IndyCar rookie Hawksworth no stranger to Iowa Speedway

“I’m looking forward to being back on track at Iowa Speedway. It is quite small and presents some great intense racing,” Jack Hawksworth said two weeks ago of this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 300, while in Iowa on a visit to an Iowa farm to learn about corn and ethanol production.

That was almost spoiled for the Verizon IndyCar Series rookie by a mishap in a practice session for last week’s Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Penn. Hawksworth’s car spun and made left-side contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 at Pocono Raceway and suffered a bruised heart.

The 23-year-old driver from Bradford, England, missed the Pocono 500. He was finally cleared Tuesday afternoon to drive the No. 98 Integrity Energee Drink car for Bryan Herta Autosport here at Newton.

Although Hawksworth has raced twice at Iowa Speedway, this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 300 is his first race on the 7/8-mile oval in IndyCar’s premier series.

“Iowa Speedway is a good place to race. I grew up racing on the street courses, but I enjoyed racing at Iowa in the two previous years,” Hawksworth said. “It is the shortest oval track we race on in a season. As a driver, you have to stay in the race because it is so intense with a lot of side-by-side action throughout the race.”

Hawksworth started second in last year’s Iowa Sukup 100 while competing in Indy Lights, and led 48 laps before eventually finishing third. That came a year after his Indy Star Mazda Series Championship but in 2012 at Iowa Speedway, Hawksworth had worked his way up to third in the Star Mazda race then crashed into Turn 4, finishing 15th.

“So, I’ve had good fortune and not so good at Iowa. I was really quick there in Star Mazda racing but had the crash. Last year, we had a great run there. We’ve had a great car this year in the IndyCar Series and I’m excited to see what I can do at Iowa,” Hawksworth said.

Hawksworth had a season-high third-place finish in Race 2 at Houston, June 28-29. He is 16th overall in the point standings for the Verizon IndyCar Series. He is third in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Hawksworth began his career at the age of 13 racing go-karts in England. He continued racing successfully in karts until 2010, when he moved into open wheel racing in the highly-competitive Formula Renault U.K. Winter Series. There, he earned the pole position in every round of the championship, finished third in the championship and was the highest-placed rookie.

In the span of four seasons, he’s advanced from being the No. 1 British driver in KZ1 karting to a rising rookie star in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

In 2011, Hawksworth moved to the United States, working his way up the Mazda Road to Indy. He dominated in the 2012 Star Mazda Series, breaking the record for most wins, poles and fastest laps in a season. In 2013, Hawksworth competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, winning three races and finishing fourth in the championship.

“When I was younger, I was into soccer. My dad competed in bike rallies and that’s how I got interested in motorsports,” Hawksworth said. “I decided I wanted to race karts. Fortunately, my dad was happy to support me in that and I’ve loved competing in racing ever since.”

Hawksworth said there has been a learning curve for him stepping up into the IndyCar Series this season.

“One of the main things I’ve learned is it is about having a great team and crew around you. They’ve put me in a great car this season and we’re having success,” Hawksworth said of his rookie season. “I can’t wait to get to Iowa and see how we perform there.”

Come Friday, Hawksworth will be back on the Iowa Speedway track. Practice sessions and qualifying for Saturday’s 2014 Iowa Corn Indy 300 are on Friday. The Iowa Corn Indy 300 is under the lights Saturday with the green flag dropping at 7:45 p.m.