Welcome to 'The Rock'

The race itself is big, the challenge even bigger.

Sunday’s Carolina 500, the fifth stop on the ARCA tour, marks the first stock car race at Rockingham Speedway since NASCAR left what was then called North Carolina Speedway after the 2004 season. Andy Hillenburg, a familiar face in the ARCA and NASCAR garages, purchased the 1-mile track last year, and this weekend’s events kick off the rebirth of “The Rock.”

“It’s the second biggest race of our year,” Scott Speed said. “The biggest one for us is the first race at Daytona, but this is definitely big.”

Scott will have his hands full in Eddie Sharp Racing’s No. 2 Red Bull Toyota. Rockingham is no joke when it comes to degree of difficulty. The Rock has character, most notably its abrasive surface. Racing is slippery and demanding, and strict tire management is priority No. 1.

“It’s going to be a very long race,” said Scott, who’s coming off his first ARCA victory April 25 at Kansas. “We’re going to have a very limited number of tires. It’s going to be important to deal with attrition, to not get caught up in an accident or do something foolish. We just need to keep our heads calm, try not to make any mistakes and be there at the end.”

Qualifying for the Carolina 500, a 310-mile race, begins at 10 a.m. ET Saturday. The green flag is scheduled for noon Sunday.

On the Sprint Cup side for Red Bull Racing Team, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 84 starts 18th, while Brian Vickers’ No. 83 rolls off 32nd in tonight’s Dan Lowry 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, Fox).