For the second consecutive year, leaders at the Iowa Speedway in Newton came to Marshalltown to offer free rides in the pace car 2025 Chevy Corvette with 500 horsepower to residents at the Iowa Veterans Home (IVH) in the courtyard area on Friday afternoon.

While taking a break from driving, Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson called the partnership between the two organizations “incredible.”

“It’s such an honor for me to be here and our team to be here. It’s a debt of gratitude to all the residents that are here, so it really kind of fills my heart to be here and be a part of this whole thing. (It’s) a lot of fun,” he said.

The Speedway also offers opportunities for the residents to make the short trip down to Newton for racing events, and Peterson added that they have a full slate of fun ahead in 2026 including a free family fun day on Saturday and the NASCAR weekend from Aug. 7-9.

“I’m so glad to be here today promoting the race, being a part of this and giving back to the veterans who have given so much for us,” Peterson said.

IVH Legislative Liaison Mike Olson reciprocated the praise and noted that the residents eagerly anticipated the Speedway team’s visit on Friday.

“Last year, I think we gave 60 rides to residents. We’ve also had residents come down as the guests of the Speedway to watch races, so they’re a great partner and they truly do honor Iowa’s veterans,” he said. “When (the residents) heard this was gonna happen about a month ago, I’ve been hearing nothing but ‘When are they coming?’ And when Eric showed up with the car today, there were 30 residents already in line.”

Sen. Kara Warme (R-Ames) also made the trip over to IVH to interact with veterans and thank them for their service, and the Speedway team had a swag table full of free coffee mugs, pennants and keychains for the residents.

To learn more about the Iowa Speedway and its upcoming events, visit https://www.iowaspeedway.com/.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.