Corbett, Bruce in celebrity race at Hawkeye Downs

The premiums for Bob Bruce's life insurance are paid. Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett's butterflies have fluttered and have been chased away.

They are just about ready to be in for the ride of their lives.

Bruce and Corbett will join Van Meter Industrial President Barry Boyers in a celebrity auto race during the weekly season points races Friday night at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. The trio will get behind the wheel of a Legend sports car for a 15-lap feature during the races presented by Van Meter Industrial, which is offering free admission for the exchange of a donation to Aiming for a Cure Foundation to benefit pediatric oncology patients and families served by the University of Iowa Children's Hospital.

"I think it will be fun," said Bruce, a WMT radio personality who hosts the Bob Bruce Radio Experience weekdays from 4-7 p.m. "We would love to see people come out and take advantage of the free admission and then use the money they save on the ticket to donate to the charity."

VMI regularly hosted an employee appreciation night at the track previously. Last year they decided to include people outside the organization and focus on raising funds for a local charity. The success a year ago persuaded them to do it again.

“Last year, we decided to expand the invitation to all community members and use the proceeds to give back to a local non-profit organization. With the success of raising over $5,000 in 2009 to help flood recovery, we decided to continue this and chose the Aiming For a Cure Foundation to be the recipient for 2010,” Van Meter Industrial Marketing Events Coordinator Lauren Shovein said in a news release. “We see this as a great opportunity to entertain our employees, customers, and members of the community, all while achieving one of our core principles in giving back to the communities we serve.”

The night will actually be a win-win-win for Corbett. He gets to compete in a race car, help raise money for charity, show-off one of the city's sports facilities.

"You get a chance to do a lot of fun things where you can try new experiences and you get to support a good cause," Corbett said. "I have had a chance to be involved with several different charity events and I'll continue to do that as mayor.

"It also gives us a chance to highlight the venues in Cedar Rapids. There really is a lot to do in Cedar Rapids. (Hawkeye Downs) is a good community asset."

Bruce participated in a similar event in Hibbing, Minn., in the early 1990s.

"I was in a sportsmen on a dirt track," Bruce said. "I don't think I've ever been more petrified."

Bruce, who grew up in Decorah and lived near a track, grew an appreciation for dirt track racing. His career in radio has caused him to move frequently, but he could always find a dirt track nearby. Bruce said he prefers local racing to NASCAR. He didn't think twice about getting behind the wheel for this event, but his eyes were opened when he watched experienced Legends drivers take the asphalt track.

"I'm in a business where any publicity you can get is good," said Bruce, a WMT radio personality who hosts the Bob Bruce Radio Experience weekdays from 4-7 p.m. "I've always been a fan of racing so sure I'm all for it.

"As I saw these guys race last Friday I became a little bit less all for it just seeing how fast those cars can go."

Bruce's wife, Abby, wasn't surprised when she learned of the event. She's seen it all and was even at the track to watch her husband practice Wednesday night.

"He's done some crazy things since I've met him," Abby Bruce said. "Nothing shocks me."

Legend cars race the 1/4-mile track at Hawkeye Downs, reaching speeds between 60 and 70 miles per hour. It's no surprise Corbett battled nerves before practice laps Wednesday.

"My first thought was 'Yeah, let's do this.' You start to realize what are you getting yourself into," Corbett said about when he was approached about the race. "Obviously, when you're racing at this kind of speed you better spend some time practicing."

You could see the competitive juices flow from Corbett, who had never driven a race car before this week. He stood near the track after practice watching other Legends drivers take the track, asking Randy Schmitt, a former racer at the track and VMI ermployee, for tips.

"You think you're going faster than you really are," Corbett said. "Just trying to get a feel for how the car handles coming out of the turns and the brake and accelerator."

Both seem to be crowning Boyer as the eventual champion, but neither Bruce nor Corbett wants to be the last to cross the finish line.

"Barry's already been out here practicing so he'll probably win. He's a competitor," said Corbett, who was football teammates with Boyer at Cornell in the early 1980s and took over as the Rams' starting running back when Boyer suffered an injury. "I just don't want to get last so I need to beat Bob."

Bruce echoed Corbett's thoughts and sharing his desire to out-race Corbett. Bruce will take a finish that doesn't result in any wrecks.

"I'm just hoping to beat Ron," Bruce said. "That's my only goal is to finish ahead of Ron.

"I mostly don't want to bend any metal that is not mine."