The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series are taking center stage at Rockingham Speedway in light of the Cup Series’ first off weekend of the 2026 season. 

For the second straight year on Easter weekend, Rockingham Speedway, a track once left to fade away, is the center of the racing universe. 

That’s why the weekend is special. 

Rockingham was essentially abandoned by NASCAR after 2004. It was put back on the Truck Series schedule in 2012 and 2013, but didn’t enough sticking power to become a mainstay on the calendar. 

But in a new era of NASCAR where the individuals running the sport have no qualms about returning to its old stomping grounds, including Bowman Gray Stadium and North Wilkesboro Speedway, Rockingham has new life. 

The track doesn’t have the Cup Series back yet, but at this point, it’s a question of whether it needs it to be successful. As special as it would be for the Cup Series to return to “The Rock,” its place on the schedule on a holiday weekend for the Truck Series and O’Reilly Series to race without the huge shadow of the Cup Series is worth something. 

Layne Riggs says Rockingham is special

“I think it’s cool,” Truck Series driver Layne Riggs told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio regarding Rockingham’s race weekend. “I think the lower divisions from Cup should do that more. I think it’s great for us to get a little bit of that spotlight.”

Even if the Cup Series doesn’t return to Rockingham, whether in the near future or long-term, it has found a home on the NASCAR calendar and revitalized its vibrant fan base. 

Rockingham feels like a truly special race weekend — not just because it is an iconic track that has returned, but because it’s a unique race weekend where the stars of NASCAR’s second and third-tier series show out in front of sold-out crowds in races that arguably feel like one of the biggest of the Truck and O’Reilly Series’ respective seasons.Â