IndyCar team visits tri-states ahead of Iowa return

Jack Harvey’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 45 Honda show car sat outside Hy-Vee on Harrison in Quincy, Illinois, Saturday, April 3, to promote the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend July 23-24 at Iowa Speedway, “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet.”
The car, engineless and covered in a Hy-Vee livery, sat out front of the busy store amid Saturday foot traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, the inside of the store looked like Quincy itself was gearing up to host a race.
Life-size Jack Harvey cutouts were strategically placed throughout the building, checkered flag banners draped across the ceiling and checkout areas, and No. 45 cars of all sizes sat atop shelves and hung from the ceiling while the real deal sat quiet and roped off outside.
Don Sterbling, show car hauler driver for RLL, stood nearby to converse with those interested in the scene.
“I used to be a mechanic,” Sterbling said. “Now I’m just a show car driver. I take the car around to different places and show it off and answer questions. There’s two of us that take the cars around to different Hy-Vees.”
The Indiana-based team has an associate sponsorship deal with Hy-Vee, and Harvey’s No. 45 car has a multiyear agreement for full-season primary sponsorship.
IndyCar’s return to Iowa Speedway’s 0.875 oval after the one-year hiatus is largely due to Hy-Vee’s support and partnership.
The long-awaited July event will feature performances by Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line and Tim McGraw throughout the doubleheader weekend.
Tickets and more information about the July race weekend in Newton, Iowa, are available at www.hyveeindycarweekend.com.