Hawkeye Downs to host Coors Light Summer Shootout

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's no secret that Hawkeye Downs Speedway has needed a shot in the arm recently. Crowd interested has waned over the last few years, and car counts have dipped as well.

But several Corridor businesses came together to help bring the track and its racing back to the forefront of the entertainment-seeking public, and the result was the Coors Light Summer Shootout and Music Festival.

The event is the culmination of this year's Freedom Fest on July 5, brings the ARCA Midwest Tour to Hawkeye Downs for a 100-lap event, features the Merv Chandler Memorial 42 and ends with a to-be-announced headlining concert.

'I think this is huge. This is a level of competition that isn't seen frequently at Hawkeye Downs,” said Hawkeye Downs Fair Board President Bob Bruce. 'It's something we're really trying to strive for this year, to give fans - both longtime fans and potential new fans - a reason to come back to Hawkeye Downs. Certainly this (event) fits right into that.”

The Summer Shootout came together over a couple event-sponsor products in Indianapolis at a racing trade show.

Fleck Sales owner and late model racer Dudley Fleck and Midwest Tour co-owner Steve Einhaus had a few beers and got to talking about their days of putting together the Keith Fleck Memorial Miller 100, which last ran at Hawkeye Downs in 2011. Between Einhaus and the Midwest Tour's longing to return to a racer-favorite track, as well as Fleck's interest in bringing a sought-after event to Hawkeye Downs, they decided to do whatever was necessary to make it happen.

Over the next several months, the two were able to get McGrath Powersports, Townsquare Media and Liz Girl Logistics, in addition to Fleck Sales, on board to foot the entire bill and essentially rent out the track from Hawkeye Downs - which will keep concession money.

'Every time (Dudley) and I get together, we sit down like we did (in Indianapolis), and we had lunch and had a couple Coors Lights,” Einhaus said. 'I looked at him, he looked at me, and at the same time, we both said ‘How can we make it happen?' We had to find partners, help and people to advocate to make this event successful. And that's what we did.”

The most sentimental part of the event will be when the IMCA Sport Compacts - called Hornets at Hawkeye Downs, which is not sanctioned by IMCA - hit the track as a support race for the Midwest Tour in memory of Merv Chandler.

When the event was taking shape, organizers knew it would need a support class, and that's when Griffin McGrath stepped up with the suggestion to honor Chandler, who died March 10. With IMCA national points - a special concession offered by IMCA - and $2,000 offered up to the winner, 75-100 cars are expected to take part in the 42-lap race.

Merv's son Brad said it meant a lot to his family to have McGrath reach out to offer his help. Brad said they were happy to know 'there's so many people out there that do care and that we're all part of a big racing family.”

'It's kind of a cool deal, to be honest,” McGrath said. 'I offered (this event) up to Brad, and asked if I could help (with a memorial race). We wanted to find some way to honor Merv, because he raced a lot at Hawkeye Downs.

'We're going to try to make this as big a part of the even as possible, because having a local tie-in like that, it makes it neat. The Tour coming to town is neat, but people here don't necessarily care about (drivers) from Wisconsin. But if it hits home for people, that's great.”

Bruce said everything about the event is the example Hawkeye Downs wants to follow for its weekly racing. Having attractions to draw people to more than just what's on track is crucial.

And the event is one the organizers hope can stand on its own. Fleck was adamant that this isn't a re-created Miller 100, which 'probably isn't coming back” and was a racing-only event.

The Summer Shootout will tie together the Midwest Tour, Merv Chandler Memorial, two live concerts, the Freedom Fest and the Motorcycle Poker Run. It's an event that is intended to appeal to as many people as possible, and get folks to the race track who might not have gone on a regular night.

'We're not trying to re-create the Miller 100 by any means. That's been done,” Fleck said. 'We're trying to make it more of a festive atmosphere - a little more multifaceted than just a race.

'It brings in a lot of people who wouldn't normally go to a Friday night race. If you're a guy who likes going to a Kernels game, likes going to a (RoughRiders) hockey game or likes going to an Iowa football game, but really doesn't go out to the races, this will give them an opportunity to load up the family and take them out and see a special (event).”

With all that said, the racing will still be the showcase.

Fans can be entertained by other things, but if the racing isn't good, then the point of the event is lost. And since the Miller 100 went away after 2011, Hawkeye Downs hasn't had a racing event that set it apart and could have as a hallmark.

Everyone involved with the Summer Shootout - the track, sponsors, organizers and racers - hopes this can be it for Hawkeye Downs.

'We've never had a special, other than the Miller 100, that we could really call our own, that everybody rallied around,” Fleck said. 'Other tracks have their one big even every year that people flock to, people camp at and look forward to every year. This, hopefully, will be a step in that direction.”

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