Hawkeye downs to add dirt to quarter-mile track this fall

The Cedar Rapids venue will keep the new surface through 2027 while the half-mile track stays asphalt.

By Jordan BeckPublished Jul 15, 2026, 3:32 PM CT · Updated Jul 26, 2026, 3:00 PM CT1 min read

Editorial illustration for Hawkeye downs to add dirt to quarter-mile track this fall — AI illustration · CR Pulse Graphics Desk

Hawkeye Downs Speedway plans to add 6,000 tons of dirt to its quarter-mile track this fall to host Dirt at the Downs events.

The dirt surface is scheduled to remain in place at least through 2027, according to the track announcement. The half-mile track will stay asphalt.

Roger Cassill, the property owner, said in the report: "The support for dirt racing at last year’s Dirt at the Downs was evident by the crowds filling the stands."

The change affects local racers and fans in Cedar Rapids and Linn County who follow both dirt and asphalt events. Staff and board members are exploring whether the venue could become the only Iowa track with both surfaces, though that outcome has not been confirmed.

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Sources

1.Hawkeye Downs moving to mostly dirt racing next year — KCRG — News
2.Hawkeye Downs moving to mostly dirt racing next year — KCRG
3.Hawkeye Downs to convert quarter-mile track from asphalt to dirt for 2027 season - KGAN — Google News — CBS2 Iowa
4.struggling weekly crowds push hawkeye downs to switch to dirt to stay competitive — KGAN CBS2 — Local News (page scrape)

This story was researched and drafted with AI assistance, independently fact-checked, and approved by a human editor before publication. Read our Editorial Standards & AI Disclosure. Spot an error? Request a correction.

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