It’s the beginning of a new era for Iowa Speedway, and they now have the person in place to lead the way — Jimmy Small.
When NASCAR announced two weeks ago that it had purchased the speedway just outside Newton, one of the big questions was who would be tabbed as the new president. That question was answered on Thursday afternoon at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, when Small was appointed in an event that was attended by several of the sport’s top executives along with state and local dignitaries.
“NASCAR and the state of Iowa share great histories and traditions in racing,” Small, 28, said. “That has been truly evident with the support we’ve seen at Iowa Speedway since its inception. We wholeheartedly accept the responsibility to put on a fun and entertaining product that will make fans happy and make sure they keep coming back.”
Small, a native of suburban Detroit, spent the last six years working for the sanctioning body in various capacities, most recently as senior manager for team marketing services within the NASCAR Industry Services department. He served as the business and marketing liaison with teams and drivers in all three national series.
Before that, he coordinated NASCAR event weekends with tracks, television partners and teams.
In addition, he played an integral role in implementing the NASCAR Industry Action Plan, where he worked on several key initiatives in the areas of Event Management and Entertainment, Youth and Gen-Y Marketing and Driver Star Power.
He brings a wealth of experience in identifying and creating fan-experience improvements and defining best practices that are designed to help strengthen sponsor relations and ticket sales. Small will be called upon to do all of this as well as help establish the speedway as a premier entertainment venue in Iowa.
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with the staff members here at Iowa Speedway in various capacities over the past six years – more intensely over the last three months,” Small said. “I can’t say enough about the individuals at Iowa Speedway. They are tough; they are hard-working; they’re intelligent; they care. That’s what’s most important here; they care. The bond they share is truly remarkable. It’s a bond I truly hope to join and ultimately strengthen.
“As a team, I am confident that we will achieve success here in the state of Iowa.”
Small, who recently relocated to Iowa from Charlotte, N.C., is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he earned a degree in economics. 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 2014 slate of NASCAR race weekends at Iowa Speedway has already been set and does not include a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. This will not change, and the possibility of the Speedway being added to the premier series’ schedule in 2015 is slim as Small and his staff focus on providing the best at-track experience and putting on the best show for fans of NASCAR’s other national series — the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Iowa Speedway’s season opens Saturday, May 17 with the first of two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East versus West Challenges. The following day, Sunday, May 18, the track hosts a 250-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series event. Two months later, on July 11-12, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series arrives in town with the IndyCar Series. The truck series will hit the track first Friday night, followed by the open-wheel event Saturday. The second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East versus West Challenge hits the 0.875-mile paved track on Friday, Aug. 1, followed by a second 250-lap NASCAR Nationwide event the following evening.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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