July 13, 2024 | By Merrill Cain

Combs, Iowa Coaches and Iowa Governor to Serve Honorary Roles During Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend

NEWTON, Ia. — Adding to the impressive star power on display during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, country music superstar Luke Combs will be joined by two legendary University of Iowa coaches and the Governor of Iowa in honorary roles for the two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this weekend at Iowa Speedway.

Combs will serve as Honorary Starter for Saturday’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (8 pm ET on NBC and Peacock). After performing on the Hy-Vee trackside stage as the first world-class concert of the entertainment-filled weekend, Combs will wave the green flag from the starter’s stand to begin the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader.

A two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, Combs is a multi-platinum, award-winning artist from Asheville, NC. Adding to an already triumphant career, Combs recently released his new full-length album, Fathers & Sons, on Columbia Nashville. A collection of 12 poignant tracks, Fathers & Sons features Combs most personal songwriting to date, as he reflects on his own experiences being a dad to his two sons and the unique bond between parents and their children.

Also on Saturday, legendary University of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz will serve as Grand Marshal for the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and he will deliver the traditional command of “Drivers, Start Your Engines” during the official pre-race ceremonies. The longest-tenured head coach in the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Ferentz is set to embark upon his 26th season as Iowa’s head coach. He is the winningest head coach in the history of the University of Iowa’s storied football program with 196 wins, including 122 victories in the Big Ten Conference.

Another Iowa coaching icon will help start the second NTT INDYCAR SERIES race of the special weekend – the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade on Sunday (12 pm ET on NBC and Peacock). Recently-retired University of Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder will be Sunday’s honorary starter as she will wave the green flag to start the final race of the weekend. With an impressive coaching career spanning over three decades, the 2019 Naismith National Coach of the Year completed her 24th and final season as head coach of the Iowa women's basketball program in 2024. Under Coach Bluder’s direction, the Hawkeyes became a Big Ten and national powerhouse, as she amassed 882 victories while leading Iowa to eight consecutive 20-win seasons. Bluder's guidance and coaching also played a significant role in the development of Caitlin Clark, the two-time College Basketball National Player of the Year, who became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division 1 basketball history this past season before being selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will be the Grand Marshal for Sunday’s race and she will deliver the command for the drivers to start their engines just prior to the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. Reynolds is the 43rd Governor of the State of Iowa and she became the first woman elected to the state’s top governmental position in 2018 and was re-elected to the post in 2022.

Featuring a turbocharged weekend full of thrilling racing and premier live music, Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend has become one of the most popular annual festivals in Iowa and one of the most exciting events on the INDYCAR calendar. In addition to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader, the rising stars of INDY NXT by Firestone will race today (1:00 pm ET on Peacock) at Iowa Speedway. While Combs will host a concert before tonight's NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, Country music sensation Eric Church will perform on the Hy-Vee stage after the checkered flag. Following Sunday’s final race of the weekend, both country star Kelsea Ballerini and award-winning artist Post Malone will rock the trackside stage.

To purchase 2024 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend tickets and to learn more about the event, visit https://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com/