By Caleb Slouha:
We all know the story of Iowa Speedway and the lack of racing it is used to seeing the past two years. In 2020, the pandemic cancelled two of the three race weekends. This left only the ARCA Menards Series and INDYCAR on the schedule.
As far as 2021, the schedule was bare. No Truck Series, Xfinity Series, or INDYCAR. So why bring ARCA?
“Iowa Speedway has always been important to us,” Charlie Krall, Communications Manager for ARCA, said. “At the genesis of this track, after the years of planning it took…when they finally landed on a location and a concrete plan to build this racetrack, Ron Drager and ARCA were the first series that committed to racing here.”
With the top-three NASCAR Series and INDYCAR having the week off because of the Olympics, the ARCA race at Iowa Speedway will take center stage. All eyes were on this track, which is looking to prove it is here to stay and can be sustainable and have enough fan support in the future.
After the pandemic began, NASCAR completely changed the structure of its staff, and few races meant the staff at Iowa Speedway were no longer needed. So, what changes when having a race at a track with little staff?
“There are some challenges with the track not being used since last year. It’s a matter of finding keys to open doors and get the internet passwords,” Krall said. “Finding someone to open gates, but we have made it through.”
While race fans are anxiously waiting for an answer to whether ARCA will be back next year, Krall says they aren’t at the point of the year yet to start working on the 2022 schedule.
