The work to build Iowa Speedway began in Newton, Iowa on June 21, 2005 and the uniquely-designed short oval was completed on September 15, 2006. Known as the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet,” NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace helped design the D-shaped, 7/8 of a mile oval that shares some characteristics with another popular short oval track – Richmond International Raceway. Iowa Speedway hosted its first race in September of 2006 while the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights first competed at Iowa the weekend of June 23-24, 2007.
Some of the top drivers in modern INDYCAR history have raced and won at Iowa Speedway. Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden is the winningest series driver in the history of the track as the current Team Penske racer won the Iowa Indy Lights race in 2011 before producing four INDYCAR SERIES victories at the track in 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Former INDYCAR SERIES champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has also produced three Iowa Speedway wins – in 2012, 2014 and 2015 – while Dario Franchitti (2007 and 2009) and James Hinchcliffe (2013 and 2018) each posted a pair of Iowa victories.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has hosted 17 races at Iowa Speedway with seven events held at night under the lights. The track hosted its first INDYCAR doubleheader event in 2020 in one of the first major events in the state of Iowa coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Team Penske swept the Friday/Saturday race weekend in 2020 with Simon Pagenaud winning Race 1 and Newgarden claiming victory in Race 2.
With support from Hy-Vee, the popular Midwest Supermarket company based in Des Moines, Iowa, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned to Iowa Speedway in 2022 with the only doubleheader on the series schedule. Newgarden won the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash on Saturday while Pato O’Ward claimed the win Sunday in the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google. The Indy Lights Series also made its return to Iowa Speedway in 2022 with Hunter McElrea winning from the pole on Saturday of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend.