Rockingham Speedway has long been viewed as one of NASCAR’s historic tracks, with many fans hoping to see the venue back on the sports calendar. However, the track's future has been clouded by ongoing ownership uncertainty, putting its long-term prospects in question.

Rockingham Speedway has been one of NASCAR’s historic venues, which hosted Cup races from 1965 to 2004. The venue was later abandoned by the series, citing declining attendance. In the past two years, the track hosted successful O’Reilly and Truck series races, giving fans hopes of getting the track back on the Cup Series calendar.

However, as per the reports released by The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, the return of NASCAR series to the sport seems uncertain for 2027.

"Ownership instability, the same issue that has plagued Rockingham for so many years, is once again casting serious doubt on its future," As reported by Jordan Bianchi in 'The Athletic' "Its current owner, Darryl Cuttell, is facing a financial crunch that has caused him to close down several other racetracks."

The track was purchased by IHRA owner and CEO, Darryl Cuttell back in December 2025. However, since then, IHRA has been facing a lot of financial issues, which came to a head earlier in June as the International Hot Rod Association, or IHRA, faces uncertainty.

Bianchi further reported that as much as NASCAR would like to purchase the track and continue racing there, the leadership would like to "see steady ownership committed to the track’s long-term future."

As of now, NASCAR has not officially commented on the future of the Rockingham Motor Speedway. However, Rockingham is not the only track facing uncertainty.

NASCAR’s plans to bring back Chicago Street race on hold

NASCAR introduced the Chicago Street Course back in 2023 and remained on the schedule for two consecutive years. But it was pulled back from the schedule for the 2026 season. At the time, the sanctioning body left the door open for a return.

However, according to reports released by Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago, the talks about NASCAR returning to the Chicago Street Race have stalled.

"Plans to return NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race to the downtown lakefront next spring have stalled, as the auto racing group hits a stumbling block over the size of a state subsidy it’s seeking to defray some of its costs."

As per Hinz, NASCAR was looking to get $15 million from the state, which is a $5 million bump up from what they received last year.

Hinz further reported that a NASCAR official commented that the sanctioning body has not made any final decisions about the street course.

"Given that (past) success, NASCAR has been discussing the return of the Chicago Street Race with key city and state officials. We hope those discussions are successful, but no final decisions have been made."

The schedule for the 2027 NASCAR season is set to be released in a few weeks, and only time will tell Chicago Street Course and Rockingham will be on the calendar.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco