Lowa Speedway Set for Exciting NASCAR Cup Series Debut
Lowa Speedway is gearing up for its debut in the NASCAR Cup Series spotlight with the highly anticipated Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol on Sunday night. There’s a palpable sense of excitement that the inaugural event in the top series will deliver an unforgettable experience for fans.
When NASCAR ventures into new markets, the outcomes are often spectacular, especially at the beginning. While some tracks eventually faded from the Cup Series schedule, venues like Kansas, Texas, Las Vegas, and St. Louis have thrived, attracting large crowds. Conversely, tracks in Chicago, California, Kentucky, and Wisconsin faced insurmountable challenges and ultimately were removed from the schedule.
Motorsports enthusiasts in the Midwest have deep roots and are plentiful, showing up in large numbers to enjoy events across various series, whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar, ARCA, or the old K&N, including at Iowa Speedway.
“What excites me about Iowa is remembering my races there in the K&N and Xfinity Series,” said Chase Elliott, a six-time Most Popular Driver in the series. “Fans always talked about wanting a Cup race there, so I’m thrilled. It’s been a top-notch facility for a long time.”
Reigning series champion Ryan Blaney, who hasn’t raced at Iowa Speedway in 10 years, shares this excitement due to the track’s wide, race-friendly design and its unique 7/8-mile length. “The fans there were always incredibly dedicated to the events, whether it was IndyCar, trucks, Xfinity, whatever,” Blaney said. “It’s great for the area.”
When Newton, Iowa, decided to enter the motorsports scene in 2004 by building a new racetrack, they enlisted the design expertise of former NASCAR great Rusty Wallace, a Midwesterner himself. Iowa Speedway, unsurprisingly, turned out to be a track that Wallace would have enjoyed racing on.
A winner of 55 Cup races and the 1989 championship, Missouri native Wallace often expressed his fondness for Richmond’s 3/4-mile, D-shaped short track. Iowa Speedway bears a strong resemblance to this favored track, fittingly located in a town where the Maytag Washing Machine Co. started in 1893.
“Every time we go to a new facility or town, it’s been a success,” said Joey Logano, Blaney’s teammate at Team Penske. “People are drawn to the unknown. They enjoy change and new experiences. Adding a new track to the circuit every year makes total sense. It’s been healthy for the sport.”
Among others involved in Iowa Speedway, Wallace helped build it. The fans will come.