And then there was one. Will Power moved moved within one career pole of Mario Andretti by grabbing poles for both races at Iowa Speedway. Josef Newgarden, Power’s team Penske teammmate, will start second in both races. Chevy powered cars will start each race in five of the first six positions. Power now has won five poles at Iowa.
The last pole sweep by a driver was by Simon Pagenaud in Detroit in 2016.
Conor Daly had held both provisional poles through 10 qualifiers until Newgarden firmly beat his times. Power then took to then track and turned the only laps int the 178 mph range to grab his 65th and 66th career poles. Power now has three poles for the season.
Colton Herta picked up nearly three miles an hour on his second lap to slot third for race 2. However, his team will change his engine after today’s race and he will be moved to 12th for Sunday’s race.
Rinus VeeKay had the most consistent run. His first lap was 176.626 mph and his second lap was 176.625 mph.
Will Power
Power talks about his double pole.
“Yeah, it was It was messy. It was skipping up the track and I was surprised those the quickest like but always wheeling it as much as I could. I thought it was leaving nothing on the table. So again, it was not there was a 17 (second lap) to encounter .”
Starting position is key.
” lt felt like you had to start in the top 10 To have a good race because it was seemed a little difficult to pass .. cars can follow along so you can make sense. Positions are in basic decision up with our strategy, but leading is obviously easier. You can queue up people when they need to get a bit of a lead up early they’ll come down to laps you know that was so yeah, good spot to be in.”
On catching points leader Marcus Ericsson:
“I’m hoping that this is a good weekend for us to catch Marcus. Because he’s very tough. He’s, he’s, you know, he’s not the best qualified but he’s probably the best racer in series in my opinion. I might have just over the years watching him race. He’s one of the toughest guys like he’s very, very good at starting back there and making his way all the way to the front. So yeah, he’s going to try and get some points on it.”
8:00 am Gates Open 8:30 am – 9:00 am Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Qualifying 9:30 am – 10:45 am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for Races 1 and 2 Peacock 11:15 am – 12:20 pm Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Race (100 laps) Peacock 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Tim McGraw Concert 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash (250 laps) Green flag at 3:30 NBC, Peacock 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Florida Georgia Line Concert
If qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is the most pressure in qualifying in Indycar, Iowa qualifying has to be the second most pressure. Drivers are qualifying for both races. The first lap is for today’s race, the second lap is the time for tomorrow’s race. Cars must race today as they qualify.
The session to set the lineup will be in cooler conditions that Friday’s practice, while the race will be run in similar conditions to Friday.
Just 0.7225 seconds separated the fastest car from the slowest in practice. One smallbobble can mean a big penalty in the starting lineup.
The race could be Team Penske versus Conor Daly and Pato O’Ward. Daly exuded confidence all day Friday. O’Ward is due for a reversal of his recent misfortunes. WE could be in for a really good race today.
Notes
The qualifying order may help the early runners as the temperatures rise during the session. Daly goes out in the middle of the round, which might help him.
If you are at the track, hydrate and take shade breaks. HyVee sells a very nice Indycar cooling towel.
One thing that struck me yesterday was the amount of advertising on the track’s outside wall, I have never seen so much at an Indycar track. Parts of the walls look like an NHL rink’s boards.
Will Power set the fastest lap in the only practice sessioin the Iowa double header. Conor Daly laid down a lop of 173.239 mph in the first 10 minutes of practice.Power edged Daly turning a 173.285 lap with less than 40 minutes to go in the 90 minute practice.
Qualifying for the two races begins at 9:30 Central time tomorrow. The HyVee Deals.com250 presented by DoorDash begins at 3 pm Central time tomorrow.
There were two stoppages, one for a track inspection and one for a fox running across the track. The fox jumped over the safer barrier.
“It’s my favorite oval,” Power said. “I think we’re in the mix.”
On running the high line, Power said, ” You gotta be wherever the car in front of you is not. It’s where can I get clean air?”
Notes
I went intoi one of the HyVee mobile stores this afternoon. It bis a camp store on steroids. If they don’t stock the product there, it can be ordered and elivered to you at the track.
HyVee has already hit a home run with this event. I am excited to see whatb the next two days bring. Indycar needs two or three more sponsors who will activate like they have
Marcus Ericsson knows what he needs to do to secure his first NTT Indycar Series championship. His mplan is to maximize his position each weekend and not be so aggressive that he loses psotions.
“.I don’t have to be about the gamble. Like we don’t have to try to manage to do everything to win the race, we can do whatever and beaggressive in races, we don’t have any gambling. That’s sort of my my mindset, we need to go out there maximize that we don’t have to, we don’t have to throw away a P5 to have to win.”
Ericsson has scored more points than any other dribver in the series since Nashville last year. He doesn’t plan t change the way the team does things because they are fighting for the title.
” …a fine line because if you start to think too much about it and be clever about it, you’re gonna put yourself in a hole so like I said, we’ve had a good run for the last year and a half. I don’t want to change that the way we do things. I think it’s more like, like I said to my guys, we don’t have to, like, we don’t have to gamble for a bigger goal, right? Like if we were 80 points on the lead, and then you need to win races, you would say okay, like we need to win a race or to finish a championship. But we’re not the ones that has to take a big as to get there physically. So we need to have solid weekend and all the weekends that are leftbe running solidly up front and if we do that, we’re gonna be fine.”
It has been a while since Ericsson has contended for a championship. He is confident in his team and his strategists to help him.
“I haven’t been writing for a championship for quite a while, you know, I’ve got a bit of it last year, but we’re showing the hunter at the end of the season. But before then, you know, it was in my junior career. So it’s a bit a bit new for me, but I want to do things the same way I’ve done the last year I’m gonna keep doing and I I have extremely talented and good pit wall with you know, Brad and Michael Gary. They are so clever and like, you know, so good on strategy and all that. So I promised them and I do it together. And we’re going to try and maximize every weekend.”
On racing at Iowa Speedway:
“I’ve never raced in such a short track I was in my life. And so the track is, well, it’s pretty extreme unique. The first time so pretty shocked driving cars out there and the test in 2019. Like we actually raised on this place ever since I’ve just really enjoyed it. I’ve been racing it awesome. It’s one of the best tracks of the year that we can race on. So I’m really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed being a doubleheader. I think that’s gonna be super interesting. And also display there’s always so many things happening. So he’s like, you know, sSimon last time, he won last. I think that’s everything, you could have a good race car and you know, you hit it right with strategy, you can win from anywhere in this field. So it’s gonna be a really interesting race.”
Ericswson believes he still needs to win at least oine more race to win nthe championship. The series goes to Nashville, where whe won last season, in a couple of weeks. That race may be his best chance to win.
Inside Iowa Speedway. The track and grandstands look brand new. The turn 1-2 viewing hil is now occupied by stands.
One change I don’t like is at the start/finish line inthe cover photo. The ear of corn which straddled the line and was an iconic mark of Iowa Speedway, is gone in favor of the HyVee logo.
I get it. HyVee has poured a lot into Indycar in general and this event specifically, but with their name everywhere around the track, the corn could have stayed.
I have never seen the track and buildings look better than they do right now. I’m excited to see the place full, which I haven’t seen since my first year here in 2012.
I still need to venture to the other sid eof the grandstands to check out the concessions and merch tents. We are still a ways from Indy Lights practice, and two hours out from whent he gates open for spectators.
I’ll be back before practice with some ore goings on here.
FRIDAY, JULY 22 2:00 pm Gates Open 2:15 pm – 3:05 pm Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice Peacock 5:30 pm Track crossing opens for fans to access the infield paddock area 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires driver autograph session (paddock area of the infield)
Good morning from Iowa. It is so nice to be back at Iowa Speedway. It is a fun track to watch a race. This weekend’s double header event is an experiment for Indycar. There are four concerts tomorrow and Sunday-Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line tomorrow; Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton on Sunday-and a food truck festival. All of the extras are an attempt to draw a good crowd for an oval race. The advance sales show that it might work. Officials are expecting moree than 30,000 fans each day. The attendance is promising, but can it be sustained over several years?
My only issue with the weekend is that the Saturday race isn’t a night race. The racing at Iowa Speedway is much better at night. I have seen both day and night races here, and The daytime races were not as good as the bighttime ones.
The weather will be a big factor, especially for Saturday’s HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash, Temepreatures Saturday are expected to be in the mid to uper 90s with a heat index reach at least 100 degrees. Cooling inside the cockpit will be a concern.
Conr Daly said about this weekend’s heat:
“I think this weekend is without a doubt going to be the hardest we’ve been pushed in this era of INDYCAR racing for sure, with the aeroscreen, double-header at Iowa in the day. The forecast doesn’t necessarily look super inviting or like wonderful. So yeah, we’ve never run the cool shirt yet at an oval, but I think we’re going to try to run the cool shirt this weekend.”
The cooling shirt adds about six pounds to the car. If everyone wears it, there is no penalty.
Sunday’s forecast looks better, with a high in the mid 80s.
Will tire degradation be an issue in the heat? Generally a stint can go close to 80 laps here, but will we see earlier stops for tires? Will the race turn into a fuelk saving race? Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Spotter’s Guide for Saturday
Points Battle
Marcus Ericsson increased his lead to 35 points over Will Power and 44 points over Josef Newgarden. He has to try to at least maintain that distance after Sunday at a track where Team Penske has dominated. Newgarden has won three times here and has led the most laps. I think Ericsson will still be leading at the end of the day Sunday, but he will probaly need a couple of top 5s and maybe a podium to extend his advantage.
Rookies
David Malukas has been the highest finishing rookie on each of the two previous ovals. I expect him to be the highest finisher in class again.
Malukas is till my pick for Rookie of the Year. He currently trails Christian Lundgaard by 20 points in the standings and should cut that margin over the next couple of days.
Final Thaoughts
Scott Dixon, who turns 42 today, will star his 300th Indycar race Sunday. His 52 wins means he has won one race out of every six he has run.
This might be the weekend Alex Palou wins a race. It has been a whilke since a defending champion did not win a race the following year, and I believe this is the deepest into a season a champion has gone without winning since 2014. That driver? Scott Dixon.
If you are coming to the track, please hydrate and find shade under the grandstand whenever possible.
Back with more after I get a chance to explore the new, improved Iowa Speedway. I had just a brief glance at it yesterday, and everything looks great,.
. Entry lists will be posted on The Pit Window’s Facebook page.
From Indycar
Race weekend: Friday, July 22-Sunday, July 24 Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa Race distance: Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash: 250 laps/218.75 miles (Saturday) | Hy-Vee Salute To Farmers 300 presented by Google: 300 laps/262.5 miles (Sunday) | Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/65.625 miles Firestone tire allotment: Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend Twitter: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #IndyCar Event website: www.hyveeindycarweekend.comINDYCAR website: www.indycar.com Most recent race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet) 2020 Race #1 Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) 2020 Race #2 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Pato O’Ward (Andretti Autosport) 2018 2020 NTT P1 Award winners: Conor Daly (No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet), 18.3711 seconds, 175.188 mph Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), 18.3559 seconds, 175.333 mph One-lap qualifying record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Helio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Colton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017 NBC Sports race telecast: The HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash 4 p.m. ET Saturday, July 23, NBC; Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC. Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecasts of The HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash and Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google will be simulcast on the streaming service. Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race. The Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR Live! INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman (Saturday) and Jake Query (Sunday) are the turn announcers. Michael Young be the pit reporter alongside Query (Saturday) and Yeoman (Sunday). The HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash race (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway (11:50 a.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times Central): FRIDAY, JULY 22 2:15-3:05 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice, INDYCAR Live! 3:30-5 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium SATURDAY, JULY 23 8:30 a.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR Live! 9:30 a.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock Premium 11:15 a.m. – Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines” 11:20 a.m. – Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles),, Peacock Premium 3 p.m. – NBC on air3:01 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines” 3:06 p.m. – HyVeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash (250 laps/223.5miles), NBC (Live) SUNDAY, JULY 24 10:55-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES systems check (Out and In Lap) 2 p.m. – NBC on air 2:25 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines” 2:30 p.m. – Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google (300 laps/268.2 miles), NBC (Live) NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: There have been seven different winners in 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Streets of Long Beach and Road America), Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park), Colton Herta (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500), Will Power (Raceway at Belle Isle Park) and Scott Dixon (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2022. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.There have been seven different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, Will Power and Scott Dixon) The only repeat winners in that stretch are Newgarden (Texas 2022, Long Beach 2022 and Road America 2022) and McLaughlin (St. Petersburg 2022 and Mid-Ohio 2022).There have been nine different NTT P1 Award winners in 2022. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg), Felix Rosenqvist (Texas Motor Speedway), Colton Herta (Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Toronto), Rinus VeeKay (Barber Motorsports Park), Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Scott Dixon (Indianapolis 500), Josef Newgarden (Raceway at Belle Isle Park), Alexander Rossi (Road America) and Pato O’Ward (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) have won pole positions in 2022. The record for most pole winners in a season is 12 set in the 1999 CART season.Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, featuring the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash and Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google, will be the third and fourth oval races of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous two oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway) and Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500). The remaining oval race will take place at World Wide Technology Raceway (Aug. 20).The Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash and Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google will be the 16th and 17th NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Iowa Speedway. Josef Newgarden is the only entered driver to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Newgarden has three wins. Other past winners Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves are also entered in the event. ACTIVE RACE WINNERS Josef Newgarden- 3=-2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2 Helio Castroneves-1-2017 Simon Pagenaud-1 -2020 Race #1 Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 15 previous races at Iowa Speedway (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Team Penske has four wins (Helio Castroneves 2017, Josef Newgarden 2019 and 2020 Race #2 and Simon Pagenaud 2020 Race #1). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009).Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season. Newgarden accomplished the feat in 2019, Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009.Three drivers have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Iowa: Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. Only Dixon is entered this year. Eleven drivers entered have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 1,150, Will Power 131, Dixon 130, Simon Pagenaud 98, Takuma Sato 59, Graham Rahal 32, Pato O’Ward 31, Ed Carpenter 18, Conor Daly 17, Felix Rosenqvist 7 and Alexander Rossi 4).Josef Newgarden has finished in the top four in six of the last eight races at Iowa (2014-2016 and 2018-2020) … Scott Dixon has started on pole three times (two earned) and has 12 top-10 finishes at Iowa in 15 starts, but he has never finished better than second. Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 299th and 300th consecutive starts, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Helio Castroneves needs two starts to tie A.J. Foyt for second on the all-time starts list with 369 starts…Pato O’Ward will attempt to make his 49th and 50th INDYCAR SERIES starts. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Notes:Linus Lundqvist is on the verge of building an insurmountable lead in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires point standings. The 23-year-old Swede leads Sting Ray Robb by 87 points heading into the first oval race of the season.The Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway will be the first of two oval events for Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. The track will be completely new for every driver in the field as no driver has raced on the 7/8-mile oval in any previous series. The series last raced at Iowa Speedway in 2018 with eventual champion Pato O’Ward taking the checkered flag. Danial Frost, Christian Rasmussen and Hunter McElrea became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Sting Ray Robb, Benjamin Pedersen, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first series win in 2022?
Fans will have the opportunity to experience the opening day of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway free of charge during “Free Family Friday” on July 22.
Gates will open at 2:00 pm CT and no tickets will be required to enter the venue on Free Family Friday. All grandstand seating areas will be first-come, first-served general admission viewing throughout the course of the day. The rising stars of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will host the first practice of the weekend from 2:15-3:05 pm CT before the NTT INDYCAR SERIES first practice session on track from 3:30-5:00 pm. At approximately 5:30 pm, track crossing areas will open up and all fans will be able to access the race track as well as the infield paddock area, including the garages where all of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights teams work on their cars throughout the weekend.
Throughout the evening on Free Family Friday, fans will be able to enjoy a unique behind-the-scenes experience, both in the infield and in the Midway area across the track and behind the grandstands.
The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Friday Night fun at Iowa Speedway will include:
Track Walk – Fans will be able to walk around the 7/8 of a mile Iowa Speedway oval on the actual racing surface
All-Driver Autograph Session – Fans are invited to meet and get autographs from all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires drivers in front of their individual garages in the paddock from 6-7 pm
Visit Victory Lane – Fans can visit the Victory Lane area at Iowa Speedway and take pictures on the podium, just like the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend race winners
Connect with Paddock Partners – Check Out the Firestone Tires, AMR Safety Team and INDYCAR Technical Inspection areas in the paddock and learn more about what they do on race weekend
Live Music – Experience the concerts on the Turn 4 Stage, located behind the grandstands above Turn 4, featuring live music from both Cody Carter and Damon Dotson on Friday afternoon/evening
Great Food – Fans can purchase a Friday night feast from any of the 50 food trucks that will be positioned in the Midway area as part of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Food Truck Challenge
With three days of turbocharged action, July 22-24, Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend will feature the only doubleheader race event on the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Saturday’s series race will feature the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash, and Sunday’s action will be highlighted by the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will also compete on Saturday of race weekend. The three-day festival will include an incredible music lineup as well with both Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line in concert on Saturday and Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton performing live on Sunday.
Tickets for Saturday and Sunday activities during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend are still available and can be purchased online at www.hyveeindycarweekend.com or by calling the race ticket office at (641) 417-6007. Access to all concerts and fan activity and display areas is included with each valid race weekend ticket. Fans are encouraged to purchase Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend tickets quickly as limited seating options are still available.
Bud Denker and Randy Edeker want to help ovals succeed. Denker, Of President of Penske Corporation, and Edeker, chairman and CEO of HyVee. have created a festival surrounding the Indycar double header at Iowa Speedway July 23 and 24. In a conference call with Indycar media yesterday, Denker, Edeker, and Graham Rahal talked about the Iowa weekend, which will feature four concerts, headlined by Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton. \In addition the venue features a village with 75 food trucks, and a kids’ activity area on Saturday.
Ticket sales have been brisk, Denker said.
” We only have about 12,000 to 15,000 tickets to sell each day because ticket sales have been pretty good so far. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen a lineup like this before. I’ve been in motorsports for a long time. To see what they have for that weekend in Iowa, Newton, you can’t get a hotel. Good luck anywhere around the area. Some people ahead of time must have known about this so already secured all the hotels, which is a good thing.”
I asked Denker if the type of programming planned for Iowa could be a model for other ovals to help draw more fans. “That’s a real good question because we’re already thinking about ’23 and ’24 in terms of what we’re going to do. We want to have a variety, always have a variety, as long as we own this series, of the races we have today, the ovals, short ovals, long ovals, road courses, street courses. That obviously shows the competitiveness and the world class nature of our drivers more than any other series in the world. The model we’re creating in the urban markets as you’ve seen in Nashville, Detroit next year, the streets of Detroit. Whole different model than we have on Belle Isle. Patterned a lot of what will be done in Nashville, St. Pete, other markets. As we get to these markets like Iowa, you need to create that event. Without the attachment to an urban market, you have to have the event to draw you in. You’re spot on in terms of what this model will look like. We want to take it and apply it to other tracks we go to in the future. You also see unique tracks like Road America, it lives on its own. For these other tracks that are not attached to an urban market, don’t have their own iconic nature, as Graham said you have to circle it with other things going on other than what’s going on on the racetrack, and that’s our model for the future.”
Edeker announced that HyVee will also be a sponsor of the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville as part of their marketing strategy. The Iowa based retailer chose Indycar because Iowans are big fans of the sport.
“I think it fits with our initiatives, with what we want to get accomplished. I think that it’s a sport that it’s accessible to us and it’s local. If you look at the state of Iowa, I don’t have the current numbers, but several years ago when I was over at marketing I looked at open-wheel racing in the state of Iowa. Per capita, Iowa had the largest number of open-wheel racing fans in the United States. You look at the Midwest and the dirt tracks, the open-wheel races that happen all across. I think it just fits the fan base. Most of those fans, they turn to Indy, they turn to NASCAR, they also turn to Indy as an open-wheel racing fan. I think that’s part of what appealed to us. I agree, I just look at some of the things in talking with Bud and Roger, some of the strategies they have that they’re working on. I believe you’re going to see INDYCAR start driving. You’re seeing us also invest in our driver. We came out with a dozen TV spots that we’re going to be using from now until September that are labeled ‘You Don’t Know Jack.’ Jack (Harvey) is our spokesman. “
HyVee is also an associate sponsor on the cars of Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard.
Rahal commented on the racing at Iowa. Some have expressed concerns about both races scheduled for daytime. many fans hoped for a night race. Rahal said,
“The thing is both are good races because it’s such a demanding track, whether it’s hot on the surface or a night race where it cools down. I mean, certainly the night race I would say broadens the amount of competitive cars, meaning at Iowa you’re going to have the talent pool deeper and deeper. You’ll have 10 to 15 cars that are battling at the end. At night that may expand by 20% or something like that. The truth is with the variety of lanes, you have three lanes, turn three and four is a two-lane racetrack, but you have 117509-1-1004 2022-03-08 00:36:00 GMT Page 5 of 8 cars all over the place, guys on new tires, guys on old tires that want to go home, forget about their day. That’s common at Iowa. I think that will continue. I don’t think it really matters day or night, frankly.”
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 