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SPEED Quotes: NASCAR’s Return To The Rock A Success For Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at The Rock was a ringing success that featured racing reminiscent of the days of old at Rockingham...
NASCAR’S RETURN TO ROCKINGHAM A SUCCESS FOR THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
After years of work by Andy Hillenburg and his staff, NASCAR’s return to Rockingham officially is in the books.
By all accounts, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at The Rock was a ringing success that featured racing reminiscent of the days of old at Rockingham. Kasey Kahne picked up where he nearly left off in February 2004, scoring the win Sunday after finishing second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ last Rockingham stop eight years ago.
Below, SPEED on-air personalities discuss the sport’s return to Rockingham, the race and the weekend as a whole:
Q: What do you take away from this weekend and NASCAR’s return to The Rock?
“The facility was put away for dead a few years ago. They’d made a decision that they couldn’t get enough people there to facilitate a Cup race, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be racing or really good racing there. Andy Hillenburg and his group had a dream that the place still could host a really good event, and they accomplished that.” --Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
Q: Would you classify Sunday’s Truck Series race and the entire weekend as a success?
“The entire weekend was a smashing success. When I arrived in Rockingham on Thursday, fans already were camping out and enjoying the race atmosphere. The renovations and work that Andy Hillenburg and his crew did made for a spectacular racing environment from the beginning of the weekend to the checkered flag and even beyond. Andy built a new Victory Lane that’s visible to the fans in the grandstands, and they were able to enjoy Kasey Kahne’s celebration, which really was a celebration not only for him but for the track and the sport as a whole.” --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“Rockingham was a ringing success beyond a shadow of a doubt. The turnout among the fans was incredible. We certainly give most of the credit to Andy Hillenburg for taking that leap of faith to buy the race track. But we also give a lot of credit to the city of Rockingham, Richmond County and the state of North Carolina. This was a collaborative effort by everyone. Andy would be the first to admit that he had a lot of help from the residents, the county and the state.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
Q: Did The Rock make an effective case for hosting another NASCAR event?
“Without question, the track deserves another Truck race and potentially more events beyond that. They did everything they possibly could to make it a fan-friendly event and by doing that, they definitely have proven they not only can host a Truck event, but any event NASCAR might want to return to The Rock.” --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“Rockingham definitely deserves another race - period. I’m not involved in that process, but I say they certainly could effectively host additional races and I think everyone probably agrees with me on this one.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
Q: What did you think of the crowd and the support for the race, both among the industry and the fans?
“I was lucky enough to be in the drivers’ meeting, and the crowd support in that meeting was incredible. When Andy Hillenburg was introduced as the president and owner of the track, it was almost an emotional moment because every single driver and crew chief stood up and gave him a standing ovation. Andy politely asked the crowd to remain quiet throughout the meeting but to voice their opinion of having the drivers return to The Rock. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. It was obvious the area wants NASCAR back in Richmond County and at The Rock. The entire community did a phenomenal job of welcoming NASCAR back to The Rock. --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“We had a terrific crowd at Rockingham today. Thousands of people came out to support the race – everyone from the local fans to those who work in the industry. I saw a slew of people that flew back from the Cup race at Texas on very little sleep to come to Rockingham. They just wanted to be a part of it. We even had NASCAR executives at the track such as Mike Helton and Steve O’Donnell. We all truly appreciate everyone who came out today and during the weekend to support the Trucks at Rockingham.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
After years of work by Andy Hillenburg and his staff, NASCAR’s return to Rockingham officially is in the books.
By all accounts, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at The Rock was a ringing success that featured racing reminiscent of the days of old at Rockingham. Kasey Kahne picked up where he nearly left off in February 2004, scoring the win Sunday after finishing second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ last Rockingham stop eight years ago.
Below, SPEED on-air personalities discuss the sport’s return to Rockingham, the race and the weekend as a whole:
Q: What do you take away from this weekend and NASCAR’s return to The Rock?
“The facility was put away for dead a few years ago. They’d made a decision that they couldn’t get enough people there to facilitate a Cup race, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be racing or really good racing there. Andy Hillenburg and his group had a dream that the place still could host a really good event, and they accomplished that.” --Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
Q: Would you classify Sunday’s Truck Series race and the entire weekend as a success?
“The entire weekend was a smashing success. When I arrived in Rockingham on Thursday, fans already were camping out and enjoying the race atmosphere. The renovations and work that Andy Hillenburg and his crew did made for a spectacular racing environment from the beginning of the weekend to the checkered flag and even beyond. Andy built a new Victory Lane that’s visible to the fans in the grandstands, and they were able to enjoy Kasey Kahne’s celebration, which really was a celebration not only for him but for the track and the sport as a whole.” --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“Rockingham was a ringing success beyond a shadow of a doubt. The turnout among the fans was incredible. We certainly give most of the credit to Andy Hillenburg for taking that leap of faith to buy the race track. But we also give a lot of credit to the city of Rockingham, Richmond County and the state of North Carolina. This was a collaborative effort by everyone. Andy would be the first to admit that he had a lot of help from the residents, the county and the state.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
Q: Did The Rock make an effective case for hosting another NASCAR event?
“Without question, the track deserves another Truck race and potentially more events beyond that. They did everything they possibly could to make it a fan-friendly event and by doing that, they definitely have proven they not only can host a Truck event, but any event NASCAR might want to return to The Rock.” --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“Rockingham definitely deserves another race - period. I’m not involved in that process, but I say they certainly could effectively host additional races and I think everyone probably agrees with me on this one.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
Q: What did you think of the crowd and the support for the race, both among the industry and the fans?
“I was lucky enough to be in the drivers’ meeting, and the crowd support in that meeting was incredible. When Andy Hillenburg was introduced as the president and owner of the track, it was almost an emotional moment because every single driver and crew chief stood up and gave him a standing ovation. Andy politely asked the crowd to remain quiet throughout the meeting but to voice their opinion of having the drivers return to The Rock. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. It was obvious the area wants NASCAR back in Richmond County and at The Rock. The entire community did a phenomenal job of welcoming NASCAR back to The Rock. --Rick Allen, SPEED play-by-play announcer
“We had a terrific crowd at Rockingham today. Thousands of people came out to support the race – everyone from the local fans to those who work in the industry. I saw a slew of people that flew back from the Cup race at Texas on very little sleep to come to Rockingham. They just wanted to be a part of it. We even had NASCAR executives at the track such as Mike Helton and Steve O’Donnell. We all truly appreciate everyone who came out today and during the weekend to support the Trucks at Rockingham.” --Phil Parsons, SPEED analyst
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