The Rock Roars Again

Nick Sanchez, Thomas Annunziata, and Anthony Alfredo making laps through turn 3 and 4 while Kasey Kahne returns to the pits. Charlie Haywood Photo

It’s been 21 years since the last time the NASCAR Xfinity Series turned laps in Richmond County. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series even had a brief stop at the speedway, running races there in 2012 and 2013 respectively. That drought will come to an end this April when the two series, along with the ARCA Menards East Series, return for a tripleheader on Easter weekend. The first step in preparation for the event was a Goodyear tire test in November for the Xfinity cars. On Tuesday though, an organizational test was held to allow the Xfinity and Truck teams to get a feel for the track. In total, 26 NXS and 28 NCTS teams arrived for the test, with some drivers sharing seat time with teammates. Overnight rain delayed the start of the test by three hours as track drying crews did their best to get the track ready. When the track finally went green the general consensus was, it’s FAST. Unofficially Hendrick Motorsports development driver Corey Day set the fastest lap for NXS with a 22.540 second time in the final session of the day, while Ty Majeski laid down a 21.983 second lap, 20 mph faster than the pole speed in 2013, to pace the NCTS field.

The track got even faster on Wednesday, a second day added due to the delays experienced on Tuesday, as Giovanni Ruggiero set a time of 21.888 seconds to lead the NCTS drivers. Harrison Burton led the NXS field with a 22.688 second lap. Only 18 NXS and 20 NCTS teams tested during the Wednesday portion. All times from the test are considered unofficial by NASCAR. Thank you to Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie.com for sharing the timesheets on X (formerly Twitter).

Kasey Kahne was among the drivers participating in the test, as he will compete in the April NXS race for Richard Childress Racing in the 33 car. It will be Kahne’s first NASCAR start since he stepped away from the sport following his 2018 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. He placed 8th on Tuesday’s time sheet and 13th on Wednesday respectively.

A strong walkup crowd arrived to witness the test on Tuesday, as the track opened the turn 4 grandstands to fans for free. For the most part the stands stayed filled throughout most of the day even with the delays. One things for sure, fans are excited to see this track roar to life again on Easter weekend. Single day and weekend tickets are still available at RaceTheRock.com.

Charlie Haywood Photo