the surrounding areas were passionate, but the enthusiasm and turnout exceeded everyone’s expectations. We’re eager to welcome the fans back and build on a new Easter Weekend tradition.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series, which will transition its entitlement-naming rights to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, was a fixture at the historic venue from 1982-2004. Former winners include a

cast of the sport’s most recognizable names including David Pearson, Sam Ard, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Harry Gant, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and Jamie McMurray.

Martin was an indomitable force at Rockingham in Xfinity Series competition throughout his career having

collected 11 wins in 25 starts, including four straight during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. McMurray matched Martin’s four-peat by recording four wins in a row from 2002-2004.

Iowa native Sammy Smith earned the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s Tire victory for JR Motorsports following the division’s return to the iconic oval to become the 24th different

winner in series history at the storied facility.

The Black’s Tire 200 marked the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series third visit to Rockingham Speedway with 24-year-old Tyler Ankrum taking the checkered flag.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, Oct. 31 at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Ticket holders and campers from the 2025 event will have access to exclusive pre-sale opportunities before tickets are released for sale to

the general public. Race fans can log on to RacetheRock.com for continuing details and updates.

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About Rockingham Speedway …

Located in Richmond County, N.C., Rockingham Speedway opened as a flat, one-mile oval on Oct. 31, 1965. It was reconfigured to a one-mile (1.017 miles) high-banked, D-shaped oval in 1969 and currently

measures 0.94-miles in length. On Nov. 18, 2021, N.C., Governor Roy Cooper signed the 2021-2022 North Carolina state budget allocating $9 million to support reinvestment in the facility. The state funds,

along with additional investments, allowed for redevelopment of the racetrack including the racing surface and extensive repairs.

About Track Enterprises …

Track Enterprises has been promoting motorsports events since 1985. Based in Macon, Ill., a dedicated staff, led by longtime promoter Bob Sargent, organize and promote upwards of 80 races a year across the

eastern half of the United States. Track Enterprises was responsible for the highly-acclaimed return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to the Rockingham Speedway in 2025.

Thursday Plaza Jam is the 1st Thursday of the month's May-October on Cole Plaza (514 Rockingham Road) from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.