Two muscle cars explode off the starting line during one of the races for MOPARS at the Rock at Rockingham Dragway on July 11, 2020.
Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal File Photo
ROCKINGHAM — Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood announced the 2021 schedule for the dragstrip on Monday.
A couple of 30th anniversary events, the addition of a second race in the Modern Street Hemi Shootout series, more “back to basics” street car races and the return of staples like the NHRA Sportsman Doubleheader, the Super Chevy Show, the Holiday Jr. Jam and the “Big John” Leviner Memorial Weekend Bracket Championships highlight the schedule.
Two events introduced by Earwood when he bought the dragstrip in 1992 will be contested in 2021 for the 30th time: Griffin Motors MOPARs at the Rock on April 3 and the Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro World Finals featuring the Ray Price Top Fuel Challenge the weekend of Oct. 15-17.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years,” Earwood said. “When we ran the first MOPARs at the Rock in 1992, we had no idea how it would be received because, until we bought it, the track never had run anything but national events. Two races a year, that was it, one in the spring and one in the fall. Now, 30 years later, we’re proud to say we have one of the most active tracks in the country as well as one of the most diverse.”
That diversity is reflected in a host of specialty events including one in which manpower totally replaces horsepower. When the Rugged Maniacs series returns for the seventh straight year on April 10, competitors will be asked to check their vehicles at the door before they participate in the premier entry-level obstacle course race in North America, a three-mile test with 25 innovative obstacles.
Nevertheless, the cars still will be the stars at most events including those in the Modern Street Hemi Shootout, the series founded 12 years ago by Dan VanHorn that features the latest factory hot rods from Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep, and will be held on both May 14-16 and Nov. 12-13.
On the other end of the spectrum, in response to the “back to basics” trend that has energized the sport over the past several seasons, Earwood confirmed the Oct. 1-2 return of the “Street Car Takeover” event that made its Rock debut last fall. The track will also host a pair of “Dig or Die” no prep events as well as three NC-21 Street Car Shootout races.
May 28-31 is the date for the 23rd annual “Big John” Memorial Weekend bracket race featuring the “Run for the Wally,” the iconic trophy named for NHRA founder Waly Parks that is presented to winners at all NHRA national events. It anchors a bracket racing schedule that also includes the ninth Carolina Powerfest featuring the Blue Light Special (Sept. 3-5).
For those who prefer their performance on two wheels, The Rock will play host to three major races and a handful of festivals featuring motorcycles, music and family fun. In addition to October’s McClure Memorial, the schedule includes the AHDRA Nitro Summer Nationals June 4-6, the AMRA ManCup Series Sept. 24-26, Apple Chill May 1-2 and Thunder at the Rock June 18-19.
While MOPARs at the Rock will shine the spotlight on all things Chrysler, when the Super Chevy Show returns on Sept. 17-19, it will provide a showcase for GM products unlike any other in the Carolinas with an extensive car and truck show, a Chevy Car Corral, swap meet, exhibition runs and, of course, all-GM bracket racing.
The Super Chevy Show will lay the foundation for an October-November finish that includes the popular NHRA Sportsman Doubleheader the weekend of Oct. 22-24, the East Coast’s final Lucas Oil Divisional event on Saturday and an NHRA National Open on Sunday, and the fourth annual Holiday Jr. Jam, one of the nation’s premier races for Jr. Dragster drivers, which returns on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26-27.
Rockingham Dragway 2021 Event Schedule (Tentative)
March 13 KMS Roll Racing and Manufacturers Shootout
March 14 VWs at The Rock
March 20 Blood. Sweat and Gears
March 26-27 “Dig or Die” No Prep Spring Slam
April 3 30th annual Griffin MOPARs at The Rock
April 10 Rugged Maniacs
April 11 Import Faceoff
April 17 NC-21 Street Car Shootout
April 24 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
May 1-2 Apple Chill motorcycles and music
May 8 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
May 14-16 Modern Street Hemi Shootout
May 28-31 23rd annual “Big John” Leviner Memorial Bracket Championships
June 4-6 AHDRA Nitro Summer Nationals
June 12 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
June 18-19 Thunder at The Rock bikes and bands
June 26 NC-21 Street Car Shootout
July 3 Bike Only Grudge Race, Test and Tune Bike Only
July 17 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
July 23-24 “Dig or Die” No Prep Summer Heat
August 7 KMS Roll Racing and Manufacturers Shootout
August 14 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
August 21 NC -21 Street Car Shootout
August 28 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
Sept. 3-5 Carolina Powerfest 9 featuring the Blue Light Special
Sept. 11 Eurofest
Sept. 17-19 Super Chevy Show
Sept. 24-26 ManCup Motorcycle Series
Oct. 1-2 Street Car Takeover
Oct. 9 MXA Street Drags/Test and Tune
Oct. 15-17 30th annual AMRA Jim McClure Memorial Nitro World Finals featuring the Ray Price Top Fuel Challenge
Oct. 22-23 NHRA Lucas Oil Series Southeast Division finale
Oct. 24 NHRA Eight-mile National Open
Oct. 30-31 TBA
Nov. 6-7 TBA
Nov. 12-13 Modern Street Hemi Shootout
Nov. 20 NC-21 Street Car Shootout
Nov. 26-27 Fourth annual Holiday Jr. Jam
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