NEWTON, Iowa — Although we're over 230 days away from the second running of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, ticket holders who attended this past July have already seen a massive price bump to renew their tickets for next summer's race.
"I thought it was an error or mistake on their part. It was sticker shock," said Kevin Oliver, a die-hard INDYCAR fan from Indiana who made the trip to Newton for the 2022 race.
The race's Facebook page has been bombarded with comments by folks showing their displeasure with the steep jump in ticket price.
"I think they feel the same way in that they were kind of shocked," Oliver said. "It's a hard sell for some now to make that trip."
For example, tickets for the upper rows of the grandstand at turn one jumped from an initial selling price of $85 last year to $200 this year.
It's cheaper for Oliver to go to the 2023 INDYCAR season opening race in St. Petersburg, Fla. — including airfare, lodging and tickets — than it is to buy just tickets for the Iowa Speedway.
But what St. Petersburg doesn't have is a star-studded lineup for the pre- and post-race concerts.
The acts for next summer's races are nothing short of incredible: Carrie Underwood before Saturday's race with Kenny Chesney as the post-race concert. On Sunday, Zac Brown Band is the pre-race concert, while Ed Sheeran caps off the weekend after the second race of the doubleheader.
Hy-Vee told Local 5 that it sees its investment in Iowa Speedway as an unique experience for racegoers and music lovers alike.
"It has always been our goal to make the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend more than just a race, but a true three-day festival that celebrates racing as much as it does Iowa," Tina Potthoff, a spokesperson for Hy-Vee said.
Communications director for INDYCAR Merrill Cain and Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee's chairman of the board, echoed Potthoff's statement.
"When we first agreed to hold the event in Newton, we knew we wanted to make it the best and biggest event on the NTT INDYCAR series schedule. This is an event you won't want to miss," Edeker's statement said in part.
Hy-Vee expects both days to completely sell out and are currently looking at ways to add more seats.
The window to renew your tickets from last year closes on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tickets go on sale to the public Monday, Dec. 5.