Don’t you rain no more

Torrential rains interfered with the debut race weekend plans at the Iowa Speedway, forcing staff to postpone the Saturday race while visitors hunkered down in their vehicles to watch storm clouds wash over the track, which would ultimately flood portions of the grassy infield parking lot in almost knee-deep water.

The Iowa Speedway maintenance team determined a parking cone had plugged a drain, overwhelming the parking area with accumulated rainwater and thereby submerging the lower sections of a few cars. Four maintenance workers stood in the water carrying shovels to clear way any debris that might block the drain. Chatter from the radio told staff the infield grass was “sinking.”

Indeed. And the rainstorm had completely saturated the racetrack. Trucks equipped with air blowers began drying the pavement as best and as fast as they could before the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Trucks Series M&M’s 200 was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. But by that time the rain was still coming down in short bursts.

And then there was the Kansas concert to address. The American rock band, known for its hits like “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” was scheduled to rock out with fans on the concert stage after the race. Uncertain the race would even occur, the band agreed to play by 8:10 p.m. By then, most of the storm had cleared. Every so often a few drops would fall, but nothing serious.

Hundreds gathered around the stage to watch Kansas liven up their speedway experience that had quenched by inclement weather. Earlier in the day, another rain spurt cancelled NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying. Again, trucks were driving around the track with their blowers. Despite their best efforts, Mother Nature had other plans.

Rain might have obstructed schedules and races, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of visitors Warren Reed and Shane Huth and their company of friends and family that had rode down from Minnesota on Harley Davidson motorcycles to spend a weekend at the Iowa Speedway.

Seeking shelter underneath the tunnel near the team RV check-in and guard post, Reed and Huth had nothing but good things to say about their experience at the Iowa Speedway, despite the heavy rain fall. They acquired pit passes and got see a brief practice and happily wandered around the pit since 10 a.m. or so.

“I’m enjoying the heck out of it!” Reed said. “…Coming down to Newton, Iowa, everybody’s been just pleasant as could be.”

Huth added, “It’s bummed out, but it’s part of the game. It happens every week, but you don’t see it when you’re sitting home watching TV … But you have to stay positive, man.”

The day certainly wasn’t wasted, especially for those tailgating throughout most of the day. Bob Armstrong of Independence and Bill Danehy of Muscoda, Wisconsin, are longtime visitors of the Iowa Speedway since the Newton track opened in 2006. They brought along their friend and speedway first timer Jim Kuper.

“We’ve been going through the midway and the concourse and stuff,” Danehy said.

Armstrong added, “And then we have to come back for refreshments.”

A cooler of beer is about as common as conversations with neighboring tailgaters. Danehy, originally from Independence, said that is all part of the fun of visiting the Iowa Speedway. Plus, being at the racetrack makes him feel like he’s back home.

Others feel like they’re home in a different kind of way. Max Hoffer, of Sioux City, has a background in racing. Like most folks walking up and down the Fan Walk, he is most excited to see the race. The smell of gasoline and rubber. The sound of roaring engines. Hoffer can’t get enough of this kind of atmosphere, even more so since it’s his first time.

“It’s a fun experience, especially if you’re into racing like we are,” he said. “I have a son that races and I have a grandson that races go karts.”

Families near and far are abundant at the racetrack. Nate and Malinda Warwick, of Story City, brought their children Chase Blagg, Skylar Blagg and Riker Warwick along for the day. Malinda Warwick said this, too, was their first visit to the Iowa Speedway.

Tours through the displays and vendor areas provided a fair bit of entertainment for the family of five. They watched a couple of lumberjacks show off their skills in a bombastic wood choppin’ display, played all the free games they could, walked around the vendors and made brief stops to take in the ambience of the speedway.

“We really didn’t know what to expect coming in,” Malinda Warwick said. “Everyone we talked to told us to do this and do that.”

Matt Holmes, of Newton, knew exactly what he wanted to do this past race weekend: find race car driver David Starr once again. Holmes said he met Starr a five or six different times over the last couple of years.

“He’s just a great, down-to-earth guy,” he said. “Last year he saw us standing out here by the fence on the Fan Walk and he stopped and went, ‘Matt!’ He remembered my name. It’s awesome!”

Holmes added that he loves “every minute” of racing season at the Iowa Speedway.

“We love racing,” he said. “...You get great access to the drivers. I’m looking forward to the Kansas concert. They have a bunch of things for kids to do on the midway. It’s just a great experience. A lot of fun. A lot of good people. A lot of people here for the same reason – to watch some good racing and have a lot of fun.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com