Benning returning to Independence Motor Speedway as promoter

INDEPENDENCE — What's old is new again for Independence Motor Speedway.

The track announced Wednesday Dana Benning and his company B&D Promotions — named for he and his son Brady — would be returning to promote racing at the speedway. Benning ran the show from 2000 to 2002, and has managed the race program at Benton County Speedway in Vinton for the last decade.

Benning takes over for Todd Summers and Darin Burco, who he thanked repeatedly for giving him what he called 'a turnkey track,' at the perfect time.

'Basically this gives me an opportunity to run my show, basically my way,' Benning said. 'The time was right, the opportunity was right.

'There's tracks that have been available over the last few years, but the right track hasn't been. I've been working at Benton County Speedway, Mick Trier's got the contract there, and I enjoyed managing it, but got to the point professionally where I'm sound. The challenge of running a racetrack and having the opportunity to have a turkey track with the status of Independence was really something I couldn't turn down.'

Benning was quick to note he's not leaving Benton County Speedway entirely, saying he'll still be around to help Trier when he's needed — including the Hogan Memorial, the biggest event on their schedule.

But of course, the sole focus will be on his old/new track, and bolstering what he believes is the strongest weekly program around. Benning was part of installing Musco Lighting at the track, which was a huge undertaking, he said.

That installation and what Summers and Burco have done since has made Independence into a facility capable of holding the biggest events on dirt.

'I'm biased, but I believe it's the elite racing facility in Eastern Iowa,' Benning said. 'There's really not a lot that needs to be done. We're going to do some polishing on it, I'm going to put in a new Victory Lane, polish the weekly show and give the fans what they pay for.'

In the news release announcing the move, it was also announced the track would keep its IMCA sanction — a no-brainer for Benning. They'll also once again host a date on the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models, which will more than likely serve as the only event outside the weekly racing series.

Though Benning knows the track is more than capable of hosting a big event, and said he's had a few preliminary talks with people regarding big-name shows, he said at this point he'd rather focus on weekly racing in 2015 and his return to the promoter role and worry about big shows in subsequent years.

'The one thing you've got to keep in mind, what put Independence on the map is it's the strongest weekly show, in my opinion, in the state of Iowa,' Benning said. 'My feelings are (a big-name event) is not going to happen in 2015. That doesn't mean it's not going to happen in the future, but my main focus is the weekly show that's put on for the weekly fans.'

As for Benton County Speedway, Benning isn't worried about its future at all. His role with Trier, he said, was a supplemental one, not a required one.

He said he's friends with and has a lot of respect for Trier, and 'out of respect for the facility and out of respect for him,' will work with them as much as he can to make sure the tracks coexist and foster the best racing, due to the fact so many racers in the area run both tracks.

'They really don't need somebody to manage the facility,' Benning said. 'It's been a profitable venture for the Benton County Fair Association. I don't think they've had it as good as they've had it the previous 10 years. There's definitely a partnership there between Mick and the fair board.

'That relationship has been an asset for Benton County. And for me, I'll help with the scheduling and making sure we're working close together — Independence and Benton County Speedway — making sure we're not scheduling on top of each other. I want them to have a strong program.

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