Several of the sport’s top
executives along with state and local dignitaries were present for the
announcement.
“Jimmy’s tireless
dedication, energy and experience make him the ideal candidate for leading Iowa
Speedway into this new era,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR vice president,
strategic development. “He has a strong background in identifying and creating
fan experience improvements and defining best practices designed to help strengthen
sponsor relations and ticket sales. In addition, he will have a great support
structure at the Speedway and NASCAR.”
Small, 28, joins the
Speedway after six years with NASCAR in various business-building capacities.
Most recently, he served as senior manager for team marketing services within
the NASCAR Industry Services department out of the Charlotte, N.C., office. In
that role, he was the business and marketing liaison with teams and drivers in
all three national series.
Additionally, he helped manage
the implementation of the NASCAR Industry Action Plan, including several key
initiatives targeting Event Management and Entertainment, Youth & Gen-Y
Marketing and Driver Star Power.
When Small started in the
sport in 2008, he worked out of NASCAR’s Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters
coordinating event weekends with tracks, television partners and teams.
“I’m honored to be presented
with this opportunity to help guide Iowa Speedway in the next chapter of its
life,” Small said. “We will continue fanning the intense passion for
motorsports that is prevalent here, and do our best to showcase Iowa Speedway’s
fast, exciting short-track racing in creative, fan-friendly ways.”
Small is a Detroit native
and graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He was named as a member of Sports
Pro Magazine’s The 10 NEXT Class of 2012, an honor recognizing 10 sports
executives under the age of 30.
The track currently is
gearing up for its slate of three NASCAR race weekends during the 2014 season.
The Speedway’s season opens May 17-18, with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
versus West Challenge on Saturday night followed by a 250-lap NASCAR Nationwide
Series race on Sunday. The weekend of July 11-12, Iowa Speedway will host a
Friday night NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event and an IndyCar Series race
on Saturday. A second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East versus West Challenge race
is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 1 followed by another 250-lap NASCAR Nationwide
Series event Saturday night.
Season ticket holders may renew
their tickets for the 2014 season, and will have an exclusive right to secure
their current seats until Sunday, Jan. 5. All season tickets, with prices
starting at $95, will include a guaranteed seat location, complimentary Casey’s
Fan Walk pass and an opportunity to participate in pre-race ceremonies. Season
tickets, parking passes and onsite camping options are available online at www.iowaspeedway.com, or
by calling the toll-free ticketing hotline, 866-RUSTY-GO (787-8946).
Single-event tickets and weekend packages will become available on Monday, Jan.
6.
Iowa Speedway’s ticketing
office, located at 3333 Rusty Wallace Drive in Newton, also will be open to
assist customers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. Saturday, holidays excepted.
Dave, was there any explanation as to why purchase was by the France-family-owned sanctioning body NASCAR bought Iowa Speedway rather than the International Speed Corporation, the France-family-controlled but publicly traded corporation that owns and operates over a dozen tracks? I don't recall seeing any discussion of this in any of the purchase articles, though I would think that reporters must have asked about it. Legal reasons, perhaps? Restrictions on who may own Iowa Speedway?
ReplyDelete