Could Rockingham Replace Nashville On the Nationwide Schedule?

You know the old cliche, 'when one door closes, another opens'. Well, could that be the case with the sudden departure of the Nashville Superspeedway from the NASCAR Nationwide Series?

Many of us were disappointed about the new that the 1.33-mile track would no longer host a NASCAR event. It is a unique facility. NASCAR needs a wide array of tracks on the schedule.

So, what becomes of the dates that Nashville hosted since 2001? That remains to be seen.

However, many are holding out hope that this could open the door for the Rockingham Speedway. Former driver Andy Hillenburg purchased the storied facility four years ago, and has resurrected the track. It hosts various races, but none at the level that the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series provides.

Last week, it was announced that the Hillenburg plans to install safer barriers, which is a huge expense for the Rockingham Speedway. However, it is a huge step into advancing back to NASCAR's top series. In fact, some expect that the safer barriers installation will almost certainly attract a Camping World Truck Series date, possibly as soon as 2012.

It is unlikely that the Sprint Cup Series would ever return to Rockingham, but a Nationwide Series race at the unique facility would undoubtedly be a popular addition to the schedule. It would certainly ease some of the disappointment in losing the two Nashville races, not to mention the questionable decision of moving the race at Indianapolis from the short track to the speedway.

Not only are the Nashville races disappearing, but it is possible that the race in Montreal could vanish from the schedule. The road course race just north of the border has been a hit since 2007.

The two races at Nashville and the potential loss of Montreal could leave a void of three races in the Nationwide Series agenda. Surely, Rockingham must be in the running for a Nationwide date. Or perhaps that is wishful thinking on my part. I know I am not alone.