ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — While nearly 50 ARCA stock cars spent the better part of two days circling Rockingham Speedway in preparation for the May 4 Carolina 500, track owner Andy Hillenburg was busy making people comfortable and making announcements about the future of the 1.017-mile oval.
Hillenburg, who expects more than 80 cars to vie for 50 starting spots in the Carolina 500, added another event to the track’s schedule. The Polar Bear 150 will be held Jan. 1, 2009 and will feature street stocks in a 150-lap race, which will start 99 cars. The cars will start the race in 33 rows of three.
The event is a joint venture between Hillenburg and multi-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, who has promoted several long-distance street-stock events at Kentucky Speedway with great success.
As well, Hillenburg is renaming several Rockingham Speedway standards after individuals that have been important to his career and Rockingham Speedway’s history.
The garage area has been tabbed The Papa Joe Hendrick Garage, while the main tower will be known as The Benny Parsons Tower. The grandstand in turns one and two will be rechristened The Ricky Rudd Grandstand.
Finally, Hillenburg, who has raced in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, has tabbed the backstretch Thunder Alley.
“Sometimes you wonder, ‘What if I was king for a day?’ Well the other day, I just up and named our backstretch Thunder Alley because I could,” explained Hillenburg.