NASCAR buys Iowa Speedway, no Cup date planned (UPDATED)

6 Comments

UPDATED (3:20 p.m. ET): Shortly after NASCAR announced its purchase of Iowa Speedway, MotorSportsTalk reached out to the INDYCAR sanctioning body for comment on the news.

“We have a multi-year agreement with Iowa Speedway and look forward to working with the new owners,” vice president of communications/public relations Amy Konrath replied via e-mail.

The IndyCar Series has raced at Iowa since the 2007 season.

ORIGINAL: Reports from my colleague Chris Estrada earlier this week first identified that Iowa Speedway would be sold by its current owners, then the ownership transfer was approved by local officials.

The key question though, still, was who was this mysterious buyer of the 0.875-mile track located in Newton, Iowa?

As a quick surprise before most of us retreat to our Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday, NASCAR has just announced it has bought the track. A tweet first from managing director of NASCAR’s Integrated Marketing Communications, David Higdon, broke the news.

A full release formalized the news, including the confirmation that a wholly-owned NASCAR subsidiary, Iowa Speedway, LLC, is the official purchaser.

“Iowa Speedway is a great entertainment facility with a very bright future,” Eric Nyquist, NASCAR vice president, strategic development, said in the release. “The facility has the support of the region, it’s positioned well in the heart of the Midwest, and year in and year out it provides great short-track racing action for motorsports fans.”

This will mean a heavy NASCAR schedule occurs at the track in 2014, and even the verbage has left IndyCar as “second tier” by comparison. The IndyCar weekend, on July 11-12, is referred to as the  “NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/IndyCar Series race weekend.” IndyCar shifts its date from a traditional June date to July in 2014, and Higdon added in a tweet later Wednesday that, “#IndyCar race very important to @iowaspeedway #NASCAR. Nothing changes.”

The key line from the release though is that the track does not plan to have a Sprint Cup race “next year or in the immediate future.” Further details about this announcement will be held at a special event in Des Moines on December 12.

Iowa did release its full 2014 schedule though, and is as follows:

2014 IOWA SPEEDWAY EVENT SCHEDULE
 
Saturday, May 17 – NASCAR K&N Pro Series East vs. West Challenge
Sunday, May 18 – NASCAR Nationwide Series
Friday, July 11 – American Ethanol 200, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Saturday, July 12 – Iowa Corn Indy 300, IndyCar Series
Friday, August 1 – NASCAR K&N Pro Series East vs. West Challenge
Saturday, August 2 – NASCAR Nationwide Series

Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider

Beta Motorcycles 2024 Bloss
Beta Motorcycles
0 Comments

Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.