Shows will go on at Benton Speedway

VINTON - The devastating storms that moved across Eastern Iowa early Monday morning impacted the Benton County Speedway, but won't affect this weekend's shows.

Race promoter Dana Benning said damage caused by strong winds will be fixed in time to hold the Benton County Fair points races Thursday night at 7, the first of four straight shows scheduled at the track.

There's also the Race ‘Em and Wreck ‘Em Challenge on Friday, a demolition derby on Saturday and regular weekly points races Sunday.

“The fair is going to go on,” Benning said. “The show is going to go on as scheduled.”

Benning praised the Benton County Fair Board and said 75 volunteers showed up to clean the fairgrounds, many working on the race track.

Benning said a shack where drivers check in and register their cars for races was picked up and moved by the winds, stretches of a fence that separated the pits and track from the main area were blown down and some billboards were blown away.

The dirt track is fine and is set for tonight.

“When people come to the races on (tonight), other than this horse barn they built a couple years ago being damaged, they may not even know the storm affected the fairgrounds,” Benning said.

The races, he hopes, will give some momentary relief to local residence.

“We'll do our part to make it a good experience for them,” he said.

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