‘The Rock’ to host New Year’s Day race

More than 50 cars have entered an unusual New Year's Day race at Rockingham Speedway, and there is room for 49 more cars in the starting lineup under the event's format.

The Rockingham, N.C., track will be the host for the Polar Bear 150, which will start up to 99 cars in 33 three-wide rows.

The race is for Frank Kimmel Street Stock Series cars. The stock-appearing American-made models, built between 1960 and 1988 with engines no larger than 410 cubic inches, will remind veteran fans of Rockingham's heyday as a venue for NASCAR's Cup series.

"The Rock" was a fixture on the Cup tour from 1965 to 2004, when it was dropped from the schedule to make room for other events as NASCAR expanded its marketing reach.

In a recent test session for the street stocks, top speeds on the one-mile track neared 120 mph.

The Polar Bear 150 will not be without NASCAR Sprint Cup connections. Among the entrants so far are Jimmie Elledge, crew chief for Red Bull Racing; Joey Meier, spotter for Martin Truex Jr.; and Farmville native David Bryant, car chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The race is set to start at 1 p.m. Jan. 1. General admission tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on race day. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult.

The one-mile speedway will be open for practice on New Year's Eve, with a celebration in the garage area starting at 6:00 p.m. Fans can join the drivers and teams for the celebration for $10.

More information is available at the track's Web site -- http://www.rockinghamspeedway.com -- or by calling (910) 205-8800.