Philip JoensDes Moines Register
Iowa has long been a Midwest hotbed for auto racing, producing drivers like 1963 Daytona 500 winner Tiny Lund and Iowa City native Janet Guthrie, the first woman to qualify and compete in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.
But the Hawkeye State has not hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race since a one was held at Davenport Speedway, a dirt track, in 1953.
On June 16, that will change with the inaugural Iowa Corn 350, the first Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newton.
Here is what to know about the big weekend.
Can I still buy tickets?
There will be three races: a lower-level ARCA Menards Series race June 14, a second-level Xfinity Series race June 15 and the Cup Series race to cap the weekend.
Cup Series tickets sold out last fall during a pre-sale before they could even go on sale to the rest of the public. Individual Xfinity Series race tickets sold out in March. For those races, individual tickets are only available at marked-up prices on resale sites like SeatGeek and StubHub.
Some Menards Series tickets remained available at the end of May.
A limited number of travel packages with tickets through NASCAR are available and include stays at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott and roundtrip transportation to and from Newton.
What time is the ARCA Menards Series Race?
The ARCA Menards Series ARCA 150 is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 14.
What time is the Xfinity Series race?
The Hy-Vee Perks 250 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. June 15.
What time is the NASCAR Cup Series Race?
The Cup Series race is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 16.
How long is the ARCA Menards Series Race?
The ARCA 150 will be 150 laps of the 7/8 mile oval, which equals 132 miles.
How long will the Xfinity Series Race be?
The Hy-Vee Perks 250 will be 250 laps of the 7/8 mile oval, or 218.75 miles.
How long will the Cup Series Race be?
The Iowa Corn 350 will be 350 laps of the 7/8 mile oval, which equals 306.25 miles.
How much will parking cost?
General parking will be free for grandstand ticketholders. It is located in a grass lot off Rusty Wallace Drive behind Turn 4 near the Newton Municipal Airport.
Parking maps are available on the Iowa Speedway website at iowaspeedway.com or on the NASCAR Tracks App.
What other parking options are available?
Newton Club members and luxury suite ticketholders have reserved parking both on paved and grass surfaces behind the main grandstand.
Americans with Disability Act-compliant parking will be located on paved and grass surfaces behind the main grandstand.
NASCAR also is selling all-inclusive packages for fans. Parking for them is located next to the ADA lot behind the turn 1 seats.
What ADA accommodations are there?
Golf carts and trams are available to help individuals who need assistance. Fans with infield credentials may take trams from the tram stop near Turn 1 or request an ADA shuttle from tram stop workers, guest services or information booths.
An elevator is available for fans with suite seating. All ADA-compliant Newton Club and grandstand seats are at ground level, according to the track's website.
Are service animals allowed?
Service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act are allowed, as long as they are trained to work for or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities, according to the track's website. Emotional support, therapy and comfort animals are not allowed in ticketed and credentialed areas.
Service animals must be leashed at all times.
Are wheelchairs permitted?
Wheelchairs and electric scooters are allowed into grandstand areas.
When do the camping lots open?
Camping lots open at 9 a.m. June 13 and campers must depart by noon June 17.
When do the parking lots open?
Parking lots open at noon June 14, 6 a.m. June 15 and 11 a.m. June 16.
When does the grandstand open?
Grandstand gates open at 1 p.m. June 14, 10 a.m. June 15 and 2 p.m. June 16.
What can I bring in?
- Bags, backpacks, diaper bags, purses, fanny packs and clutch bags that do not exceed 18-by-18 inches and 14 inches width.
- Soft-sided coolers no bigger than 14-by-14 inches and 14 inches width.
- Cameras, binoculars, race scanners and headsets that can be worn over the neck or belt or carried in a bag.
- iPads, tablets and laptop computers.
- Seat cushions without metal components.
- Insulated cups with a maximum volume of 64 ounces.
- Cigarettes and lighters.
- Coats and blankets.
- Ice.
- Sunscreen, sunblock, hand sanitizer and bug spray in aerosol, gel or liquid form.
- National flags mounted on a pencil-sized wooden stick.
What is not allowed in?
- Firearms.
- Foam or hard-sided coolers.
- Utility tools and multi-purpose tools with knife blades longer than 3 inches.
- Displays of the Confederate flag.
- Pets and animals not registered as service animals.
- Wagons.
- Drones.
- Frisbees, beach balls, balloons or projectiles.
- Bikes, skateboards, hoverboards and roller skates.
- Selfie sticks.
- Aerosol cans excluding those for sunscreen, bug spray and hand sanitizer.
- Collapsible chairs.
- Seat cushions with metal components.
- Tripods.
- Glass containers.
- Dry ice.
May alcohol be brought in?
At many NASCAR tracks, outside food and drinks can be brought in, including canned alcoholic beverages. Iowa law gives alcohol licensees the option of letting patrons bring sealed containers of beer and wine, but not hard liquor, said John Fuller, a spokesperson for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. But Iowa Speedway chooses not to permit it, Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson said in an email.
Fans may only bring sealed water bottles in soft-sided coolers that comply with the track's size restrictions, according to the track's website.
What is the Midway?
Outside the main gates, the Midway is where entertainment, the fan fest, sponsor promotions and driver question-and-answer sessions take place. It's also where to find souvenir trailers.
Who will the pre-race band be?
Tim "Beer on a Boat" Dugger will perform post-race Saturday at a time to be announced. Other entertainment has yet to be announced. Check the Iowa Speedway website closer to race weekend for more details.
What is NASCAR Overtime?
NASCAR Overtime is NASCAR's way of trying to ensure races are completed under green-flag conditions. If there is a caution in the final few laps, a race may be extended beyond its scheduled distance, with two laps under a green flag.
If the caution flag waves before the Overtime leader takes the white flag, signifying the last lap, another Overtime can be held. If the leader takes the white flag, the next flag ends the race.
NASCAR overtime rules, explained: How OT works for Cup Series races in 2024
Will any Iowans race?
At two least Iowans could compete in the Xfinity Series Race.
Johnston native Sammy Smith, 20, drives full time in the Xfinity Series. In 2023, Smith began competing for the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing team in 2023 and won his first Xfinity race during at Phoenix Raceway in spring 2023.
This year Smith is driving for Jr. Motorsports, owned by NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and two-time Daytona 500 Winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Joey Gase, 31, is a Cedar Rapids native who drives part time in the Xfinity Series. Gase has raced parts of eight seasons in the Cup Series.
He gained recent notoriety for throwing his bumper cover at the car of Dawson Cram after an April wreck at Richmond Raceway. He was fined $5,000 for the safety violation, according to Fox Sports.
Another Iowan with recent Cup and Xfinity Series experience is Brett Moffitt, 31, a Grimes native who won the 2018 NASCAR Trucks Series Championship at Iowa Speedway on Father’s Day Weekend in front of his family and friends. Destiny Homes, a Waukee-based home builder, was his sponsor.
Moffitt is currently driving in the Truck Series. It is unclear whether Moffitt or Gase will drive during the Cup Series weekend.
Can stock cars damage hearing?
Without a doubt. IndyCars, which will race at Iowa Speedway in July, are quieter than stock cars. Most people find that the sound of IndyCars is at the top of what is tolerable without hearing protection. But prolonged periods of exposure to stock cars without hearing protection can result in permanent hearing impairment.
What type of hearing protection should I bring?
Silicone ear plugs can be molded to ears and reduce noise by about 22 decibels. At Walmart, name-brand Mack's ear plugs cost $3.96 for six pairs. Generic Equate ear plugs cost $3.52 for six pairs.
Most retailers that sell hardware and tools, like Walmart, The Home Depot and Lowe's, also sell noise-reducing ear muffs for $15 to $40.
Racing Electronics sells several models of headphones and ear muffs for $15 to $125.
How can I rent a race scanner?
One of the unique things about NASCAR and IndyCar is that fans can listen to communications between drivers and their teams on their radio channels. Fans can hear crew chiefs relay strategy, spotters tell drivers where other drivers are and occasionally, drivers swearing.
It would be like listening to an NFL offensive coordinator call a play for a quarterback. NFL teams, however, use radio-jamming signals so fans can't listen in. But radios are part of racing culture.
Any UHF radio can be programed to listen to drivers. Websites like Speedway Digest publish drivers' frequencies. Racing Electronics makes most of the radio equipment used by NASCAR drivers and teams and rents scanners to fans at most tracks.
For the Iowa Speedway weekend, scanners must be rented online by 4 p.m. CDT June 13, according to the Racing Electronics website at racingelectronics.com. A scanner with one set of headphones costs $47.95 for the weekend. A scanner with two sets of headphones costs $63.95 and a scanner with two sets of headphones and an intercom system costs $79.95.
How can I buy a race scanner?
Racing Electronics sells its RE3000 UHF scanner online for $264.95. Headphones cost $40 on the low end and $125 on the high end, or $200 for each headset with an intercom function.
The scanner can be programed at any Racing Electronics trailer at tracks in about a minute to show driver numbers, names and frequencies. It also can be manually programmed.
What is the re-entry policy?
Re-entry is allowed if grandstand or suite tickets are scanned before fans leave the track. To re-enter, have a staff member scan your ticket on your way out of the gate. Then it will be re-scanned on your way back in.
What happens if it rains?
If a race cannot be completed as scheduled, tickets will be honored on the rescheduled date. Fans who cannot make a rescheduled race may exchange for tickets to a future race. For more information, visit the Iowa Speedway Website.
Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.
