![\"Dale](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-907294510-e1708996389392.jpg\")
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his way to dominating NASCAR multimedia.<\/p>\n
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has called for NASCAR to bring the Cup Series back to Rockingham Speedway<\/a>, highlighting both fan demand and the track\u2019s historic place in the sport. Speaking on a recent podcast, the NASCAR Hall of Famer<\/a> said he still feels frustrated about the decision to leave the North Carolina oval.<\/p>\n At the same time, others within the industry have raised concerns about whether the track is currently ready for top-level racing. The debate reflects a broader discussion within NASCAR as it balances its traditional venues with new markets and events. Rockingham last hosted a Cup Series race in 2004, and its possible return continues to generate attention across the sport.<\/p>\n Dale Earnhardt Jr. Highlights Fan Demand and History<\/p>\n Earnhardt Jr.<\/a> made it clear that Rockingham still matters to longtime NASCAR fans. \u201cThere\u2019s still part of me that\u2019s annoyed that we left in the first place. I don\u2019t want to keep going over it, but I would love for us to go back there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He pointed to the sport\u2019s core audience and its connection to traditional racing formats. \u201cYou have a core fan base that loves Rockingham, full-season points, and the traditional parts of the sport that connect to its history,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. said.<\/p>\n He also explained that NASCAR now faces more options than it did in the past. \u201cNew opportunities are opening up that didn\u2019t exist before. Racing in San Diego is a good example. The Chicago Street Course is another. Those kinds of events were not possible 15 years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Earnhardt Jr. added that interest from new cities has increased competition for schedule space. \u201cNow there are many cities asking how they can host a NASCAR race. So NASCAR has these new options in front of them, while also looking back at places like Rockingham,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said the situation creates a clear challenge for the sport. \u201cThat puts them in a tough position. There isn\u2019t enough room on the schedule for everything. Something has to give,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. said.<\/p>\n Concerns Remain Over Current Racing Conditions<\/p>\n While there is support for a return, some industry voices believe the track needs more time before hosting a Cup race. On the Door Bumper Clear podcast<\/a>, Freddie Kraft said the current surface could limit the quality of racing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m spot on\u2026 I think we need to let the surface wear out more. For me, I think the Cup cars now, we saw how hard it is to pass this weekend. I feel like I saw guys in the race. You would pass a guy, and the next guy would be a straightaway ahead of you. You\u2019d run that guy down in five laps, but then you\u2019d be stuck there trying to pass him for 10 or 15 laps when you\u2019re clearly three, four tenths better than him,\u201d Kraft said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I think before we take the Cup cars there, I think we need to give the track some time to wear out\u2026 that the racing at the Rock used to be maybe the best on the schedule. It\u2019s hard to pass in Xfinity or a truck. It\u2019s going to be really hard to pass in the Cup car.\u201d<\/p>\n Tommy Baldwin Suggests Testing Rockingham with an All-Star Race<\/p>\n Tommy Baldwin said NASCAR could evaluate the track by first holding a smaller event. \u201cI don\u2019t disagree with that. I\u2019d like to see an all-star race there, maybe, to see what we\u2019ve got going on. I think the Cup cars would be running the wall in one and two\u2026 maybe three and four too,\u201d Baldwin said.<\/p>\n He also pointed to tire wear and preparation as important factors. \u201cYou can do some work, some grit work up there\u2026 and bring a soft enough tire for it to wear out, and you won\u2019t have an issue. There\u2019s a lot of heat<\/a> built up in those tires\u2026 You\u2019ve got to be careful there because of the speeds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mark Martin Urges Patience before Cup Series Return<\/p>\n Mark Martin said NASCAR should avoid rushing a return before conditions improve. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to go there too soon\u2026 and then have a dud of a race. Once they get to a place where they can run up high and run the bottom, that place would be insane,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou put on two good races, three good races honestly with the ARCA race there too\u2026 just let that be the highlight of the weekend until we can figure out what we want to do with the Cup cars there.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a writer covering NASCAR, Formula 1, and the IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. He has also written for Sportsnaut, FanSided, Total Apex Sports, and Last Word on Sports. Wilberforce focuses on the NASCAR Cup Series, breaking down news, driver stories, and key moments with a clear, fast, and engaging style. His work connects headlines to context, helping readers understand what matters most in the sport. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Images Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his way to dominating NASCAR multimedia. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has called for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":590512,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-590511","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nascar","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/590512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}