I like both tracks, and it doesn't matter to me personally which sanctioning body either of them go with because I happily work them both.
I would think that if Rockingham was going to move to NHRA, they'd also want at least acknowledgment of the possibility of hosting a national event some time in the near future. I also think that would require some major facility alterations. I could be wrong, but the left lane grandstands at The Rock are too close to the racing surface to meet NHRA national event safety requirements.
From my experiences at The Rock, Steve Earwood is not just a hands-on track owner, he genuinely cares about his customers (both racers and fans) as well as the local community. I was talking to a hotel manager during one of my visits there a few years ago, and she told me that after NASCAR dropped the Rockingham oval track from their regular racing schedule, they would have gone out of business without Earwood's dedication to keeping our form of racing alive and well in Rockingham. I hope to find myself back there again in 2011....maybe as soon as March.
