ROCKINGHAM — The Rock Speedway and Entertainment Complex offered to take less money in a deal with Epicenter Festival-promoter Danny Wimmer Presents after months of radio silence were broken only by the promoter saying that they would be leaving Rockingham, according to an account of the negotiations by an executive with The Rock.
Jeremy Smith, event manager for The Rock, said in an interview Friday that the top brass with The Rock were “happy” with how the Epicenter Festival went in May but felt there were issues that needed to be addressed before holding another festival. Those issues were: security gaps, parking and emergency management. Counsel for The Rock attempted to reach DWP beginning in June but got no response, according to Smith.
It wasn’t until Sept. 26 that The Rock was told that DWP would be taking Epicenter elsewhere, Smith said. A short time later, The Rock heard that DWP did not have a new destination nailed down yet and reached out again, at which point DWP sent a contract over that had to be signed by Oct. 1.
Smith said this new contract was long term but “short on details” and was “fully to (DWP’s) discretion.”
“We offered them a better deal, less concessions (revenue for The Rock), and less extras,” he said. “Extras” refers to money from RV camp spots and other avenues. “We did everything we could to acquiesce and just get an ear (to negotiate) for one more year.
“They basically just wanted us to sign an option contract that gave them complete control and it was long term so that type of uncertainty is not good for us and it’s not good for the community,” Smith continued. “So when we offered the deal that was better than last year they never came back with anything.”
This account is counter to the reaction from Chairman of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners Kenneth Robinette who said in reaction to the news that Epicenter would be leaving for the Charlotte Motor Speedway next year that it was because The Rock was asking for more money than the previous year, and that DWP “just couldn’t get a firm price” from The Rock.
An attempt to reach Robinette and County Manager Bryan Land for comment Friday afternoon was unsuccessful. A representative for DWP did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Steve Earwood, owner of the Rockingham Dragway, declined to comment.
Smith said The Rock would love to have Epicenter back but one event does not make or break the long term plans for the Speedway.
“Everything’s going to be OK,” he said. “We’re going to be here.”