The Verizon IndyCar Series has today announced that the 2019 race at Iowa Speedway will return to being held under the floodlights at night. The event switched to a day race in 2015, but many drivers, teams and fans have since spoken of their desire for the race to revert to the night.
Iowa Speedway joined the IndyCar schedule 2007 and first hosted a race at night in 2011. Further night races were held in 2012, 2014 and 2015. All of the night races were won by Andretti Autosport, with Marco Andretti taking the 2011 win and Ryan Hunter-Reay winning the remaining three.
David Hyatt, President of Iowa Speedway, stated today that the news of the returning night race was exciting for all involved parties and that the Speedway provides some of the best racing on the calendar.
“The return of a night race for INDYCAR at Iowa Speedway is exciting news for our race fans, sponsors, and the entire region,” Hyatt said. “INDYCAR races here are not only thrilling sports entertainment but also a boon for the local economy.
“Our track provides some of the best racing you’ll see anywhere, which will be good for attendance. This is one of our crown jewels and a can’t-miss weekend.
“Announcing our [2019] INDYCAR weekend in July allows our fans, local businesses and the City of Newton to plan ahead for what will be an exciting season of racing at Iowa Speedway.”
Mark Miles, CEO of INDYCAR owners Hulman & Company, also expressed his delight with today’s news, claiming that the on-track action should improve due to the cooler conditions in next season’s event.
“The staff at Iowa Speedway and our partnership with NBC Sports have helped us deliver exciting night racing for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2019,” said Miles, “Our cars look great under the lights, and the competition should be even more fierce given what should be cooler conditions.”
The news of the Iowa Speedway returning to a night event is the second popular 2019 calendar announcement in the last few weeks. Earlier in the month, it was announced that WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca would be returning to the series to take up the season finale spot on the calendar. The remaining dates of the calendar will be announced at a later date.
Next year’s race at Iowa Speedway will be run in the evening on Saturday, July 20. James Hinchcliffe will be the defending race winner. In the meantime, the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series will next be in action at Pocono Raceway for the ABC Supply 500 on Sunday, August 19.
