NASCAR coming to Hawkeye Downs Speedway

CEDAR RAPIDS — NASCAR is coming to Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

Kind of.

Brian Gibson, race director at the 98-year-old Cedar Rapids paved racetrack, announced Friday night during a drivers’ meeting that Hawkeye Downs has partnered with NASCAR in the Advanced Auto Parts Racing Series, a regional points system that will mean bigger paydays for drivers and, hopefully, larger car counts.

And more fans in the stands.

“That’s what we’re hoping,” he said. “We’re trying to grow the facility.

“This is huge for our racetrack.”

Late models at Hawkeye Downs will be classified as Division I, sportsman as Division II, hobby stocks as Division III and hornets as Division IV. Legends and sportsmods will continue to compete at the track, but will not be part of the regional NASCAR series.

Other tracks in the series include Elko Speedway in Elko New Market, Minn., La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wis., Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, Ill., and Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wis.

Drivers from those tracks and a handful of others can compete for points in Cedar Rapids, and vice versa. Drivers can race in as many events as they want, and their best 14 finishes will count in their regional point total.

The Midwest region includes tracks in Iowa (Adams County Speedway in Corning is the only other NASCAR track in this series in the state), Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

Gibson said other tracks in the series like Elko Speedway and La Crosse have “a deep history and are very successful.

“Hawkeye Downs needs to get in that market.”

The total purse in the four NASCAR divisions at Hawkeye Downs will increase to $15,000 with the season points winner getting $3,500 in late models, $1,000 in sportsman, $700 in hobby stock and $500 in hornets. Last season’s late model points winner (Kody King of Clear Lake) received $300, for instance.

The Top 5 in each division will get “NASCAR money” while places 6 through 10 will be paid by the track.

The total purse at the track, in all six divisions, will exceed $20,000 now. It was $4,660 in 2022.

“Everybody’s points money is going up,” Gibson said.

He pointed out, however, “this isn’t free to our racetrack.”

Hawkeye Downs had to put up funds to get the NASCAR distinction, but the marketing and exposure from NASCAR, Gibson said, “you can’t put a monetary value on.”

There are not mandatory upgrades NASCAR demands at these tracks, but they want all facilities to “look nice” and will help with improvements, like new lighting and signage.

Hawkeye Downs also gets to set its own rules and cars that race here can compete anywhere in the region without making changes.

“This has been fun for me already being involved with it,” Gibson said.

Weekly points racing at Hawkeye Downs begins May 5.

“We have a robust schedule,” Gibson said, adding he is open to adding new special events under the NASCAR flag, but is focused on weekly racing right now. “We’ve got some great things going on out here.”

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