With the Cup Series off for Easter, Rockingham Speedway takes center stage as the O'Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series bring 77 drivers to the 0.94-mile oval known as 'The Rock.' Justin Allgaier hunts his fourth straight win while Corey Heim looks to extend his truck dominance.
The Rock Roars Back to Life
There's no Cup race this Easter weekend. For once, the lower series don't have to share the spotlight — and they've earned every bit of it.
Rockingham Speedway — "The Rock" — returns to host both the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series on a packed Saturday doubleheader. The 0.94-mile oval in the North Carolina sandhills hasn't hosted Cup racing since 2004, but it's become a crown jewel on the lower-series calendars. The worn asphalt, the old-school banking, the sand that drifts across the track surface — Rockingham demands respect in a way that few modern tracks still do.
The O'Reilly race — the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 — goes green Saturday afternoon with a 38-car field. The Craftsman Truck Series Black's Tire 200 already produced a dominant performance from Corey Heim. Between the two races, 76 drivers attempted to tame a track that punishes impatience and rewards racecraft.
Truck Results: Heim Dominates at The Rock
Corey Heim put on a clinic in the Black's Tire 200, leading 178 of 200 laps en route to victory. It wasn't close. Heim won both stages and the race, scoring 92.8 fantasy points — one of the highest single-race totals of the season across any series.
Black's Tire 200 Final Results (Top 10)
| Pos | Driver | Car | FJ Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corey Heim | #1 | 92.8 |
| 2 | Kaden Honeycutt | #11 | 51.1 |
| 3 | Layne Riggs | #34 | 48.0 |
| 4 | Chandler Smith | #38 | 37.0 |
| 5 | Stewart Friesen | #52 | 37.0 |
| 6 | Grant Enfinger | #9 | 38.4 |
| 7 | Tyler Ankrum | #18 | 35.0 |
| 8 | Corey LaJoie | #10 | 34.0 |
| 9 | Ty Majeski | #88 | 33.0 |
| 10 | Jake Garcia | #98 | 32.0 |
Heim's 178 laps led generated 17.8 bonus points alone. If you had him in your A-slot with the 2.0x multiplier, that's 185.6 points from a single driver. The lesson: when the favorite is this dominant, don't get cute.
O'Reilly Auto Parts Series: Jesse Love Takes Over the #1 Spot
The Projection Picture
Our projections, built from our projections modeling plus practice and qualifying data, put Jesse Love on top heading into the NC Education Lottery 250. Love qualified P2 behind Corey Day and has been the most consistent performer in the series this season.
Justin Allgaier, riding a three-race winning streak, projects second. He qualified P4 and posted the 12th-fastest practice speed — solid but not dominant. Can he make it four in a row? The model says it'll be close.
Fantasy Picks: O'Reilly Rockingham
Tier 1 ($13-$15)
| Driver | Car | Salary | Proj Finish | FJ Pts | DK Pts | Qual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Love | #2 | $15 | 7.1 | 35.0 | 30.0 | P2 |
| Justin Allgaier | #7 | $15 | 8.8 | 33.0 | 26.0 | P4 |
| Sammy Smith | #8 | $14 | 12.3 | 29.0 | 20.0 | P19 |
| Brent Crews | #19 | $14 | 14.6 | 26.0 | 17.0 | P10 |
| Carson Kvapil | #1 | $14 | 10.1 | 32.0 | 24.0 | P5 |
| Brandon Jones | #20 | $13 | 11.1 | 30.0 | 22.0 | P8 |
| Austin Hill | #21 | $13 | 12.1 | 29.0 | 20.0 | P11 |
| Sheldon Creed | #00 | $13 | 13.8 | 27.0 | 18.0 | P9 |
Tier 2 ($10-$12)
| Driver | Car | Salary | Proj Finish | FJ Pts | DK Pts | Qual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Mayer | #41 | $12 | 11.8 | 29.0 | 20.0 | P7 |
| Taylor Gray | #54 | $12 | 12.0 | 29.0 | 20.0 | P6 |
| Corey Day | #17 | $12 | 9.8 | 32.0 | 24.0 | P1 |
| William Sawalich | #18 | $11 | 14.2 | 27.0 | 18.0 | P14 |
| Ryan Sieg | #39 | $11 | 13.1 | 28.0 | 19.0 | P12 |
| Rajah Caruth | #88 | $11 | 17.6 | 23.0 | 14.0 | P13 |
| Parker Retzlaff | #99 | $10 | 11.4 | 30.0 | 22.0 | P3 |
| Harrison Burton | #24 | $10 | 17.1 | 24.0 | 15.0 | P16 |
Value Plays ($3-$9)
| Driver | Car | Salary | Proj Finish | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Thompson | #26 | $8 | 18.5 | Consistent mid-packer at discount |
| Jeremy Clements | #51 | $8 | 18.6 | 300+ career starts, knows every groove |
| Brennan Poole | #44 | $5 | 19.5 | P24 qualifier but our projections likes him |
| Jeb Burton | #27 | $9 | 20.1 | 166 career starts at a good price |
| Anthony Alfredo | #96 | $7 | 19.6 | P15 qualifier, underpriced |
| Matt DiBenedetto | #35 | $4 | 28.1 | Minimum-tier dart throw |
| JJ Yeley | #5 | $3 | 24.6 | Veteran at rock-bottom salary |
| Dawson Cram | #74 | $3 | 28.1 | Minimum salary filler |
Key Storylines to Watch
Corey Day's Pole
The #17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet won the pole with a 148.963 mph lap. Day has been the surprise of the 2026 season — three top-5s and six top-10s in seven races. At $12, he's a significant value play if he can convert the pole into a strong finish. Our model has him projected P9.8, making him the best value-to-projection ratio in the field.
The Kyle Sieg Practice/Qualifying Split
Kyle Sieg posted the fastest practice speed of anyone (P1, 145.812 mph) but qualified only P21. That's a 20-position gap. our projections doesn't have him ranked, and at $6 he's a high-variance play. If his race pace matches practice, he's a steal. If qualifying is the truer indicator, he's a trap.
Parker Retzlaff: The Value King
Retzlaff qualified P3 and projects P11.4 at only $10 salary. That's the biggest salary-to-projection gap in the field. our projections has him at a 13.6 predicted finish with 57% top-10 probability. He's the optimal mid-tier play for cash games.
The Bottom Line
Easter weekend belongs to Rockingham. Heim already delivered a masterclass in the trucks. Now the O'Reilly field gets its shot at The Rock — and the projection picture is tighter than expected at the top. Love vs. Allgaier is the headline, but the real fantasy edge might be in the mid-tier where Day, Retzlaff, and Mayer offer strong projected finishes at significant salary discounts.
Build your lineups. Lock your picks. Green flag flies Saturday afternoon.