Iowa Speedway
 "Rusty Wallace Signature Series Track" |
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| Location | Newton, Iowa |
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| Time zone | GMT-6 |
| Capacity | 30,000 [1] |
| Owner | U.S. Motorsport Entertainment Corp. |
| Operator | Iowa Speedway |
| Broke ground | June 21, 2005 |
| Opened | September 15, 2006 |
| Construction cost | $70 million |
| Architect | Paxton Waters Architecture Rusty Wallace |
| Former names | Quad Cities International Raceway Park (planning stages name) |
| Major events | IRL IndyCar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series Dupont Pioneer 250 U.S. Cellular 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200 (July) American Ethanol 200 (September) IRL Firestone Indy Lights Sukup100 ARCA RE/MAX Series Prairie Meadows 200 |
| D-shaped oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.875 mi (1.4 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 12°-14° Frontstretch: 10° Backstretch: 4° |
| Lap record | 17.4908 (Ryan Briscoe, Penske Racing, 2008, IRL IndyCar Series) |
| Road Course | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.3 mi (2.09 km) |
| Turns | 9 |
| Banking | Turns 1-2: 12-14° Frontstretch: 10° Backstretch: 4° |
| Lap record | 41.709 (Jon Fogarty, GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, 2007, Daytona Prototype) |
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
Contents |
History[edit]
The track opened in September 2006 with the Soy Biodiesel 250, won by Woody Howard, for the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Four Champions playoff. The Indy Racing League announced a race there on June 24, 2007, the Iowa Corn Indy 250, which was won by Dario Franchitti, who barely nipped Marco Andretti at the finish line. The track has secured a combined NASCAR Camping World East-West race where results will count towards both series' championships.[2] That race delivered a dramatic battle between 17-year old Joey Logano from the Busch East Series, who defeated Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick, 1998 West Series champion, who represented the West Series at the end of the race. The track was awarded a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and a Nationwide Series race in 2009.
The track has periodically been rumored as a candidate for a Sprint Cup Series race; in 2013 a bill to allow $8 million in upgrades to the speedway toward that goal began circulating in the Iowa legislature.[3]
Ownership change[edit]
On July 5, 2011 it was announced that the Manatt family, builders and primary owners of the Iowa Speedway through the holding company U.S. Motorsports Corporation, had sold their majority interest to the Clement family, owners of Featherlite, Incorporated.[4] "It was our privilege to help build the track five years ago, and like a proud parent, we've enjoyed watching it thrive and grow," said company president Brad Manatt. Featherlite Incorporated already has a long standing relationship with NASCAR. Many race teams use Featherlite Trailers and Featherlite Coaches for the transport of cars and staff. Rusty Wallace will remain a minority owner in the track.[5]
Other events[edit]
The facility also hosts several driving schools year-round, such as Richard Petty Driving Experience, where visitors have the opportunity to experience the speedway from behind the wheel of a race car.
Economic impact[edit]
The Iowa Speedway has helped to revitalize Newton, where the headquarters of Maytag Corporation was located as well as a manufacturing plant that made washing machines and dryers. These closed when Whirlpool bought Maytag and began producing products under the Maytag brand in Mexico.
Races[edit]
- IndyCar Series - Iowa Corn Indy 250
- NASCAR Nationwide Series - Dupont Pioneer 250 (June), U.S. Cellular 250 (August)
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - American Ethanol 200 (July), American Ethanol 200 (September)
- Firestone Indy Lights - Sukup 100
- ARCA Racing Series - Prairie Meadows 200
- NASCAR K&N Pro Series East / West Challenge (May, August)
References[edit]
- ^ "Iowa Speedway Adds Seating for June IndyCar Series Race". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ nascar.com article "Iowa Speedway hoping for NASCAR cornucopia"
- ^ Iowa Senate Bill For $8 million For Sprint Cup Races
- ^ "New Owners for the Iowa Speedway". Associated Press via KTVO-TV. 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ "Iowa Speedway sold to Clement family.". Associate Press via Yahoo Sports. 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
External links[edit]
- Speedway website
- Trackpedia guide to driving this track
- 1tail Resource Database: Iowa Speedway[dead link]
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