While the highly paid superstars of NASCAR are racing at Dover this weekend, Richmond County race fans can come out to Rockingham Speedway this weekend and see some of the auto racing stars of tomorrow.

Two-for-one deals are somewhat hard to come by in this economy. But that’s exactly what race fans can get today at The Rock: A $20 ticket buys admission to both races in today’s Carolina 200: A 75-lap UARA race at 11 a.m., and the main event, the USAR 200-lap race at 1 p.m.

It’s a good bang for the auto racing buck, and I hope a nice crowd shows up today for what’s sure to be some top-quality racing.

Over the past few months, I’ve gotten acquainted with Andy Hillenburg and his staff, and seen their first-hand the dedication to their goal of revitalizing a proud racetrack unfairly abandoned by its previous owners.

It’s a new day at The Rock, and fans need just stop at the twin rocks at the entrance to the speedway to see an illustration of that.

The larger rock has the names of all the winners at Rockingham from 1965-2004.

The newer rock — you can see a photo of it elsewhere on this page — has names of all the winners since Hillenburg and his staff reopened the track in 2008.

The first name added to the new rock was that of Joey Logano, winner of the inaugural 2008 race at the reborn racetrack: the Carolina 500.

And any race fan knows where Joey is these days: Trading paint with the big boys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Other names have been added to the rock over the past two years; three more will join those names at the end of this weekend’s action.

Hillenburg and his staff are doing a bang-up job of honoring the track’s history, while moving it into a new era.

It’s not easy to look back and forward at the same time. But Hillenburg and his folks are pulling it off, for sure.

I’ve somewhat of a new convert to the sport of auto racing, I must confess.

After attending all kinds of races as a kid — and dabbling in go-kart racing myself — I kind of fell away from following the sport as I reached adulthood.

But I’m fast becoming a fan - not of any particular driver, but of the sport in general.

Of course, getting a first-hand look — and feel — for what racing is all about has helped that along.

And it’s also helped me gain a greater respect and admiration for these guys and what they do.

Nowadays, when I cover a race, I have at least a basic empathy and understanding for what they experience on the track.

Especially those hot firesuits and helmets.

I’ll be thinking about those guys today, as temperatures are expected to approach 90.

It was darned hot at the racetrack Friday afternoon, and I was wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

Regardless of the weather, hopefully there will be a good crowd of race fans packing the grandstand today.

n Contact sports editor David Vantress at 997-3111, ext. 14 or via email at dvantress@yourdailyjournal.com.