Spire Motorsports Featuring Rockingham Weekend on No. 71 at Martinsville
With NASCAR’s celebrated return to Rockingham Speedway just around the corner, Spire Motorsports is showcasing a “Race the Rock” paint scheme for Michael McDowell and the No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s event at Martinsville Speedway.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series East are all scheduled to return to the famous 1.017-mile racetrack on Easter Weekend, for three races that will bring ‘The Rock’ back to the NASCAR circuit.
“Track Enterprises is thrilled to partner with Spire Motorsports and Michael McDowell to showcase NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway,” said Bob Sargent, President of Track Enterprises. “NASCAR has a very rich history at both tracks and Martinsville is just a couple-hour drive from Rockingham. We thought it made great sense to take advantage of a NASCAR Cup Series race in such close proximity to Rockingham. We want fans to know that we’ll have an exciting weekend of racing in store and that tickets are still available, but they are going fast and we expect a great crowd both days.”
Formerly known as North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham Speedway was a staple on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for nearly 40 years and includes a veritable who’s who of NASCAR on its list of previous winners.
Although the 18-year NASCAR Cup Series veteran has never raced at the historic Rockingham Speedway, McDowell has plenty of fond memories of the track.
“Rockingham is a historic and iconic racetrack,” said McDowell. “Even though I haven't raced at it, I did a lot of testing there. When you're a rookie in the Cup Series in 2008, you did a lot of testing, and Rockingham was one of those places. So, I have a lot of laps there - not racing - but a lot of laps. Rockingham is a great racetrack, iconic and historic, and it shows NASCAR’s continued effort to get back to its roots.”
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series raced at Rockingham Speedway twice in 2012 and 2013 as part of a return to the speedway, with Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson collecting the victories. Kahne is scheduled to return to competition for the Xfinity Series event with Richard Childress Racing.
“If you look at the revival of North Wilkesboro with the new asphalt but still a legendary and historic feel, Rockingham is no different.” McDowell continued. “It's going to be a great Easter weekend, April 18-19, and tickets are still available. I'm going to be there with my family. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I know the racing will not disappoint.”
McDowell joined Spire Motorsports at the beginning of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, after spending seven years at Front Row Motorsports. In the opening six events of the season, the Phoenix, Arizona-native has secured a pole position and five top-20 results.
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Joseph Srigley covers NASCAR for TobyChristie.com, Racing America, and OnSI, and is the owner of the #SrigleyStats brand. With a higher education in the subjects of business, mathematics, and data analytics, Joseph is able to fully understand the inner workings of the sport through multiple points of perspective.