Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMCA/NMRA and courtesy of Rockingham Dragway
Racers and race fans are eagerly envisioning the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple's Speed & Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Work being performed throughout the track known as The Rock is adding to that eagerness, with many people applauding owners Dan VanHorn and Al Gennarelli for making improvements to an already impressive facility.
One of the biggest areas of work is on the race surface itself.
“The concrete on the race surface and shutdown area is new as of last year, and we have just had it profiled, which makes it perfectly flat,” said VanHorn. “It tends to expand and contract, swell and shrink, and some curling was starting to occur. Racers with lightweight cars could see it in their shock data, so we wanted to get it super-flat so it will be perfect for vehicles of all ET levels.”
Additionally, significant paving was performed in the pit areas and return roads at the facility named 2023 NMCA Track of the Year at the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Awards Ceremony in December of 2023, and the concession area was renovated and a bar was added.
“I have known Steve Wolcott and Rollie Miller of NMRA and NMCA for years, and they have high standards, just like Al Gennarelli, our staff members, racers and I do,” said VanHorn. “All of the vendors and businesses we rely on locally for renovations have a grassroots connection to the track and take pride in calling it their own. It is just as important to them as it is to us. While the upgrades are a business decision, there is also pride involved. We all want to be at a nice facility, and we are grateful to have the support from our sponsors, customers, the State of North Carolina and the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority. We couldn’t do this without them.”
NMRA and NMCA racers and race fans will also notice re-striped pit areas, and fresh paint and plumbing throughout the facility, among other upgrades.
“We are proud to race at Rockingham Dragway, and we appreciate everything Dan, Al and their team members do to make our racers feel welcome and at home for the weekend,” said Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director for NMRA and NMCA. “There was already so much enthusiasm going into this race, and the myriad of upgrades give our racers and race fans even more to look forward to.”
For more information, visit www.rockinghamdragway.com.
Photos by NMCA/NMRA and courtesy of Rockingham Dragway
Racers and race fans are eagerly envisioning the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple's Speed & Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Work being performed throughout the track known as The Rock is adding to that eagerness, with many people applauding owners Dan VanHorn and Al Gennarelli for making improvements to an already impressive facility.
One of the biggest areas of work is on the race surface itself.
“The concrete on the race surface and shutdown area is new as of last year, and we have just had it profiled, which makes it perfectly flat,” said VanHorn. “It tends to expand and contract, swell and shrink, and some curling was starting to occur. Racers with lightweight cars could see it in their shock data, so we wanted to get it super-flat so it will be perfect for vehicles of all ET levels.”
Additionally, significant paving was performed in the pit areas and return roads at the facility named 2023 NMCA Track of the Year at the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Awards Ceremony in December of 2023, and the concession area was renovated and a bar was added.
“I have known Steve Wolcott and Rollie Miller of NMRA and NMCA for years, and they have high standards, just like Al Gennarelli, our staff members, racers and I do,” said VanHorn. “All of the vendors and businesses we rely on locally for renovations have a grassroots connection to the track and take pride in calling it their own. It is just as important to them as it is to us. While the upgrades are a business decision, there is also pride involved. We all want to be at a nice facility, and we are grateful to have the support from our sponsors, customers, the State of North Carolina and the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority. We couldn’t do this without them.”
NMRA and NMCA racers and race fans will also notice re-striped pit areas, and fresh paint and plumbing throughout the facility, among other upgrades.
“We are proud to race at Rockingham Dragway, and we appreciate everything Dan, Al and their team members do to make our racers feel welcome and at home for the weekend,” said Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director for NMRA and NMCA. “There was already so much enthusiasm going into this race, and the myriad of upgrades give our racers and race fans even more to look forward to.”
For more information, visit www.rockinghamdragway.com.