It is obvious there is a racing love affair between Iowa race fans and the IndyCar Series.
After a smashing debut in last year’s race, where there were more spectators than seats at the 40,000-seat, seven-eighths-mile oval, those fans were subjected to endless hours in traffic and a race that featured far too many crashes.
Despite that, there was a genuine warmth and wide-eyed wonder for the fans, who were genuinely excited, and enthusiastically embraced the IndyCar Series in Iowa.
There was little doubt the same fan support would exist in this year’s return trip with the race sold out weeks before the teams would arrive.

...there was a genuine warmth and wide-eyed wonder for the fans, who were genuinely excited, and enthusiastically embraced the IndyCar Series in Iowa.

But that faith would be tested when the springtime rains began in early May and didn’t stop until weeks later. By then, the rivers were swollen, overflowing their banks and flooding streets of nearby river towns and farm fields, wiping out crops and livestock that run the state’s economy.
When cities such as Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines were flooded, and fields of corn began to look like lakes, would the state still be able to support the IndyCar Series for the Iowa Corn Indy 250?
The level of support was astounding as another sellout crowd jammed into the track on a perfect, sunny day. The traffic woes from 2007 had been rectified with 98 percent of the cars in the parking lots 45 minutes before the green flag waved to start the race.
But there were a few scattered empty seats, perhaps held by fans who had purchased their tickets before losing everything to the floods, a grim reminder of the devastation that hit the state.
For one day at least, the IndyCar Series gave the state some time to celebrate and a chance to forget the floods and tornadoes that deeply impacted it.
“Hopefully, we can take their minds away from the devastation and put a smile on their faces, and if we can be part of that, then that is something we can be proud of,” said race winner Dan Wheldon, who, along with Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, donated his race winnings to the relief effort for the state of Iowa.
Wheldon is one of the many IndyCar drivers  impressed with the warm support Iowa gives this event. While the driver from Emberton, England, lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., he believes the Iowa race is the oval version of the success enjoyed by the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, another one of the sport’s highlight events of the season.
It’s not just that the fans show up, but they are excited to be there.
“There is a real energy to this race before it even started,” Wheldon said. “You definitely notice that. These are the types of races that are going to make the IndyCar Series big again. When we did the drive around in the trucks for pre-race, it was packed.
“Forgive me for saying this: It was like a NASCAR race. There were a lot of people here. I don’t think anyone can argue that it was not good. This is what we need and this is what we enjoy being a part of. And considering the devastation that has gone on and this is a little ways from a big city, it’s pretty impressive. The biggest thing is how excited people get.”
Now that IndyCar racing is whole again, there may be bigger cities or more cosmopolitan markets that want to get on the IndyCar Series schedule, but it’s going to be difficult to match the genuine love affair that exists between Iowa and IndyCar.