Iowa Speedway Needs Another Race, More Promotion for Success
July 26, 2021
With the NASCAR national series and the NTT IndyCar Series off during the Summer Olympics, the ARCA Menards Series is the only series that continues to race during this time. Moreover, ARCA was the only series this year to race at Iowa Speedway. The 0.875-mile short track hosted ARCA for the 15th time, and Ty Gibbs went to victory lane on Saturday (July 24) night.
The track, owned by NASCAR, had the opportunity to shine. With a reported seating capacity of 30,000 and the grandstands opened to full capacity, the Shore Lunch 150 could have shined in racing action with a packed crowd cheering at a short track. Instead, the attendance mirrored the race itself, which Gibbs led 149 of the 150 laps: yawn.
Couch Potato Tuesday: MAVTV Provides Lackluster Iowa Broadcast
The Olympic Break continues. With the majority of the biggest series being off last weekend, it almost feels like the offseason in many ways. Driver behavior is not really dissimilar. Just look at anything Kyle Busch has posted in the last week once he got over the shenanigans at Loudon.
That said, not everyone spent last weekend at home. Motocross teams raced at Washougal Motocross Park in Southern Washington. Formula E was at the ExCel Center in London, where Sunday’s race saw some outright shenanigans from Audi Sport ABT Speedline. Not as ridiculous as last year’s impostor issue, but still pretty crazy. There was also plenty of dirt track racing and short track racing in general.
Rusty Wallace says Iowa Speedway should have more races next year Share Updated: 7:17 PM CDT Jul 23, 2021 Share Updated: 7:17 PM CDT Jul 23, 2021
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Show Transcript KCCI 8 NEWS AT 6HE T GREEN FLAG DROPS ON THIS SEASON’S ONE AND ONLY NASRCA RACE AT THE IOWA SPEEDWAY TOMORROW NIGHT IN NEWTON. KCCI SENIOR REPTEORR TODD MAGEL TALKED WITH TRACK DESIGNER AND PARK OWNER RUSTY WALLACE ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S RACE AND THE FUTURE OF THE TRACK. WELL STEPHEN’S EASY COVID-19 SHUT DOWN THE IOWA SPEEDWAY LAST YEAR AND NASCAR WHICH OSWN THE TRACK ONLY SCHEDULED ONE REAC THIS YEAR. SO THE BIG WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE SPEEDWAY? IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE THE AURORA OF RACE CARS FILLED THE IAOW SPEEDWAY THE SHORE LUNCH 150 ARCA RACE ON SATURDAY IS THE ONLY RACE OFHE T SEASON HERE IN IOWA. IT ’ GOOD TO BE BACK TRACK DESIGNER AND RAISING LEGEND RUSTY WALLACE IS IN DES MOINES TODAY PROMOTING THE RACE. A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK ON
Ty Gibbs Wins Back-to-Back Iowa ARCA Races
July 24, 2021
The ARCA Menards Series took on Iowa Speedway Saturday night (July 24) and Ty Gibbs won the Shore Lunch 150.
Gibbs led the majority of laps from the pole with his grandfather Joe Gibbs in attendance.
It was the second consecutive win at Iowa for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver and the first time someone won more than one ARCA race there.
“I feel like you’re almost a painter here, you’re just working the brush here on a canvas, an open canvas,” Ty Gibbs told the MAVTV broadcast after the race. “There’s so much room to work with. It’s a Phoenix (Raceway), it’s an Atlanta Motor Speedway, there’s so many places to go the top, the bottom, you get everywhere. And all the little bumps, so much characteristics to this place. Really well done racetrack. I can’t thank Toyota enough and TRD for everything they do for my race team and for me, they help me out so much.”