Rockingham Dragway, the Carolinas’ fastest racetrack, was named a finalist for North Carolina Motorsports Association awards in two different categories. 

 The Rock, which hosts more than 90 different events each season and is home to two events in the IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series, was nominated in both the Event Facility and Marketing categories.  The award winners will be revealed Jan. 30 during the annual NCMA banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Charlotte.

 In addition to award winners in a variety of motorsports categories, Benny Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR champion and a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, is to receive the NCMA Motorsports Achievement Tribute Award.

 “This is a tremendous honor for our racetrack,” owner Steve Earwood said of the facility he purchased in 1992.  “To even be considered for these awards considering the competition is very gratifying but what it really does, I think, is it encourages everyone to work that much harder in the new season.  I know that’s the effect it has at The Rock.”

 Although Rockingham Dragway has operated continuously for almost 40 years, ithas been transformed during Earwood’s watch from a track that hosted just one major races each season to one which today is one of the most active in the nation.

 It’s February-to-December schedule has proved to be a boon to the local economy, especially since the closure of its oval track neighbor, North Carolina Speedway, which once hosted multiple NASCAR events.