(Radio Iowa) – It’s estimated a single weekend of NASCAR racing generates 100-million dollars for central Iowa’s economy, and one of the sport’s top drivers — who’s won the checked flag twice at the Iowa Speedway — believes the top-level races will continue in Newton. Christopher Bell, who drives the number-20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing on the circuit, says he’s very much looking forward to coming back for the Iowa Corn 350 the first weekend in August.

NASCAR has owned the Newton facility for more than a decade and has sold out the 30-thousand seat stadium for next month’s weekend of contests. The 30-year-old Oklahoma native says the Iowa Speedway is an ideal short track, which Bell calls his “bread and butter.”

Bell is ranked 6th overall in the Cup Series with three wins and eight top ten finishes. He won back-to-back Xfinity races at the Iowa Speedway in 2018 and 2019, and finished fourth in last year’s first Cup Series race at the track. Bell started his racing career in micro-sprints and sprint cars, and did plenty of racing in Iowa in his early days.

The Newton track is right along Interstate 80, about 35 miles east of Des Moines. Iowa boasts having more dirt tracks per capita than any other state.