Dirt racing returns to Hawkeye Downs Saturday

CEDAR RAPIDS — For the first time since 1988, dirt racing is back at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

In continued celebration of its 100th anniversary, Hawkeye Downs has teamed up with Benton County Speedway to bring dirt back to its quarter-mile track for “Dirt at the Downs,” a six-week series of racing events set to begin Saturday.

“It started as a ha-ha, funny joke … but it kept going and turned into, ‘OK, we’re doing this,’” Hawkeye Downs Race Director Brian Gibson said. “I said to Roger (Cassill, Hawkeye Downs property owner), ‘If we’re going to do this, we’re going to partner with a dirt track promotion company that knows what to do.’

“We partnered with Rick (Dripps) and Corey (Dripps) in Benton. It’s been nothing but a success, and we’ve built a great relationship with a great six weeks of dirt track events scheduled here. We’re excited and couldn’t be happier to do this in our 100th.”

A “Demo Derby” will kick off Dirt at the Downs Saturday at 5 p.m.

To prepare the track for action, around 4,000 cubic yards of dirt were laid atop the pavement, one foot thick on the quarter-mile track — with a temporary concrete wall around the oval.

That’s “around 350 dump truck loads,” BCS General Manager and Promoter Rick Dripps said.

“We wanted good Iowa black farm dirt — we didn’t want old brown clay,” Dripps said. “We’ve been at Benton County Speedway now for six years, and the only dirt we’ve worked with is black Iowa topsoil. Our plan was if we have something here that’s very similar to what we have, if we start having issues, we’ll know what to do.”

The series features special races like “IMCA Racing Night” on Sept. 27, “Open Wheel Night” on Oct. 4, “Dirt at the Downs Classic” on Oct. 10-11 and HD Wall of Famer “Ken Schrader Night” on Oct. 18.

“Rick and Corey were able to partner with IMCA (International Motor Contest Association) and get that event sanctioned to be a point race — so Sept. 27 is the last night of national points for IMCA,” Gibson said. “I think we’re going to have a big crowd and that is going to be our iconic event.”

“We’re doing pay-per-view for the event on IMCA TV,” Dripps said. “That will be on throughout the country and really give exposure to Hawkeye Downs.”

HD also will host a “Boneshaker Shutdown” vintage drag races and car show on Sept. 28, “Mini Tractor Pull” on Oct. 12, “Go-Kart Racing” on Oct. 25 and a 200-lap “Dirt Enduro” race to wrap up the series on Oct. 26.

“There are a lot of neat things that are going to happen,” Gibson said. “Everybody’s going to have their night to come out and see their favorite style of racing.”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” Dripps said. “How many (paved) tracks actually put dirt on? It’s less than 1 percent, guaranteed.”

From its founding in 1925 until 1988, Hawkeye Downs was home to dirt track racing before transitioning to an asphalt track. Dirt at the Downs will give fans the opportunity to experience racing as it began a century ago.

“I grew up as a little guy, 3 or 4 years old, going to the races with my parents at Hawkeye Downs,” Dripps said. “I’ve got a lot of fond memories. And we want to do something for the 100th anniversary that people will remember.”