ROCKINGHAM — Rockingham Dragway’s reputation for diversity won’t lose any of its luster this year with track owner Steve Earwood’s announcement of a 63-event schedule that includes a little bit of everything — from a Perdue Farms company picnic to the return of the American Drag Racing League Pro Mod Series.
“We pride ourselves on being responsive to changes in the interest of our racers, spectators and sponsors,” Earwood said. “And once again, that was the most important thing in putting together a new schedule.”
Earwood says he’s most excited about the track’s new affiliations with the Modern Hemi Shootout Series — which makes its Rockingham debut in May — and the stars of the Street Outlaws TV series who will be featured in events this April and October.
The International Drag Bike League, which will hold its World Finals on a November date, is another thing that Earwood believes fans will be excited for.
“In addition to anchor events like the Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationals, the Dieffenbach GM Original Super Chevy Show and Griffin MOPARs at the Rock, this year we’ve scheduled races for trucks, ATVs, radio-controlled vehicles and even for those who don’t do their racing in a straight line,” he explained.
There also will be a steady diet of bracket racing events including the annual Free Entry Racers Appreciation event, the all-new Top ET Challenge, the “Third Amber Throwdown”, the 19th annual “Big John” Memorial Weekend Bracket Championships and Powerfest 5.
“The Top ET Challenge is a big money race that’s generating a lot of pre-season buzz simply because of the purse,” Earwood said. “It’s going to pay $20,000 to win each day — Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
The track opens for the first time on Feb. 11 for street drags, grudge racing and a test-and-tune session. During the season, there will be eight opportunities for bracket racers to earn points toward Rockingham track championships and berths on the team that will represent the track at the Southeast Division Bracket Finals.
The Rock is also bringing back the SRI Performance Civil Wars series with races in May and November, the Southeast Jr. Dragster Nationals — which will be contested for the fourth time the weekend of March 11-12 — and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series featuring the sport’s sportsman stars the weekend of Oct. 27-29.
Below is the full list of Rockingham Dragway’s 2017 schedule:
Feb. 11: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Feb. 25: Carolina Model Drag Series 1 (on the remote control track)
Feb. 25-26: Phantasm Street Wars 1 plus KMS Drift
Mar. 4-5: Free Entry Racer Appreciation Race plus ET points races 1 & 2
Mar. 11: Carolina Model Drag Series 2 (on the remote control track)
Mar. 11–12: Fourth Southeast Jr. Dragster Nationals
Mar. 18: Phantasm Street Wars 2 plus KMS Drift
Mar. 19: Blood, Sweat and Gears presented by Higher Degree Trucks
Mar. 23-26: Top ET Challenge: $20K per day, free Thursday test for all entrants
Mar. 25: Carolina Model Drag Series 3 (on the remote control track)
Apr. 1: 26th annual MOPARS at The Rock presented by Indy Cylinder Heads
Apr. 2: Import Face-Off
Apr. 7-9: ADRL Spring Nationals (ADRL Pro Mod Tour)
Apr. 14-16: IMDRA Spring Nationals (RC Drags on the Remote Control Track)
Apr. 15: Perdue Farms Picnic
Phantasm Street Wars 3 plus KMS Drift
Apr. 22: Spring Street Outlaws Shootout featuring stars of the TV show
Apr. 29: Carolina Model Drag Series 4 (on the remote control track)
Apr. 29-30: Third Amber Throwdown ($20K-5K to win)
May 6-7: 22nd SRI Performance Parts Spring Civil Wars
May 12: Modern Hemi Shootout test-and-tune
May 13: Modern Hemi Shootout Series (season opener)
Carolina Model Drag Series 5 (on the remote control track)
May 20: Rugged Maniacs Series 5K obstacle race
May 21: KMS Drift
May 26-29: 19th ‘Big John’ Memorial Weekend Bracketsplus ET points races 3, 4 and 5
May 27: Carolina Model Drag Series 6 (on the remote control track)
June 10: Four-Wheel Fury Street Drags (ATVs) plus all vehicle test-and-tune
June 16-17: Smoke Out 18 Bike Rally
June 24: Carolina Model Drag Series 7 (on the remote control track)
Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
July 1: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
July 8: ET points race 6
July 15: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Carolina Model Drag Series 8 (on the remote control track)
July 22: ET points race 7
Aug. 5: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Carolina Model Drag Series 9 (on the remote control track)
Aug. 19: Street Drags/test-and-tune for all vehicles
Aug. 25-27: Powerfest 5 Big $ Brackets, return of the Blue Light Special!
Sept. 3: Grudgefest VIII & Carolina Model Drag Series 10 (on the remote control track)
Sept. 9: Phantasm Street Wars 4 plus KMS Drift
Sept. 10: KMS Drift
Sept. 16: Carolina Model Drag Series 11 (on the remote control track)
Sept. 16-17: Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition & ET points race 8
Sept. 22-24: Man Cup Motorcycle Series (featuring Top Fuel bikes)
Sept. 29-30: The Original Super Chevy Show
Oct. 7-8: IMDRA World Finals (RC Racing on the remote control track)
Oct. 12-15: AMRA Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationalsfeaturing the Ray Price Top Fuel Challenge
Oct. 21: Fall Street Outlaws Shootout featuring stars of the TV Show
Oct. 27-29: NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
Nov. 4-5: IDBL World Finals (world’s fastest street bikes)
Nov. 11: Carolina Model Drag Series 12 (on the remote control track)
Nov. 11-12: Phantasm Street Wars 5 plus KMS Drift Finals
Nov. 17-19: SRI Performance Parts Fall Civil Wars
Nov. 25: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Dec. 2: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Dec. 9: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Dec. 16: Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood released the 2017 schedule early Tuesday morning.