Iowa Speedway announces action-packed 2015 slate

Iowa Speedway concluded a week-long flurry of announcements with the release of its full 2015 racing season schedule Wednesday. On hand Wednesday to help kickoff the season ticket sales were 2014 ARCA Racing Series champion Mason Mitchell and 2014 Verizon IndyCar Verizon Series rookie Jack Hawksworth.

“It’s pretty neat to have these drivers here on the day we go back on sale with season tickets,” said Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small. “Jack is someone we worked with earlier this year in the ethanol promotion going into the Iowa Corn Indy 300.

“With Mason it is great to have an Iowa driver here to help promote the season. To get ARCA Racing Series back here at Iowa Speedway is one great piece of news, but to have a driver from central Iowa win the ARCA series championship and have him be able to drive here next year when he’s defending his championship — nothing could be better.”

Mitchell, who is a West Des Moines native, had a big announcement of his own Wednesday.

“Hot of the press today. I’m looking to move up in the NASCAR ranks and announced today I will be driving in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway,” Mitchell said. “We’ll see what happens after that and what it leads to, but if schedule permits I hope I can come back here and drive in the ARCA race with my own team in front of an Iowa crowd and win.”

Mitchell made his ARCA debut at Iowa Speedway in 2012. Following his first full season of racing in ARCA, Mitchell developed his own racing team Mason Mitchell Motorsports at the end of 2013. Mitchell became the first team owner/driver to win an ARCA championship since 1993.

Hawksworth, a Bradford, England native who lives in Indianapolis now, just finished his rookie season on the Verizon IndyCar Series circuit. Hawksworth has competed on the Iowa Speedway track in all three levels of IndyCar racing. In July, he finished 17th in the Iowa Corn Indy 300 driving for Bryan Herta Autosport, but that has changed.

It was announced last week that Hawksworth joins A.J.Foyt Racing in 2015. He will be driving a second car for Foyt and ABC Supply Co. has extended and expanded its sponsorship to include Hawksworth and Takuma Sato, who has been Foyt’s sole drive in the Verizon IndyCar Series the past two years.

“If you are into short track racing and seeing cars race wheel-to-wheel, side-by-side all night long, which sounds pretty exciting to me, this is one of the best (tracks) to come to,” Hawksworth said. “IndyCar drivers and crews love to race here. It’s a great treat to see three (Indy) races back-to-back-back on one day.”

That’s right. Iowa Speedway becomes IndyCar Central on July 17-18, 2015.

Three levels of IndyCar racing will be on the Speedway track on July 18. Iowa Speedway and IndyCar officials announced Tuesday the Speedway will host the IndyLights presented by Cooper Tires and the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires prior to the Verizon IndCar Series Iowa Corn 300.

That Friday-Saturday race weekend will also have the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards on July 17.

Hawksworth and Mitchell came to the Speedway Wednesday to call season ticket holders and meet fans.

“For me, winning here at Iowa Speedway is more important than to win at any other track. It is one of the most exciting short tracks in America. A race here, in my opinion, is the coolest event on the schedule,” Mitchell said.

“Drivers love racing here because of the how it was designed with the progressive banking and the grooves. It creates a lot of action and high speed.

“It doesn’t matter what race you go to — ARCA, IndyCar, NASCAR — the crowd support is unreal. It seems it is always a packed house.”

Fan feedback is important to Iowa Speedway.

“We’re fully committed here and our 2015 schedule is a good representation of us listening to our fans,” Small said. “They definitely asked for USAC and ARCA. We also heard fans wondering about more open-wheel racing. IndyCar was very interested in bringing back its lower level series races. It all lined up. Now our fans can purchase one ticket to get three races on July 18.”

The additions of Indy Lights and Pro Mazda Championship to the Verizon IndyCar Series weekend bolster an already impressive 2015 schedule which includes the previously released dates for the NASCAR XFINITY Series (currently the NASCAR Nationwide Series); ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, USAC Silver Crown Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

“It seems like yesterday that I made my ARCA debut here,” Mitchell said. “It was such a cool evening with great fan support. Two years later, I’m the series champion and it means a lot to have ARCA back here. This is where I grew up and I love this place so much. It is an awesome racing facility and you get to have so much interaction with the fans.”

Hawksworth, who finished 17th in the IndyCar driver standings as a rookie, said Iowa Speedway presents a much quick track for the IndyCar series than the two junior series races. He said he found out in July’s race that things happen a lot quicker in IndyCar racing.

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.

“I was strong here in the junior series races, but July’s race was one of my worse races this past year. It shows how challenging this place is. It is super, super fast in IndyCar and a lot of fun,” Hawksworth said. “I learned something every weekend I raced and it keeps you sharp.”

Iowa Speedway racing fans can save 25 percent or more by purchasing season ticket packages, starting at just $115 for eight race days in 2015. In addition to great savings, by purchasing a season ticket, fans will receive exclusive benefits, including: an invitation to the season ticket holder party with VIP appearances and giveaways, exciting chances to receive season ticket holder upgrades like pace car rides, garage access and suite upgrades throughout the season, a season ticket holder rewards card with discounts at the Iowa Speedway gift shop and concessions stands, as well as discounts from Iowa Speedway partners and much more.

Season Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in three convenient ways: online: www.iowaspeedway.com. Tickets are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week after the on-sale begins; by phone: 866-787-8946; in person: visit the Iowa Speedway ticket office in the administration building between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday.