Iowa Speedway

Did You Know?

• The track's first race on September 15, 2006, was won by Woody Howard, but the event was marred by excessive tire wear, leading to mandatory competition cautions.
• NASCAR bought the track in 2013 for $10 million to rescue it from financial trouble, after the facility was found to be late on bill payments.
• The track's progressive banking in the turns ranges from 12 to 14 degrees, while the frontstretch has 10 degrees and the backstretch has 4 degrees.
• IndyCar measures the track at 0.894 mi, while NASCAR's official measurement is 0.875 mi.
• The facility was heavily depended on by the Newton area after the Maytag factory closed in May 2006, just months before the track opened.

Description

The speedway is measured at 0.875 mi with 10 degrees of banking on the frontstretch, four degrees on the backstretch, and progressive banking from 12 to 14 degrees in the turns. NASCAR and IndyCar dispute the length, with IndyCar measuring it at 0.894 mi. Seven road course layouts combine the main track with infield portions. The facility is served by Interstate 80, about 35 mi east of Des Moines, and holds 30,000 seats. It originally had 28 luxury suites, with additional temporary suites later added for IndyCar races.

Track history

In November 2000, Jerry Carroll proposed a 1 mi, 40,000-seat track in Newton, seeking county bonds and Vision Iowa funding. He abandoned the plan by January 2001. Jerry Lowrie took over, declining county bonds, but faced opposition from residents and a drop in available Vision Iowa funding. Lowrie left the project in September 2001. Larry Clement then led the effort, claiming $7-10 million from anonymous investors by October, but Vision Iowa refused funding, demanding investor identities. The funding was rejected by fall 2002. In 2003, Paul Schlaack's U.S. Motorsport Entertainment Corporation bid to build a shorter facility. After a delay through 2004 due to perceived lack of funds, groundbreaking began in mid-2005, and the first races were held in September 2006. NASCAR bought the track in 2013 to save it from financial issues.

Events

The facility hosts an annual NASCAR weekend with the Cup Series' Iowa Corn 350 and the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series' Hy-Vee PERKS 250. From 2009 to 2019, it also hosted Xfinity Series and Truck Series events, with a second Truck race from 2012 to 2013. The Indy Racing League announced annual IndyCar races in 2006, with the first in 2007. In 2020, IndyCar ran a doubleheader due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing that format in 2022. The track has also hosted the ARCA Menards Series, Rolex Sports Car Series, Pro Mazda Championship, and USF2000 Championship.