Auto Racing

Defending SportsMod champion opens season at Benton County Speedway with runner-up finish in feature, a route he took to last year’s season points victory

Danny Lehmkuhl takes the checkered flag with a little bit of luck and fate April 27 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway

Hawkeye Downs staff and board members cut the yellow ribbon at a public celebration Saturday, officially giving the green flag to the speedway’s 100th season

Since 1925, Hawkeye Downs has been more than just a racetrack; it has been a gathering place for families, friends, and racing enthusiasts to create lasting memories.

Plans call for building a new expo center, go-kart track, tech barn, hotel and restaurant at Hawkeye Downs Speedway & Expo Center in Cedar Rapids.

Action from the final night of weekly racing for the 2024 summer season at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

Marion High School senior Ethan Hogan — the youngest driver in the Sport Compact division at Benton County Speedway — has a clear love of racing that runs deep through his family tree.

Seven drivers were crowned track champions Friday at Hawkeye Downs Speedway: Adam Petrzelka (Hobby Stocks), Corey Crispin (Hornets), Kacey Korsmo (Legends), Todd Ness (Sportsmans), Tallan Chandler (Sports Mods), Greg Hentrich (Late Models) and Will Zamastil (HD Dawgs).

Tallan Chandler’s schedule is loaded. At 14, he’s the points leader in Hawkeye Downs’ Sports Mods division.

When HotRods By Havliks in Cedar Rapids was approached by Tri State Raceway in Earlville to organize a “different kind of race than what they normally do,” the Havlik cousins had the perfect idea: A "fastest street car" event.

Five individuals will be inducted into Hawkeye Downs Speedway’s Wall of Fame on Friday. Brad Huff, Ed Janey, Joe Merryfield, Scott Megonigle and Arnie Reif will be honored before the start of racing.

It appeared to be a routine visit to Victory Lane at Hawkeye Downs for Kacey Korsmo. Then things went dark.

Todd Ness leads the Hawkeye Downs Speedway Sportsman division with hopes of winning the NASCAR series title this summer.

Photos from the Urbana 5 races at Benton County Speedway on Sunday, July 14, 2024.

Nine years since the tragic deaths of five of its young people, the auto racing community at Benton County Speedway continues to remember the departed with a marquee dirt-track racing event each summer.