March 29, 2024

oad racing to be held May 17

DES MOINES — Officials of the Des Moines Valley Region (DMVR), the local region for the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), announced that SCCA Club Racing is coming to the road course at Iowa Speedway on May 17, 18, and 19, with the GroundPounder & Wings SCCA Majors Festival slated in addition to fourteen SCCA Regional/National sports car races.

With more than 300 members, and organizing numerous motorsports events each year, the DMVR has scheduled events at several venues throughout the Upper Midwest, but the Iowa Speedway event weekend will mark the first time that SCCA Regional/National races have been held on the Newton facility’s 1.3-mile, 9-turn road course.

“For 2013, we are announcing a racing enthusiast’s dream — a weekend extravaganza including a variety of events, all close to home at Iowa Speedway”, said DMVR Regional Executive Dan Harrington. “More than 200 cars are expected to participate over the three-day period, and we are delighted to offer this beautiful venue for our racers.”

The wheel-to-wheel action of the GroundPounders and Wings Festivals will showcase race car drivers from around the Midwest, including numerous local drivers. SCCA Club Racing competition includes 28 National-level classes plus a number of Regional classes, ranging from open-wheel cars with wings and wide tires to lightly modified, small displacement production sedans, and everything in between.

Festival action starts on track on Friday, May 17, with practice and qualifying, then moves into SCCA Regional & National points series competition on Saturday and Sunday with seven races each day. The weekend culminates with special SCCA Majors Festival feature races on Sunday afternoon, May 19.

The “GroundPounders” Festival Race features high-horsepower muscle cars, including Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and other well-known performance brands. The “Hot Wings” Festival Race will have pen-wheeled cars with wings, from Formula Fords to Formula Atlantics — one of the SCCA’s fastest open-wheel classes.

In addition, more than 100 street cars are expected to take to the Newton Club lot on Sunday to master a specially designed course defined by traffic cones in an SCCA Solo Autocross event.  Competitors race against the clock for bragging rights in their class, and SCCA Solo events are open to any licensed driver.

The Tire Rack Street Survival School is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, and features a special teen safe driving program held in the Newton Club parking lot. Street Survival instruction puts young drivers ages 15-21 behind the wheel of their own cars to help them hone their driving skills and practice safety maneuvers. Presented by DMVR/SCCA in conjunction with Iowa Chapter BMW Club, the program is geared toward providing teenagers with the skills needed to avoid costly mistakes on the road.

For those interested in watching the DMVR/SCCA events, Iowa Speedway will be offering infield spectator passes for $10 (ages 12 and under free), available at the Credentials Office located outside the tunnel entrance. Interested parties may visit the DMVR website for more information on participating, www.dmvrscca.org. Additional information about the Tire RackStreet Survival School is also available online at www.streetsurvival.org.

About DMVR/SCCA

Started in 1944, SCCA is now roughly 40,000 strong. From national championships to regional events, whether professional or amateur, SCCA exists to organize, support and develop auto racing at every level.  Members participate in everything from Club Racing to Solo to Road Rally to volunteering and beyond. One of 115 SCCA regions across the country, DMVR was formed in 1958.  DMVR has held numerous events locally, and their members also volunteer their time at other race events all over the USA.  Many will remember some of our more famous events in Des Moines — the Ruan Grand Prix events from 1989-1994. If you like racing, DMVR can help you get out of the armchair and into the action.