2011 Iowa Speeday IndyCar Race will be Saturday Night, June 25

The official track news release has concerned what Kristi (@IAIndyFan) sniffed out a few weeks ago, the Iowa Corn 250 will be a night race in 2011.

Iowa Speedway has announced specific dates and events for the entire 2011 racing season, Thursday, which which will include two NASCAR Nationwide Series races, along with the fifth annual ‘Iowa Corn Indy 250’ IZOD IndyCar Series race on June 25.

The season will include eight major events, assembled into four weekends from late May through early August, 2011.

From the Iowa Speedway news release below ...

“Needless to say, we were thrilled to acquire our second NASCAR Nationwide Series race,” said Jerry Jauron, Iowa Speedway President and Chief Financial Officer. “With our new ‘Iowa Corn Indy 250’ date on Saturday night, June 25th – the weekend after Father’s Day – we are like kids at Christmastime. I can only imagine the power and spectacle of IndyCars under the lights – what an amazing show that will be!”

The Newton facility’s 2011 major event season opens on Saturday, May 21 with the fifth annual NASCAR K&N Pro Series East / West challenge race, followed on Sunday afternoon, May 22 with the first of two NASCAR Nationwide Series 250-lap events. In addition to IndyCars under the lights on a Saturday night, the IndyCar weekend of Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, will also feature a return of the Firestone Indy Lights Series and a ‘double-header’ of Midgets and Silver Crown cars from the United States Auto Club (USAC).

“IndyCar weekend in 2011 is going to be an open wheel race fan’s dream come true,” Jauron said. “The best open wheel series’, at the best oval track facility in America , all on the same weekend. I can’t wait to see the smiles on our fans’ faces!”

The track’s season will continue on the weekend of July 15-16, Friday and Saturday, as the popular pairing of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Series stock cars returns once again, one week later than in 2010. Friday evening’s ‘Fan Fest’ will offer spectators a behind the scenes look at race preparations and ‘restricted areas’, while Saturday’s race fare is designed to maximize the entertainment value, offering the ‘Prairie Meadows 200’ ARCA Series race in the afternoon and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 200-lapper at night, under the lights.

The final weekend in 2011 for major racing events at Iowa Speedway will be Friday and Saturday, August 5-6, with the ASA Midwest Tour super late models back in action after a one-year absence for a Friday night show and the track’s original NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the third annual ‘US Cellular 250’, slated for Saturday evening, August 6.

“There are a lot of pavement late model fans in the upper Midwest , and we’ve heard from many of them who wanted the ASA Midwest Tour to bring their wide-open style of racing back to Iowa Speedway,” Jauron stated. “We listened, and we responded. Coupled with the ‘US Cellular 250’ Nationwide Series race, this weekend will be exactly what the fans ordered.”

In accordance with a tradition begun in the track’s 2006 inaugural season, the major events at Iowa Speedway will be paired with major concert acts, which will be announced at a time yet to be determined. Season Tickets, which will include both NASCAR Nationwide Series dates, plus the Camping World Truck Series, IZOD IndyCar Series and the premier supporting series events, are scheduled to go on sale by mid September. As always, parking for track patrons will be free in the 2011 racing season.

Iowa Speedway is located 30 miles east of Des Moines on Interstate 80, just south of Exit 168 in Newton . Additional information about the facility may be accessed on the track’s official website, www.iowaspeedway.com.

Comments

[Marty]

I wonder if this move to the night will affect attendance. The Iowa race would be a day trip for me: Leave early in the morning, watch the race, and get home around sunset. Neither a long late-night drive nor paying for a motel are appealing options. I was looking forward to a trip to Iowa next year, but it looks doubtful now.

[Tom G.]

Woo hoo! It is on like Donkey Kong! Get ready Iowa I'm coming back!

[Andy Bernstein]

Sounds like a great show!

Baltimore just added the ALMS race, too.

[Concerned Fan]

Seems like If ABC wanted this race, it would still be a day race. But, if ABC doesn't want it, then there's no reason not to give the track what they want. It will be interesting to see whether attendance goes up or down.

[Travis R]

This is awesome! I'm going.

[billytheskink]

Nice to see USAC as part of the Iowa event, but I wonder what this means for US F2000 and Star Mazda's future on ovals. Iowa was one of the few on their schedules and, as the only short track on the IICS schedule, about the only oval wher they can be paired with IndyCar.

[Chris Lukens]

I agree. Nice to see USAC there, but it would be nice to also see F2000/Star Mazda. It would also be interesting to compare lap times.