New Iowa Law Keeps Racetracks Safe from Neighbors’ Noise Complaints
Iowa passed Bill 645, which protects existing racetracks from legal action over noise complaints. Tracks must comply with state laws, but new nearby homeowners won’t be able to bring nuisance complaints. The goal of the law is to help preserve existing Iowa raceways, with a focus on those hosting grassroots motorsports. Living next to a […]
Iowa passed Bill 645, which protects existing racetracks from legal action over noise complaints.
Tracks must comply with state laws, but new nearby homeowners won’t be able to bring nuisance complaints.
The goal of the law is to help preserve existing Iowa raceways, with a focus on those hosting grassroots motorsports.
Living next to a racetrack probably sounds like paradise to an automotive enthusiast. Get a couple laps in anytime without a long drive, keep your track-day special in the garage rather than having to trailer it, and go check out the action with just a short walk. It’s the kind of thing that people pay a small fortune for at places like the Thermal Club raceway. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way about roaring engines and howling tires.
For the average person, a racetrack isn’t the greatest neighbor to have. It’s noisy, dusty if it’s a dirt track, and you get parked cars crowding your street for every weekend event. Thing is, if the track was already there when you moved in, it’s not like these drawbacks should be a surprise. Often, that doesn’t stop people from banding together to shut down a racetrack they perceive as a nuisance.
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But starting on July 1, 2025, doing so is going to get a lot harder in Iowa. Bill 645 goes into law on that date, and it specifically protects motorsports venues from legal action from angry neighbors, assuming the track was there first. Any racetrack has to comply with existing rules about allowable noise and light pollution, but as long as a track is following those rules, new complaints can’t be brought by nearby homeowners.
The bill, which passed with unanimous approval, received support from SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Market Association) as well as the Performance Racing Industry group, an association involved in motorsports. It seems pretty comprehensive, applying lasting protection to any existing Iowan racetrack, even if the property is sold or transferred to new buyers.
With housing developments cropping up everywhere, Bill 645 prevents some unscrupulous developers from forcing out motorsports. This protection is especially important for grassroots racetracks, notably the dirt ovals that are a big part of Midwestern racing heritage, as a bigger venue that hosts NASCAR or IndyCar can afford a legal fight where a sprint car track probably can’t.
Introduced in February and passed in just over two months, this new bill represents some pretty quick action on the part of lawmakers to protect Iowa’s racetracks. Other states looking to keep grassroots racing alive and well should take note. After all, there are plenty of people who actually want to live next to a track.
Andretti Global showed their street course dominance during INDYCAR’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the 1.645-mile, 9-turn temporary street course. Colton Herta captured the pole, while teammate Kyle Kirkwood won the race by a 3.6-second margin over second-place Santino Ferrucci; Herta finished third. “We had awesome strategy and pit stops,” exclaimed Kirkwood, who is the […]
Andretti Global showed their street course dominance during INDYCAR’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the 1.645-mile, 9-turn temporary street course. Colton Herta captured the pole, while teammate Kyle Kirkwood won the race by a 3.6-second margin over second-place Santino Ferrucci; Herta finished third.
“We had awesome strategy and pit stops,” exclaimed Kirkwood, who is the only driver besides Alex Palou to win a race this season (also won Long Beach Grand Prix). “We had to work for this one. My hats off to Andretti. The car just came alive on restarts. My front wing was damaged but it wasn’t causing an issue (from contact in trying to pass Kyffin Simpson for second place on Lap 77).
“I was never more disappointed by qualifying third,” continued Kirkwood. “I was on a lap that was about four-tenths quicker than what ended up being the pole, but I hit the wall.
“We’ve always had good race cars here, and Honda continues to give us the power we need, especially at tracks like this where getting off the corner matters. The car was phenomenal. There were some challenges out there. We had to pass our way back through a handful of times. Had to make some low percentage moves but any move on a street course is low percentage. It was definitely not a walk in the park.”
The Detroit GP has a unique dual pit lane, which runs alongside the race restart section of the track, from Turn 9 (at the Kaiser structure) to Turn 1. CREDIT: Penske Entertainment/Joe Skibinski
Drivers could have used a two-pit stop strategy for the 100-lap race but were required to run at least two laps on a new set of the softer, alternate green tires, which degraded much sooner than the primary tires. Twelve drivers started on those alternate tires, planning to pit early, expecting a caution, to switch to primaries (black tires). Most pitted by Lap 13, requiring a three-stop strategy, only to have the first caution come out on Lap 14. Those on primaries pitted around Lap 32 to 36.
There were five caution periods for 19 laps total. The biggest accident occurred when Louis Foster had a right-front suspension failure under braking at the fastest section of the track, 180 mph on the long Jefferson Ave. straight, and ran into the back of Felix Rosenqvist entering Turn 3. Both escaped injury but the incident brought out the red flag so that the walls and tire barriers could be restored.
“The stand was amazing,” said Ferrucci of his strategists and engineers, who had him pit under caution on Lap 15. “Perfect strategy. Obviously got lucky with that yellow (on Lap 67, when he stayed out and moved from 16th to 3rd as most of the field pitted). I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see a red flag. I was really struggling. I couldn’t get the tires to come back to life. Kyle was so fast today. Congratulations to him and his team on this win.”
Winner Kyle Kirkwood (R), second-place Santino Ferrucci (M), and third-place Colton Herta (L) celebrate in an elevated victory circle. CREDIT: Penske Entertainment/Paul Hurley
Kirkwood’s teammate also joined him on the podium in the Motor City.
“I’m happy to finally get a good result this season,” said Herta. “It’s a weight off my shoulders but I’m disappointed not getting a win, having started on the pole. This is such a crazy race, I’m glad to just survive it.”
Canadian Devlin DeFrancesco started and finished 23rd on the rough and narrow course due to a long pit stop for a rear wheel hub issue. He struggled in qualifying in the colder conditions on Saturday, when it took many laps to get heat in the tires.
“It was a very interesting day,” stated DeFrancesco, who’s from Toronto. “We had a right-rear wheel issue and, overall, it was a difficult day. It’s just a big bummer. I didn’t transfer in qualifying (from the first group). We clearly were not very good, not able to be as good on power down and getting off the corners as Graham (Rahal, teammate who qualified 5th).”
Christian Lundgaard (R) lunges for the lead, passing polesitter Colton Herta (middle right) entering Turn 3, at the start of the Detroit GP. CREDIT: Penske Entertainment/Chris Owens
Although similar in track length to the Long Beach Grand Prix, which has less than ten manhole covers, Detroit has 264, all of which had to be sealed down. There were the usual elbows out, with 181 passes for position on the very low grip and extremely bumpy surface, making for one of the most exciting races of the season.
David Malukas, driving for AJ Foyt Racing, ran into the back of Alex Palou (in seventh-place) on the Lap 72 restart, entering Turn 1, which took the 109th Indianapolis 500 winner out of contention. Palou finished 25th, earning only five points.
“I was hit from behind and there was not much I could do differently,” explained Palou. “I didn’t have the best car this weekend (qualified 5th). We didn’t have much pace at the beginning (on Friday). But the team made an amazing recovery. I was looking for a podium here.”
Kirkwood is the only driver to challenge Palou, now earning two victories to the Spaniard’s five wins so far in the 17-race NTT INDYCAR season. Palou has 311 points, Pato O’Ward 221, Kirkwood 209, Christian Lundgaard 205, and Will Power 175. Honda (630 points) has now won all seven events to date, leading Chevy (509 points) in the Manufacturer’s title race.
Next up is the World Wide Technology Raceway oval on June 15th, a Sunday evening, in St. Louis, MO.
(From Garner Trucking) Garner Trucking is thrilled to welcome back the NASCAR haulers for Spire Motorsports on Thursday, June 5th, and we’re inviting the public to join us for this exciting event! Come out to Garner Trucking (9291 County Road 313, Findlay, OH 45840) between 11AM and 1PM to get an up-close look at the […]
Garner Trucking is thrilled to welcome back the NASCAR haulers for Spire Motorsports on Thursday, June 5th, and we’re inviting the public to join us for this exciting event!
Come out to Garner Trucking (9291 County Road 313, Findlay, OH 45840) between 11AM and 1PM to get an up-close look at the #7 and #71 Spire Motorsports Haulers before they head to Michigan International Speedway for this weekend’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
This is a great opportunity to meet the hauler drivers, snap some photos, and tour these impressive NASCAR rigs before they hit the road to the track.
As the official Transportation Partner of Spire Motorsports, Garner Trucking is proud to sponsor the #7 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, which will feature the Garner Trucking premiere car this weekend.
Tune in to Prime Video on Sunday to catch all the action and cheer on the Garner car as it races around MIS!
Front Row Motorsports: Nashville Superspeedway Race Report – Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith – Speedway Digest
Zane Smith Key Takeaways Stage One: 18th / Stage Two: 8th / Race Result: 13th Zane Smith made his second Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday, qualifying 27th for 300-lap race. Smith drove his way into the top-20 in Stage One, finishing the stage in 18th. In Stage Two, with strategic calls from […]
Zane Smith made his second Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday, qualifying 27th for 300-lap race. Smith drove his way into the top-20 in Stage One, finishing the stage in 18th. In Stage Two, with strategic calls from Crew Chief Ryan Bergenty and hard racing from Smith, the No. 38 Ford finished eighth in the second stage, earning Smith stage points before heading into the final stent. Miscues on pit road under the stage break caution put Smith 18th to start the final stage. Smith recovered to finish the race in 13th.
“Way better car than a 13th place finish shows,” said Smith. “We’ve got a few things to clean up but overall, I’m pretty excited about the speed we’ve showing up to the track with.”
Todd Gilliland qualified 35th for his fourth Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday night. Throughout the first two stages, Gilliland struggled with the handling of his Ford Mustang Dark Horse, finishing the stages in the 30’s. The team made adjustments on pit road to start the final stage and recovered to finish 22nd.
“It was a blue-collar type of race for this No. 34 team,” said Gilliland. “We put our nose to the grindstone and made small gains but just weren’t able to get the track position we needed to get a better finish. We’ll come back stronger at Michigan.”
Noah Gragson made his third Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series start this past weekend. It was his second start at the track with Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer. Qualifying 30th for the event, Gragson spent Stage One working his way into the top-25, finishing the stage in 23rd. In Stage Two, on lap 113, Gragson was involved in a multi-car incident and took significant damage to his No. 4 Ford. Gragson retired from the race and was credited with a 38th place finish.
“I thought our race in Nashville was going well until it wasn’t,” said Gragson. “I felt like the speed was there for us to have a decent night, but we got the short end of the stick from someone else’s mistake. Thankful for our team and the hard work they put in each week, really unfortunate way to end the night. On to Michigan.”
2025 NASCAR Michigan Entry List: All 36 drivers for Firekeepers Casino 400
The NASCAR Cup Series is set to take on the Michigan International Speedway for the next race of the 2025 season, with 36 cars registered for the race. Check out the entry list for this year’s Firekeepers Casino 400. 2025 NASCAR Michigan Entry List Ross Chastain (#1, Trackhouse Racing) Austin Cindric (#2, Team Penske) Austin […]
The NASCAR Cup Series is set to take on the Michigan International Speedway for the next race of the 2025 season, with 36 cars registered for the race.
Check out the entry list for this year’s Firekeepers Casino 400.
2025 NASCAR Michigan Entry List
Ross Chastain (#1, Trackhouse Racing)
Austin Cindric (#2, Team Penske)
Austin Dillon (#3, Richard Childress Racing)
Noah Gragson (#4, Front Row Motorsports)
Kyle Larson (#5, Hendrick Motorsports)
Brad Keselowski (#6, RFK Racing)
Justin Haley (#7, Spire Motorsports)
Kyle Busch (#8, Richard Childress Racing)
Chase Elliott (#9, Hendrick Motorsports)
Ty Dillon (#10, Kaulig Racing)
Denny Hamlin (#11, Joe Gibbs Racing)
Ryan Blaney (#12, Team Penske)
AJ Allmendinger (#16, Kaulig Racing)
Chris Buescher (#17, RFK Racing)
Chase Briscoe (#19, Joe Gibbs Racing)
Christopher Bell (#20, Joe Gibbs Racing)
Josh Berry (#21, Wood Brothers Racing)
Joey Logano (#22, Team Penske)
Bubba Wallace (#23, 23XI Racing)
William Byron (#24, Hendrick Motorsports)
Todd Gilliland (#34, Front Row Motorsports)
Riley Herbst (#35, 23XI Racing)
Zane Smith (#38, Front Row Motorsports)
Cole Custer (#41, Haas Factory Team)
John Hunter Nemechek (#42, Legacy Motor Club)
Erik Jones (#43, Legacy Motor Club)
Tyler Reddick (#45, 23XI Racing)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47, HYAK Motorsports)
Alex Bowman (#48, Hendrick Motorsports)
Cody Ware (#51, Rick Ware Racing)
Ty Gibbs (#54, Joe Gibbs Racing)
Ryan Preece (#60, RFK Racing)
Michael McDowell (#71, Spire Motorsports)
Carson Hocevar (#77, Spire Motorsports)
Shane van Gisbergen (#88, Trackhouse Racing)
Daniel Suárez (#99, Trackhouse Racing)
NASCAR Cup Series: Cracker Barrel 400 Highlights | NASCAR on FOX
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NASCAR team facing penalty after Nashville inspection
A NASCAR team is facing a penalty following an infraction discovered in post-race technical inspection at Nashville.
All three NASCAR national series were in action at Nashville Superspeedway this past weekend, with the Xfinity Series race, known as the Tennessee Lottery 250, taking place on Saturday night.
The race was won by Justin Allgaier, making […]
A NASCAR team is facing a penalty following an infraction discovered in post-race technical inspection at Nashville.
All three NASCAR national series were in action at Nashville Superspeedway this past weekend, with the Xfinity Series race, known as the Tennessee Lottery 250, taking place on Saturday night.
The race was won by Justin Allgaier, making it three victories in 2025 for the 38-year-old on what was a dominant night for the No. 7, who led home a JR Motorsports one-two alongside Connor Zilisch.
However, post-race at Nashville, officials were kept busy, with Daniel Dye being disqualified after his ninth-place finish on the road, whilst elsewhere, there was an infraction discovered on the No. 88.
As per NASCAR, in post-race inspection, the No. 88 car of Zilisch had two lug nuts not safe and secure.
READ MORE: Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace among NASCAR Cup Series stars hit with penalties at Nashville
JR Motorsports/Connor Zilisch facing penalty
As a result of the above, the team are now facing a penalty in this week’s penalty report when it drops, with several punishments already issued this season for similar infractions.
For example, back in March, two of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series cars were fined $5000 each for lug nut infractions at Phoenix Raceway under Sections 8.8.10.4a in the NASCAR Rule Book.
Under the same sections of the rule book, later that month, four Xfinity Series teams were hit with penalties following post-race inspection at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
On that occasion, once again, each team in question was hit with a $5000 fine.
Given the above precedent, it seems likely that Zilisch and JR Motorsports’ penalty will be along similar lines, and a financial punishment given rather than a sporting one.
READ MORE: NASCAR announce driver disqualification at Nashville as official statement released
LaJoie returning to Spire Motorsports for Truck series ride
Corey LaJoie will contest nine of the last 13 races in the Craftsman Truck series for Spire Motorsports. LaJoie, who is also a member of the Prime Video broadcast team for the five NASCAR Cup Series races, will pilot the No. 07 Chevrolet beginning Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. The series will then visit Pocono, […]
Corey LaJoie will contest nine of the last 13 races in the Craftsman Truck series for Spire Motorsports.
LaJoie, who is also a member of the Prime Video broadcast team for the five NASCAR Cup Series races, will pilot the No. 07 Chevrolet beginning Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. The series will then visit Pocono, Lime Rock, Indianapolis, and Watkins Glen before LaJoie rejoins the circuit at Richmond Raceway (August 8) and runs the remainder of the schedule.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the seat and chasing some NASCAR Craftsman Truck series wins,” said LaJoie. “I put in a lot of work in the early days to help shape Spire Motorsports, and I still have some friends that have been there since day one, so it’ll be good to see them. The No. 07 team has been bringing some fast trucks to the track this year and are looking for a spot in the owner’s playoffs.
“It’ll be nice to have some consistency with the team to get acclimated to these vehicles, chase some wins and hopefully, a Craftsman Truck series owner’s championship.”
LaJoie is a former Spire Motorsports driver. He drove for the Cup series team from 2021 through the fall of last season, when he finished the season with Rick Ware Racing.
There are six races left in the regular season for the Truck series. The No. 07 team has one win, which came with Kyle Larson at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
LaJoie has made five Truck series starts in his NASCAR career. The most recent start for LaJoie in the series was the 2024 season opener at Daytona.
“While discussing our best path to bring Spire our first Craftsman Truck series championship and describing what we needed in a driver, the driver we were all talking about without saying his name was Corey LaJoie,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said. “So, when I ran into Corey in the motorhome lot one morning earlier this spring, I asked him what he thought about coming home and doing this.
“He is synonymous with what we’ve built here over the last few years and deserves this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting him in the truck at Michigan to work out some kinks and start getting a game plan together for the playoffs.”
