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Andy Jankowiak Looks Forward to Adding Another Historic Track to His Resume
By Mike Twist
Photo: KLAS Motorsports
April 19th, 2025
For the first time in 13 years, and only the second time ever, the ARCA Menards East Series will race at North Carolina’s historic Rockingham Speedway. The #73 KLAS Motorsports team with driver Andy Jankowiak has entered Saturday’s ARCA 125. The track has a rich history of NASCAR Cup Series racing there from when it opened in 1965 through the 2004 season. Previous winners at the track include legends such as Richard Petty, Curtis Turner, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
Jankowiak is a student of the sport and has long shared that a personal goal of his is to race at as many of the tracks that were on the 1970 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Going to Rockingham checks another facility off his list.
“They visited Rockingham twice that year,” said Jankowiak referring to a year with Petty and Yarborough split the victories.
Jankowiak though, has never even visited Rockingham for a race before now.
“Nope,” said Jankowiak. “That’s how most of these places are for me. I’ve never been much of a race fan. I always figured if I went to any of these tracks, I’d get too depressed because I wasn’t out there. The only ones that I went to before I got into this were Watkins Glen and Bristol.”
To prepare for this weekend, Jankowiak looked up the gameplan of the man who won at the track in the spring of 2001 – Steve Park.
“I listened to Steve Park’s interview about his race there in 2001,” said Jankowiak. “Dale Earnhardt told him to stay off the brakes and he won, so I’m just going to stay off the brakes and see how that goes.”
Park came to the big leagues of NASCAR from the Modified ranks, which is also where Jankowiak has run the majority of his career. That is also where Jankowiak has used a similar strategy while racing in the legendary Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium (NJ).
“That is how everyone told me to run Wall for the Turkey Derby,” said Jankowiak. “So, I figured that I’ll just treat Rockingham like Wall.”
The KLAS Motorsports team typically races in the ARCA Menards Series, so it is rare for them to enter an ARCA Menards East Series event, but Rockingham was just too big to skip. The team will not have to worry about points this weekend as a result of their invader status. This could be an advantage when it comes to setting a strategy for the race – one that fits Jankowiak’s style.
“Without an influx of new sponsors, we aren’t going to run the full (ARCA Menards Series) season anyways,” said Jankowiak. “So, we are always out there to win. I’ve cost myself a few championships that way probably because even when I’m running for a championship, I’m trying to win the damn race. So that is what we are going to try and do.”
Dak’s Market will be featured on the hood of the #73 at Rockingham. Saturday is an important day for Dak’s as well as they celebrate the grand opening of their newest store in Bristow, Oklahoma. Located near historic Route 66, the grand opening event will include music, giveaways and plenty of food.
Whelen Engineering will also be prominently featured on the #73 at Rockingham.
Country Music performer Skyler Whitfield is joining forces with the #73 team at Rockingham as well. He will be a guest of the team for Saturday’s race.
The KLAS team will also be supported at Phoenix by Acacia Energy, Automotive Consultants of Ithaca, Schultz Fueling Technologies, Florida Safety Systems and Yukon Creek Sportsman Club.
The ARCA Menards Series East event at Rockingham Speedway is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday, April 19th. It will be broadcast live on FloRacing.
