NASCAR Cup Series race could bring millions to Newton and surrounding area
With Tuesday's announcement sharing NASCAR is bringing a Cup Series race to Iowa, business owners in the Iowa Speedway will have a lot to look forward to next summer.
The race weekend will take place June 14-16, 2024, with the ARCA Menards Series kicking things off that Friday, followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
NASCAR says its premium events generate $100 million in economic impact per Cup event.
"A $10-$15 million economic impact directly on Newton is not out of the question," said Craig Armstrong, the city of Newton's development specialist.
Armstrong is over the moon excited about a NASCAR Cup Series race coming to the Iowa Speedway. It's something he says the speedway and race fans have been waiting for for years.
"Our grocery stores will be busy. Our retailers and service businesses will be literally bursting at the seams," said Armstrong, who also mentioned how packed he expects surrounding area hotels and campgrounds to be.
Watch: NASCAR Cup Series race coming to Iowa Speedway in 2024
The NASCAR Cup Series race wouldn't be the first time the Iowa Speedway attracted a surge of guests to the area.
Hy-Vee's IndyCar Race weekend is also a bring draw. Armstrong says the most recent one in July brought 85,000 people to the area.
"Our businesses all tell me that that makes a huge difference in their business overall," Armstrong said.
vlog spent late Tuesday afternoon in Newton trying to speak with business owners. However, many were gone for the day.
The few vlog did speak with over the phone echo Armstrong's words, saying they're excited for both the NASCAR Cup Series race and Hy-Vee's IndyCar Race weekend, which is set for July 12-14.
"Boom. Boom. Back-to-back huge economic impacts," Armstrong said. "Both of them right here in Newton, Iowa. We couldn't be happier."
Watch: Watch full news conference announcing NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway