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Iowa Speedway prepares for opening weekend

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The Iowa Speedway in Newton will host its first races of the year this weekend.

David Hyatt, who became president of the Iowa Speedway in February, says the venue’s campgrounds will open on Thursday at noon.

“We’re going to see the motor homes pulled in, we’re going to see the flags start flying, and a really strong opening weekend of racing,” Hyatt says. Races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. A 200-lap NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series race will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday.

“The main event on Sunday, Father’s Day, we’ll have the XFinity Series,” Hyatt said. Sunday’s 250-lap race starts at 4 p.m. There are many other activities planned, including a post-race concert on Saturday from the rock band Survivor – which scored several hits in the 1980s. The Iowa Speedway, which first opened in 2006, will have two other race weekends this year. July 7-8 will feature the Indy Car Series and July 27-28 will involve another NASCAR XFinity Series race.

The  7/8 mile track in Newton was designed by NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Rusty Wallace. The Iowa Speedway has a capacity for around 30,000 spectators.

(By Randy Van, KCOB, Newton)

 

 

NASCAR chair has no plans for Sprint Cup race at Newton

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The IndyCar series returns to the Iowa Speedway this week and at least for now it will remain the biggest race on the schedule. NASCAR chairman Brian France said over the weekend that despite a possible shake up in the Sprint Cup schedule there are no plans to bring NASCAR’s biggest series to the Newton track.

“We don’t have plans for a Cup date there. We’re working with state representatives and others there to help us build racing to the highest level that we can. They’re doing great job with us,” France says.

NASCAR purchased the Iowa Speedway late last year and France says the current schedule, which includes two Nationwide Series events is good enough. He says the schedule is nice and full and “I think that’s where that remains.”

The Iowa Corn Indy 300 is Saturday night.

 

Iowa Speedway ready for first race of the season

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The green flag is ready to fly on the opening weekend of action at the Iowa Speedway which will be highlighted by Sunday’s Nationwide Series race. It is the first event since NASCAR purchased the track late last year. “We’ve been waiting for this moment since December 12th which was our formal announcement last year. We’ve got a number of initiatives we’ve been working on for months…can’t wait for Saturday night,” Iowa Speedway president Jimmy Smal saysl.

He says the biggest issue he has faced is the quick turnaround since the purchase as he says everything else has been good. Small says they are trying to add more value to the ticket price and one way is to offer a concert on Saturday night. Montgomery Gentry will be the main act between the races Saturday and Sunday.

Small says Iowa Speedway is unique in that it is the only short track between Ohio and the west coast and they are billing it the fastest short track in the world. He says the 185 miles an hour speed put up in qualifying is something they feel everyone should be proud of and they want to make everyone aware of the experience of watching the races in Newton.

The K@N Pro Series race is Saturday night.

 

Blaney returns to Iowa Speedway with track experience

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NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney would like to see the Iowa Speedway get a Sprint Cup race. Blaney will take part in Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at the Iowa Speedway on Sunday which will cap off the season’s opening weekend. “I think it would be great if they can get a cup race over there here within the next few years,” Blaney says. He says there are always sold out stands when he goes to races at the track.

Blaney says drivers enjoy the track because of the racing it offers. He says you can have 2 to 3 lanes on the track and he says that gives a lot of character to the race along with the tunnel bump on the track. Blaney was in victory lane at the Iowa Speedway back in 2012 when he captured the checked flag in a NASCAR Camping World Truck event. “Winning at Iowa, especially it being my first win in the truck series, that was huge. I have a lot of family from Iowa, mom’s from up there,” Blaney says. He says it was cool to get his first win in front of so many family members.

Blaney will be pulling double duty this weekend. He will take part in a truck race Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway before heading to Newton for Sunday’s Nationwide Series race. He says they are two tracks he has experience on and he says that should help him handle both races.

Saturday night the NASCAR K@N Pro Series will have a 150 lap race then on Sunday it will be the “Get To Know Newton 250” as part of the Nationwide Series.

Iowa Speedway reports an increase in ticket sales

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The opening weekend of action at the Iowa Speedway is coming up and a change in ownership has spurred an increase in ticket sales. NASCAR purchased the track last November and Jimmy Small is the track president. “Based on trends over the last four years we have seen — I guess you could say a positive trend, and upward trend in ticket sales — so we’re actually really happy with where we are at,” Small says.

Since taking ownership NASCAR has added more family oriented events to enhance race days and they have donated sponsorship of the season’s first Nationwide Series race to the city of Newton. Small says that’s part of their dedication to making a positive experience for the fans and the work to do that in the last four months.

Saturday night the NASCAR K@N Pro Series will have a 150 lap race then on Sunday it will be the “Get To Know Newton 250” as part of the Nationwide Series.

(Reporting by Randy Van KCOB Newton)

NASCAR introduces new president of the Iowa Speedway

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Eric Nyquist of NASCAR (at podium), new Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small, Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Jay Byers, and Newton Mayor Mike Hansen.

Eric Nyquist of NASCAR (at podium), new Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small, Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Jay Byers, and Newton Mayor Mike Hansen.

NASCAR, which was unveiled as the purchaser of the Iowa Speedway in Newton late last month, has hired a new president of the auto racing facility. Jimmy Small, a 28-year-old suburban Detroit native, was introduced today at a news conference in Des Moines. “It is an honor and a privilege to be standing in front of you and accepting the position as the new president at Iowa Speedway,” Small said. “This is truly a dream come true.”

Small learned in late September he would become the track’s president if NASCAR purchased the facility, which opened in 2006. “NASCAR and the State of Iowa share great histories and traditions in racing and that has been truly evident with the support we have seen at the Iowa Speedway since its inception,” Small said. “We wholeheartedly accept the responsibility to put on a fun and entertaining product that will make fans happy and make sure they keep coming back.”

NASCAR officials have stated a Sprint Cup Series race is not likely, at least anytime soon, for the Iowa Speedway. Eric Nyquist, NASCAR Vice-President of Strategic Development, was asked about the plans stock-car racing’s sanctioning body has for the track in Newton. “We will be exploring…looking at other forms of racing, other ways we can bring entertainment value to the venue. In the near term, I think that’s what you can expect,” Nyquist said.

Small, who most recently worked with Jill Gregory — the head of NASCAR’s Industry Services Department, said he simply hopes to take the Newton facility to “another level.”  “It’s still too early to determine what specifically that means, but in the short term the quick answer is, having worked in Jill Gregory’s group, I know how many resources NASCAR can provide to race tracks, race team, et cetera. We’re going to take full advantage of those resources,” Small said.

Nyquist said NASCAR’s decision to buy the Iowa Speedway was based in large part on the area’s “passionate” fan base. “The passion and support that Iowans brought from the very get-go with this speedway, I think really blew a lot of people in our industry away,” Nyquist said. “As we see it, the acquisition of Iowa Speedway for NASCAR, is a long-term strategic play for our sport. It has everything to do with the fan base that lives here and is around the upper Midwest.”

Newton Mayor Mike Hansen also spoke at the news conference. “When I first found out who was the potential purchaser of the Iowa Speedway, do you know how difficult it was to keep to myself? We don’t have to do that anymore,” Hansen said. Hansen said NASCAR’s presence in Newton could bring “exciting opportunities” for the city.

“We look forward to the possibilities at hand for development around the speedway and we look forward to attracting new fans to the facility,” Hansen said.

The 2014 schedule for the Iowa Speedway includes two NASCAR Nationwide Series races and a combination IndyCar and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series weekend.

 

Rusty Wallace pleased with Iowa Speedway season

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Rusty Wallace

Rusty Wallace

The season comes to a close at the Iowa Speedway this weekend as the NASCAR trucks make a return visit. Speedway designer Rusty Wallace says it has been a great season for the track despite some weather issues with two of the biggest events.

He says they had rain the very first Nationwide race, and some rain on the morning of the Indy race, but other than that it has been a wonderful year. “I just has to see the last race is already here,” Wallace told Radio Iowa.

Wallace says the next goal for the Iowa Speedway to to attract a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

“We’ve put on incredible races, we’ve always had big, big crowds, but everybody keeps talking about the next big thing for us is to get a cup race. And that’s the number one goal,”Wallace says.

Wallace would like to land a Sprint Cup race but does not want that to take away from the events the speedway already hosts. He says they have a better lineup of NASCAR and Indy car races than anybody, but the fans are always wanting more and that is why they go after it.

Wallace says they want to avoid hosting too many races and taking away from their biggest events. “There always is a chance of having too much and deleting some of the others stuff, and we are toying around with right now,” Wallace says.

Action begins on Saturday night with an ARCA race and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series closes it out on Sunday afternoon with the Fan Appreciation 200.

Versatile Kyle Larson one of the drivers at Iowa Speedway this weekend

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One of the rising stars of the NASCAR Nationwide Series hopes to take the checkered flag on Saturday night in the U.S. Cellular 250 at the Iowa Speedway. Kyle Larson is one of NASCAR’s most versatile drivers. He races midgets, winged and USAC sprint cars and this past weekend finished second on a dirt track in a NASCAR truck race in Eldora, Ohio.

He says running a lot of different types of cars helps him adapt better and he says the more laps you have in any car helps you in each race. Larson says his experience has helped him adapt to the different types of tracks the Nationwide Series competes on.

Larson is no stranger to the Iowa Speedway. He says it’s the one pavement track he has the most laps on as he has run a variety of races there. “I’ve always done very well there…I enjoy that track,” Larson says.

Current Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski will race on Saturday night and Larson says he enjoys competing against the Cup drivers. “As drivers, all of us enjoy racing with the cup series guys because you can call the Nationwide Series the development series really, so racing with tougher competition makes you try harder,” Larson says.

Larson enjoys the Iowa Speedway in part because the Nationwide race is the main event of the weekend and there are a lot of fans there. “You feel like you are somebody special at there racing in front of al of them. It helps a lot of us Nationwide showcase our talents,” Larson says.

The action begins on Friday night with a NASCAR K and N Pro Series race.

Iowa Speedway prepares for second Nationwide race

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The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its second stop at the Iowa Speedway this weekend with Saturday night’s US Cellular 250.

Iowa Speedway CEO Doug Fritz who says Brad Keselowski will be the first reigning sprint Cup champion to compete at the track. “What makes it challenging for Brad is the strong field he’s got to compete against. We’ve got Brian Vickers in the field, who just won the New Hampshire NASCAR cup race just recently,” Fritz says.

The field also includes a past winner of the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500. Fritz says the drivers in the Nationwide Series enjoy competing against the big names in the Sprint Cup Series. “Not only having the name and attention to draw the fans, but they want to beat Brad,” Fritz says. He says that will make for an exciting race Saturday.

Fritz says as of this morning there are still tickets available for Saturday night’s race. He says they anticipate a sell out and he recommends that you get onto the website IowaSpeedway.com or call 1-866-Rusty-go to get tickets.

Fritz says fans will have an opportunity to meet the drivers this weekend as they have an autograph session at 2:30 with all the Nationwide drivers.

Truck series set to race at Iowa Speedway

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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will cap off a busy weekend of action at the Iowa Speedway with the American Ethanol 200 on Saturday night. Doug Fritz, the Iowa Speedway CEO, says the fans look forward to the two visits the series makes to the track.

Fritz says the truck series offers an exciting brand of racing, especially on the short tracks. He says there are also good competitors in the race that enjoy it as they started their careers on short tracks.

Matt Crafton leads a tight points chase over Jeb Burton and Ty Dillon. He says the tight points race makes for good competition on the track. Friday’s action is capped off by the first appearance for the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals.

“It’s basically going to be a free-for-all enduro type race,” Fritz says. He says they are looking forward to having its debut at the track.

The parking lots open at 9:00am on Friday and 10:00am on Saturday.