[8] News on updates largely remained slow, with the construction process of then-called North Carolina Motor Speedway (NCMS) being described as a "well-kept secret" by State writer Joe Whitlock in an April 1965 report.

[9] On April 23, 1965, Brasington announced the track's inaugural event: a 500-mile (800 km) NASCAR Grand National Series race on October 31 titled the American 500.

[25][26] Originally, plans were also made to reconfigure the oval to 1.5 miles (2.4 km);[27] however, the idea was scrapped in April, with Webb stating, "I talked with 90% of the drivers and didn't find one in favor of lengthening the track".

[33] Nine days later, NASCAR team owner and peach farmer L. G. DeWitt was elected as Webb's replacement as president of NCMS.

In 1977, after the track surface received complaints from drivers for being too rough, track officials opted to place down sealant in time for the 1977 Carolina 500;[35][36] it was widely negatively received by drivers and beat reporters for making the surface too slippery, being blamed for numerous wrecks in that year's Carolina 500.

[40] That same year, a road course layout consisting of parts of the oval and newly constructed sections within the track's infield was completed in December.

[43] In the early 1980s, California businessman Warner W. Hodgdon made numerous unsuccessful attempts to purchase ownership of NCMS.

[50] Another 4,500-seat tower located at the track's fourth turn alongside the addition of six VIP lounges was completed in 1986, increasing seating capacity to approximately 33,000.

[53] Heading into the 1990s, the facility's future as a whole, particularly on retaining a Cup Series weekend was uncertain due to NASCAR's prioritization in expanding into bigger television markets.

[77] However, two months later, NCMS' board of directors recommended merging with SMI, casting doubt on Penske's majority ownership and continuing the dispute into litigation.

[5][83] That same year, Smith and 15 shareholders sued Penske in the North Carolina Supreme Court on the argument that the DeWitt family "had to sell to the highest bidder".

[87] In April 2000, the North Carolina Supreme Court determined the stock to be worth $23.47 per share, awarding Smith "more than $3.6 million"; a decision received positively by Penske.

[90][94] The following year, the ongoing Ferko lawsuit, involving a minority SMI shareholder suing NASCAR and ISC for violating an implied agreement to give Texas Motor Speedway a second Cup Series date placed significant doubt on the retention of the track's only Cup Series weekend due to both the lawsuit and continued attendance woes.

[102] On June 20, 2007, SMI spokesman Jerry Gappens stated that the company was planning to put North Carolina Speedway up for auction.

[110] In August 2011, track general manager Robert Ingraham announced plans to install of SAFER barriers at the speedway, causing speculation for potential future lower-tier NASCAR races.

[116] On September 19, 2014, The Charlotte Observer reported that the Richmond County Superior Court approved to hear a motion filed by Salisbury-based Farmers and Merchants Bank to allow The Finley Group to have "immediate and exclusive custody" of the speedway, with the bank claiming that Hillenburg and co-owner Bill Silas owed them "more than $4.5 million".

[117] A week later, the Superior Court ruled to let The Finley Group as "managing agent" of the facility, with the bank pursuing to have the track auctioned off instead of foreclosed.

[119] Silas, who claimed in an interview with Moody that he was never a co-owner, stated that hosting Truck Series events was "a complete financial failure... [Rockingham] should have gone on the auction block a long time ago."

[124] However, by April 2016 and with "absolutely no progress made" according to motorsports journalist Dave Moody,[125] the organization's lease was terminated according to the Richmond County Daily Journal with none of the scheduled races ran.

[128] The facility was later put up for sale in November for $3.795 million, with Iron Horse Properties acting as the real estate manager of Rockingham Speedway.

[132] The following year, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper proposed to give $8 million in state funding to help make improvements to the facility.

[139][140] The plan was voted on by the North Carolina General Assembly in November and was approved, with the final amount totaling to $9 million.

[149] From 2012 to 2013, the facility held the third-tier Truck Series as part of an attempted revival by then-owner Andy Hillenburg; however, it was dropped after 2013 due to "the track fail[ing] to meet its financial obligations".

With the exception of 1965 and 2004, Rockingham Speedway ran two Cup Series weekends: the spring Subway 400 and the fall Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400.

The former was first held in 1966 as a 500 mi (800 km) race,[151][152] and ran annually until 2004 when it was dropped from the schedule due to the Ferko lawsuit settlement.

[159] Rockingham Speedway has been used as a site for filming production for various movies and shows, including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,[160] Days of Thunder,[161] Ta Ra Rum Pum,[162] and the 2011 edition of World's Strongest Man.