POSTED 3-27-09 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES AT "THE ROCK"

ARCA RE/MAX Series Returns to "The "Rock"Carolina 200 Set to Roll at Rockingham Speedway Sunday, April 19Thunderfest Kicks Off Fan Festivities Friday, April 17 ROCKINGHAM NC (3-26-09) - The ARCA RE/MAX Series will soon be headed back to Rockingham Speedway for the second annual Carolina ARCA RE/MAX 200 Sunday afternoon, April 19. The event also marks the return of Thunderfest, an all-day ARCA extravaganza/festival Friday, April 17 to officially kick off the event. Thunderfest, open to the public from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, features an early afternoon hauler parade through the streets of Rockingham, live music in the town square accompanied by ARCA RE/MAX Series driver autograph sessions, a variety of vendors and 11 hours of continual live broadcasting over the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) at arcaracing.com. The ARCA Racing Network, via arcaracing.com, will also feature live streaming audio to include practice, qualifying and flag-to-flag race coverage in addition to live Timing and Scoring, all at arcaracing.com. Entrants for the Carolina ARCA RE/MAX 200 already include nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series national champion Frank Kimmel as well as veterans' Patrick Donahue, Ken Weaver, Tom Hessert, Alli Owens, Norm Benning and Bryan Silas. The entry list is also well stocked with well-financed rookies including Joey Coulter, Steve Arpin, Craig Goess, Tim George, Jr. and Robb Brent to name a few. In last year's inaugural race, Joe Gibbs Racing's Joey Logano, in an all-out dominating performance, steered the Venturini Motorsports-prepared no. 25 Chevrolet to victory lane from the pole. The ARCA RE/MAX Series initially raced at Rockingham Speedway on June 10, 1973 during which time Charlie Glotzbach won the 300-mile event from the pole. ARCA RE/MAX Series on-track activities start Saturday, April 18 with practice from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM followed by Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 2:30. Driver introductions go off Sunday afternoon raceday at 12:30 PM followed by the start of the Carolina ARCA RE/MAX 200 shortly after 1:00. The race is also live on SPEED at 1:00 PM Eastern. The UARA-STARS Late Model Series is also on the race card with a 70-lap race Saturday. For more information about the Carolina ARCA RE/MAX 200 or to order tickets, please contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit the website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com. Rockingham Speedway Through the Years...... The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the main attraction at Rockingham with 78 events up through 2004. Curtis Turner won the inaugural race at Rockingham on October 31st, 1965. The final event was held on February 22nd, 2004 during which Matt Kenseth held off a last-lap charge from Kasey Kahne by .010 seconds, recording one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history. Other winners at the "Rock" over the years include Fred Lorenzen, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin to name a few. A joint venture between Darlington Raceway builder Harold Brasington and landowner Bill Land, North Carolina Speedway's first race was held in 1965. Over time, the track came under control of L.G. DeWitt, a local trucking company executive who, in 1969, supervised reshaping the original flat mile track into the present, high-banked one-mile oval. CONTACTS:ARCA Communications (734) 847-6726Don Radebaugh, cell (419) 450-0611Jackie L. Franzil, cell (419) 574-2685http://www.arcaracing.com