Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend to Feature Family-Friendly Entertainment All Weekend Long at Iowa Speedway
July 10, 2024 | By INDYCAR
Free Family Friday and $50K Pit Stop Challenge to Start Three-Day Festival
NEWTON, Iowa (July 9, 2024) — With free gate admission for everyone on Friday followed by back-to-back days of great racing and premier live music, fans will enjoy a weekend full of family-friendly entertainment at Iowa Speedway during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, July 12-14.
In addition to the unique NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader and trackside concerts on the Hy-Vee Stage featuring award-winning artists Luke Combs, Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini and Post Malone, there will be activities for fans of all ages throughout the weekend.
For the third consecutive year, Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend will feature “Free Family Friday” with everyone welcome to attend the action at Iowa Speedway free of charge on Friday, July 12. With the Iowa Speedway gates opening at 2 pm CT Friday, fans will have the opportunity to see the opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session of the action-packed weekend. The rising stars of INDY NXT by Firestone will sign autographs for fans from 4-4:30 pm CT on the Chairman’s Club Patio, just off the main concourse at Iowa Speedway, before they take to the track with qualifying for Saturday’s NXT race.
The fun will continue Friday evening as the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will host an autograph session from 6:15-7:15 pm CT, also on the Chairman’s Club Patio. Following the autograph session, fans are welcome to access the track and the infield area at Iowa Speedway with no special pass required. Guests can walk the 7/8 of a mile oval – known as the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet” – and then watch the talented pit crews of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES get a chance to shine.
The second annual Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Pit Stop Challenge will begin at approximately 7:30 pm CT Friday. Featuring six series teams battling head-to-head for $50,000 in prize money, the thrilling single-elimination Pit Stop Challenge will showcase the exceptional speed and precision of the world-class pit crews whose performance is often the deciding factor in determining the outcome of NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. Among the drivers and teams participating in the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Pit Stop Challenge are the defending Iowa Speedway pit stop champions – driver Christian Lundgaard and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda team. They will be joined in the challenge by driver Will Power – a seven-time pole winner at Iowa Speedway – and the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet team, Nolan Siegel with the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet team, Sting Ray Robb from AJ Foyt Racing with the No. 41 Chevrolet team, David Malukas with the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda team and Jack Harvey with his No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda team. The Pit Stop Challenge will also be streamed live Friday evening on www.indycar.com.
On Saturday, July 13, special events and displays at Iowa Speedway will honor veterans and pay tribute to military members for their service to our country, culminating with the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race presented by Instacart.
The Spirit of Iowa Tribute Bell, a unique two-foot-tall bell weighing 255 pounds, will be on display throughout race weekend. Attendees are invited to visit this special bell, which is used to raise awareness and funds for veterans. Made from metal sourced from commemorative coins, service dog tags and other artifacts belonging to military members and their families, the Spirit of Iowa Tribute Bell serves as a symbol of support for military veterans and service members.
A replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will also be featured throughout race weekend at Iowa Speedway. This replica honors unidentified soldiers from World Wars I & II, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It serves as a tribute to American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice without being identified. The original Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, is dedicated to these fallen heroes.
The U.S. Navy will proudly present the Nimitz Virtual Reality Experience during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend. This immersive experience showcases the Navy's cutting-edge technology in various STEM fields including nuclear engineering, cryptology and Special Warfare. Housed in a large, 18-wheel display, the Nimitz Experience offers over 60 career opportunities for participants to explore.
In addition to the armed forces activation, the Hy-Vee KidsFit and Hy-Vee Health areas will also be on display for fans to experience all weekend long, located off the main concourse, outside Turn 1 at Iowa Speedway.
After the INDY NXT by Firestone race (1 pm CT Saturday streamed live on Peacock) and prior to the start of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, Luke Combs will perform live on the Hy-Vee Stage at approximately 4:15 pm CT Saturday. In the first INDYCAR race under the lights at Iowa Speedway in four years, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will battle for 250 laps in the first of two series races this weekend (Saturday at 7 pm CT live on NBC and streamed live on Peacock).
Following Saturday’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, fans will be treated to a state-of-the-art drone light show that will consist of an armada of synchronized drones moving in unison against the backdrop of the fresh night sky in Newton, Iowa. Eric Church will rock the Hy-Vee Stage on Saturday night, with a concert set to begin at approximately 9:30 pm CT. Following the concert, a fireworks display will bring a dramatic conclusion to a full day of entertainment at Iowa Speedway. On Sunday, July 14, the second NTT INDYCAR SERIES race of the weekend will take the green flag with the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (11 am CT live on NBC and streamed live on Peacock). Two premier concerts will follow the racing action Sunday with Kelsea Ballerini performing on stage at approximately 2 pm CT and Post Malone adding an exclamation point to a thrilling Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend beginning at approximately 3:45 pm CT.
To purchase 2024 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend tickets and to learn more about the event, visit https://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com/