Rusty Wallace admits he will be a proud father next weekend.


"It’s like a child to me," Wallace says of the Iowa Speedway. "I watched it being built since birth, you know."

The designer of the Iowa Speedway in Newton will be on hand when the track hosts its first Indy Racing League event with the running of the Iowa Corn 250. "I’ve been waiting for this event for a long time," Wallace says. "…My baby is the Iowa Speedway. Everytime I get to come out there, it’s so enjoyable. To watch all the landscaping coming up and everybody says all positive things. You just couldn’t hope for more as a designer."

Wallace says the track has received rave reviews from the drivers.

"A lot of tracks you go to, people have a lot of negative comments," Wallace says. "We haven’t had any negative comments about our track in Iowa…We feel like it’s one of the most safest tracks in the country because of the soft wall technology."

Wallace says the cameras that are positioned on the surface of the race track help show off the race in a way that’s unique to Newton’s track.