Thursdays In Pella is off to the races this week as race drivers from seven Central Iowa race tracks will be on hand to display their race cars and meet their fans.

Lori Cutter and Tyler Weyers say the event is meant to connect the Pella community with the surrounding tradition of racing in the region.

“The Pella Race night just keeps getting bigger,” says Cutter. “Central Iowa racing is a mecca for so many different types of racing in the Midwest. It’s been exciting to see all the different racing facilities come on board to support this one night, where race fans can come to one place and meet drivers from sprint cars, to stock cars, to drag cars to kids’ karts. The PACE Alliance knows the economic value that racing brings into the community through businesses that are located here to the tourism dollars that are generated by race fans staying and shopping in the community.”

Special guests this year for Need for Speed night is the Hy-Vee Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing #45 IndyCar show car along with staff from the NTT IndyCar Series, here to promote their upcoming IndyCar Race at Iowa Speedway, July 21-23. Hy-Vee sprint car driver McKenna Haase will be part of the Hy-Vee entry, showcasing her 410-Winged Sprint Car, which she will have in action at Knoxville Raceway for the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws two-day show June 9 and June 10. The World Racing Group once again is supporting race night with the presence of the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Command Center semi. Three Pella Motors sprint car drivers will be attending – Jamie Ball, Tyler Groenendyk and Alex Vande Voort and Pella Motors will be giving away hot wheel cars to the kids.

Over 50 entries are expected to be around the square on June 8th, beginning at 6pm. Knoxville Raceway has 16 drivers that will represent the Raceway. Chase Randall, the 360 points leader, according to Cutter, will be on hand with some fun giveaways. Garet Williamson, second place 360 points driver, will have his hauler open for fans to see what it’s like to live and work on the road with a rolling garage. Other 360 drivers will be Ball, Groenendyk, Cam Martin, Ryan Leavitt, Jack Anderson, Vande Voort, Dan Henning, and Alan Zoutte. Rookie Gage Pulkrabek and Haase will represent Knoxville’s 410 drivers, while Pro Series point leader Kade Higday will be on hand with Jeff Wilke, AJ Johnson and Josh Jones. The raceway will bring their sprint car simulator again, giving the fans a go at sprint car I-Racing. The Knoxville Fire Rescue team will also be on hand talking about the importance of state-of-the art fire safety, as well as the team from the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.

Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa will be represented, and thanks to Erica Antolik and sprint car ambassador Kenna Sloan, SIS will be represented by sprint car drivers Lance Silver, Tyler Graves and Jonathan Hughes, showcasing their non-wing cars with Christian Huffman, Randy DeGoey and Denny and Donovan Binns representing the stock car side.

English Creek Speedway Owner Dan Ebright believes that getting his teams out in front of the community is important. This year, Adrianna Timmerman, Brody Tucker, Ben Fogle, Hayden Whitlatch, Kolynn Sly and Braxton Hammond will be on hand to meet the fans. Newton Kart Klub will have Joe Freidel and Cody Graham representing the nearby go-kart club.

Gerald Kramer, owner operator of Eddyville Raceway Park, lives in Pella and always enjoys having the drag racing community represented on race night. Eric Fox and Brad Roorda will be on hand to show case their drag racing machines.

Traveling in from a little further away from Pella will be drivers from Boone Speedway and Marshalltown Speedway. Andrew Sneller, Kaden Rice, Megan Daniels, Zachary Schaefer will represent the IMCA racing world in Central Iowa.

A new addition this year is Justin Smith, promoter for Penn Central RC Raceway, will have a display of RC race cars and information on how to get started in RC racing.

KNIA/KRLS radio will be hosting live driver and track interviews from the front side of the Tulip Toren from the Lil’ Big Red Radio.