With the NASCAR Cup Series off this weekend, the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series have the full spotlight. They’re heading to a track with loads of history, returning to the schedule for the first time in years.
Rockingham Speedway was a stalwart of the NASCAR schedule dating back to the 1960s, often home to multiple Cup races each year and Xfinity races starting in 1982. Removed from the schedule in 2004, with the exception of Truck Series races in 2012 and 2013, that was the end of the story for “The Rock.”
Or so we thought.
Ownership changes and economic relief packages helped renovate Rockingham, and their efforts were rewarded with the two lower series returning for points races over the Easter weekend.
To refresh our memories, “The Rock” is a just over one-mile D-shaped asphalt oval, with 22 to 25 degree banking in the corners and eight degrees on the straightaways.
Though it’s not easy to get an edge and find direct comparison to a track that has largely sat dormant of late, there’s still some value and intrigue on the books.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
2025 Rockingham NASCAR Xfinity & Craftsman Truck Series Odds & Picks
Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250
Craftsman Truck Series Black’s Tire 200
Sam Mayer Outright (+500)
It’s hard to know what odds are fair and what ones aren’t heading into this weekend, since Rockingham hasn’t hosted a top-three series race since 2013 and hasn’t had an Xfinity race since 2004. Since Jamie McMurray (winner of the last four Xfinity races here) isn’t in the field, Sam Mayer is my next best place to look.
Though it’s tough to compare Rockingham to current tracks, its similarity to shorter ovals such as Iowa and Dover could help us along. In 2024, Mayer won Iowa and was P3 at Dover. Add that to a remarkably consistent 2025 for the No. 41 – five T5 and six T10 finishes with only one race outside of the top 14 – and Mayer could be the one to watch at “The Rock.”
Ryan Sieg Top 5 (+200)
Ryan Sieg is one of the few drivers who’s had experience at Rockingham before, finishing P22 in a pair of Truck races in 2012 and 2013. We know Sieg’s Xfinity Series equipment has come a long way since those days, usually running a lot better than that.
The No. 39 team has four T10s this season and no finishes worse than that P22 mark set more than a decade ago. As an owner-driver, Sieg fits the bill of an old-school racer primed for success during an old-school weekend.
Kaden Honeycutt Outright (+1400)
We already noted how Rockingham Speedway should be an old-school, down south classic race weekend. That plays perfectly into the hands of a driver doing things that way, Kaden Honeycutt.
A late-model star finally getting a full-time chance in the Truck Series, Honeycutt has impressed in the chances he’s had the last few years, as well as in 2025. A P8 at Bristol was a well-needed good finish after finishing worse than he ran at Las Vegas and Martinsville earlier in the season.
Honeycutt is a driver who has performed well on all track types, not necessarily having just one be a specialty, like you see with other drivers. As for Rockingham’s comparable tracks, Honeycutt hasn’t raced a truck at Dover or Iowa, but has a trio of T10s at Phoenix, another one-mile track.
Tyler Ankrum Top 5 Finish (+150)
Perhaps the most underrated driver in the Truck Series in 2025 is Tyler Ankrum. Though he hasn’t won since 2019, Ankrum has come so close multiple times this season. The No. 18 truck has finished in the top four in four of the last five races, and the fifth race in that stretch was a P10 at Las Vegas, where Ankrum led 39 laps.
Another jack-of-all-trades driver, there’s no reason to believe Ankrum will be slowing down anytime soon.
Thanks for reading my 2025 Rockingham NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series picks & predictions. Be sure to catch us live every Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on The Backroad!
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*Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports*
