On Saturday, April 19, 2025, Rockingham Speedway witnessed a thrilling doubleheader as NASCAR returned to the historic track. The day featured the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 250 and the ARCA Menards Series East’s Rockingham ARCA 125, both delivering intense racing action.
Earlier in the day, the ARCA Menards Series East returned to Rockingham for the first time since 2012. Brent Crews dominated the event, securing the pole position and leading 121 of 125 laps to claim his first East Series victory and fourth overall in ARCA competition.
In the Xfinity Series Qualifying, 18-year-old Connor Zilisch clinched the pole position for the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 with a blistering lap time of 22.630 seconds, averaging 149.536 mph. This marked his fourth career pole in the series. However, a flat tire during his qualifying run necessitated a tire change, relegating him to start from the rear of the field due to NASCAR’s rules on tire changes post-qualifying. 
Parker Retzlaff narrowly missed the pole by just 0.001 seconds, securing the second-fastest qualifying time and effectively inheriting the front-row starting spot due to Zilisch’s setback. Veteran driver Kasey Kahne, making his return to NASCAR competition, impressed by qualifying fourth, while William Sawalich rounded out the top five.
The Xfinity Series made its long-awaited return to Rockingham after a 21-year hiatus. The race extended to 256 laps due to an overtime finish and was marked by 14 cautions, underscoring the track’s challenging nature. 
Jesse Love initially took the checkered flag, leading 53 laps. However, a post-race inspection revealed a rear suspension violation, leading to his disqualification. Consequently, Sammy Smith of JR Motorsports was declared the winner, marking his third career Xfinity victory and first of the season. Smith also secured the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus.
