Get to know Steven Sukup as IndyCar’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway is approaching

Bruce Martin:
IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek, and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock, to the racetrack, to the highways and streets of America. The NTT IndyCar series had its last weekend off before hitting an extended portion of the schedule that will include five races in a four-week span beginning with the July 6th Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. The annual 4th of July weekend trip to the Amish countryside of Ohio has become a highlight of the schedule as racing fans load up the campers and celebrate the great American holiday, IndyCar style. But after that is another big weekend on the IndyCar schedule because it is the only doubleheader of the season. It's the Soo Cup IndyCar race weekend at Iowa Speedway, which kicks off July 11th to the 13th. IndyCar Practice and IndyNext by Firestone qualifying highlight Family Friday on July 11th. The following day includes qualifications for both IndyCar Series races over the weekend, with the first race of the doubleheader, the Sync 275 IndyCar Series race scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12th. It's a quick turnaround for the final race of the doubleheader weekend as the Farm to Fresh 275 is scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern time start. Both races will be televised live on Fox. IndyCar Series teams tested at Iowa Speedway on June 25th, with 21 cars from nine teams hitting the 0.894 mile oval that was partially resurfaced before the 2024 IndyCar Weekend at Iowa. There were 2,984 combined laps during the intense afternoon session that was delayed by a torrential morning storm. Teams were testing a new aerodynamic package and tire combination specifically developed for Iowa Speedway. Because of the delayed start, the test session was extended until 8 p.m. Central Time. Among the quickest drivers in the session was 2020 Iowa Speedway pole sitter Connor Daly piloting the No. 76 June Coast Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. reigning series champion in 2025 indianapolis 500 winner alex polo was also quick in the number 10 honda for chip ganassi racing while felix rosenquist driver of the number 60 honda for myers shank racing also posted a time among the fastest that afternoon This year's event carries special significance as Sukup Manufacturing Company, celebrating its 62nd anniversary, steps into the spotlight as the title sponsor for the first time at its home track. The partnership underscores the deep-rooted connection between Iowa's agricultural innovation and its high-octane motorsports tradition. Our guest on today's Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is Steven Sukup, the president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing and a longtime supporter of racing in Iowa. Sukup was previously a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. founded the 1963 Sukup Manufacturing Companies, the world's largest family-owned and operated manufacturer of grain storage, drying, and handling equipment. In 2020, Steve assumed the role of President and CEO following his brother Charles, while his daughter, Emily Schmidt, assumed the role of Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel. The Sukup family has generated growth in the Sheffield, Iowa community as well, bringing employers and other commerce into the town. Previously a small business, beginning in 2017, Sukup has been able to expand operations by nearly 50% and add over 250 jobs. One of the great things we get to do at Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is cover all aspects of the sport. Let's get to know more about Steven Sukup as he joins me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Our next guest on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is the president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing, Steven Sukup. Steven, this year, your company is sponsoring the IndyCar Race Doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. It's going to be a little bit different. It's going to be more like a throwback to the diehard race fans that we experienced prior to the Hy-Vee years where they brought in the big entertainment, but there's still a lot of excitement and activity that goes in to the IndyCar races at Iowa. Iowa's got a great hotbed of IndyCar race fans, race fans in general. So how does it feel now to take the next step up in helping to support that program?

Steven Sukup: Now it's exciting for the weekend here in Iowa and they have two races back to back that's just a special feature and we've been involved with the Iowa Speedway for a long time back to the Indy Lights days and we had Josef Newgarden come up to our manufacturing Planned for about 18 years ago and went through so we've got to know joseph and they're doing some testing actually out today I was speedway right now and the banshee crews here drafting and joseph and will power and so I think we had Both and down to the Iowa Cubs game. So we've got a great grouping of the Penske folks here

Bruce Martin: What was the reason why you decided to go ahead and make the step up to being the sponsor of the IndyCar Race Weekend? As I've said earlier, you were a great supporter of the Iowa Race Weekend in previous years, going all the way back to your support of Indy Lights. You've been involved in racing for a while, but to be able to take that step up and sponsor an IndyCar Series race from a business standpoint, what led you to decide to make that move?

Steven Sukup: Well the iowa speedway and the signature event and the indycars been here in iowa for a long time and we've been great supporters of it all of our customers the farmers and ranchers they love horsepower and there's not a better place to feel out of horsepower than that. IndyCar racing with the IndyCar on National Fox, we've sold in all 50 states. So we have trucks in 20 different states every week. And so it's one that it's a great regional reach for both our customers and our employees.

Bruce Martin: To get a little bit of a background on Sukup manufacturing, anybody that's driven through the Midwest or through the state of Iowa will see your products and farms all over the States, uh, grain bins and things of that nature. You make a lot of the manufacturing prefab manufacturing things for farm equipment and grain bins and things of that nature. If you could go into a little more detail about the history of your company.

Steven Sukup: Well, our company was founded a little over 60 years ago. My father, and I'm industrial engineering, so I've always enjoyed the manufacturing side. And then about 25 years ago, went into the actual portable grain dryers and then the grain bin. We've been in grain bins for just 25 years now. Most of the ones you see, then the new shiny ones, hopefully they have the Sukup logo on it. We bring in like a million pounds of steel a week, all US-made steel, direct from the steel mill. And we run it through our factories here in Sheffield, Iowa. And so we really promote manufacturing in the US and US-made for the great, great combination.

Bruce Martin: IndyCar's headquarters is in Indianapolis in the state of Indiana. IndyCar's interest with most of the fans is in the Midwest. How much of your product market would you say is you have now in the state of Indiana?

Steven Sukup: Oh, I would say, uh, you know, we'd be, you know, 50% of the market. There's three major manufacturers. Uh, we are currently the largest, uh, grain bin manufacturer actually in the world. So, uh, we distribute, uh, we sold to over a hundred different. countries. Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Nebraska have been sort of part of our core groups there. We've got a distribution center in Illinois and one in Ohio. So we've got ones on both sides in Indiana there and we've got four others across the Midwest that we deliver product to, keep the product close to our customers. But we've had a strong Midwest base. We've got over 600 employees. in the middles, 800 company wide and so like I say, we enjoy seeing our dryers and our grain bins throughout the countryside and hopefully we make you into one of those guys that they drive through the countryside and look for a grain bin, see if it's got the right sign on it.

Bruce Martin: The previous sponsor, Hy-Vee, one of the reasons they got involved in IndyCar racing was because they wanted to expand into the state of Indiana with some of the stores. Those plans haven't really happened yet, but do you see the same type of strategy for your company?

Steven Sukup: Well, we want to take our branding to a national level. This sort of submitted into the Midwest, but IndyCar stretches coast to coast. off the floor to the California and we like having our brand out there that when they associate it with hair culture and high performance, that they associate Sucup with it. We've got great customers out in the Central Valley and California and New York and Georgia. So we get out all the corners of the U.S.

Bruce Martin: And what is it about auto racing, specifically open wheel racing and IndyCar racing that you really like?

Steven Sukup: Oh, it's just an exciting atmosphere. I mean, you know, if you really, you have a driver and machine that, uh, you know, really coordinate everything. And then the technology, if you go behind the pits, uh, all the engineering and, uh, measurements and every sensing that they're doing and that the steering, you know, just that the driver has more control, uh, with all the different actions that the car is doing. Uh, so it's one that, uh, we, and actually today we've got some of our engineers talking to.

Bruce Martin: Some of the penske engineers on just what you know, what's new different and how we can benchmark Speaking of new and different the formats of the two weekends are gonna be a lot different Hy-Vee came in with an idea of combining big-time big-name musical entertainment with two IndyCar series races That's not going to happen so much this year. There'll be some local acts. It'll be feature, but it's not going to be the big name. A-listers like Hy-Vee was able to get some of their partners to pay for. So what can fans expect to see this year? That's going to be different when they arrive at Iowa speedway. As I mentioned earlier in the interview, it's going to be a little bit like the way the Iowa IndyCar races were in the past, where you get a lot of diehard race fans that come to want to see the race.

Steven Sukup: Yeah. And I mean, they're going to be able to set up their tailgates and camping. I mean, they have a Speedway has the best, uh, parking and campgrounds and, uh, tailgating areas that you can find anywhere. The grandstand area, they'll have food all over the grand courses, uh, grand course there. Uh, you know, they got flyover lined up, uh, they got driver, uh, signings, uh, getting positioned, I think for Friday. We're having the Saipan and Hawkeye athletes signing opportunities both Saturday and Sundays to keep a little bit of a low air to everything. And then, you know, the green flag and getting the horsepower going out there on the track. And, you know, one thing with Iowa Speedway, you can watch the entire race. You see, you can track your car the entire race. time around the oval and the love, the drivers seem to love the track. So it's just a great, great fit for all the amenities and a great experience. And, uh, uh, we put it together here at the Iowa Speedway.

Bruce Martin: Do you want to showcase the agricultural industry of the state of Iowa being involved in agriculture with Sukup?

Steven Sukup: Well, that's one of the things that has always drawn us to it is the ethanol aspect of it. They've always been a strong user of the, you know, high octane ethanol component for the racing on it. And so, uh, it highlights the ethanol high performance and, uh, going 230, 40 miles an hour is just fabulous to watch.

Bruce Martin: Another thing that some of the people at Penske entertainment have been stressing in previous races where it was the Hy-Vee IndyCar race weekend at Iowa Speedway that featured some really a list entertaining acts. The ticket prices have been created to be much more affordable for the average race fan to be able to come out and attend the Sioux cup IndyCar race weekend at Iowa Speedway. How important is it to get that message out?

Steven Sukup: Well, it is. It's one that we sort of brought it back to its basics. What the Iowa Speedway was put together here was to have a first-class national event here in Iowa, a signature event. And with racing, that's always top one or two. sports that our customers, farmers and ranchers, enjoy following and tracking and on the drivers and I'll be able to come here for either a Saturday or a Sunday or make it a whole week and they just make it so easy to get here. We're right on I-80. just outside of Des Moines, so it's easy to go. And I think in the past, they've had a lot of traffic from North Carolina. A lot of out-of-state folks enjoy coming in. For our dealer organization, we'll have dealers from six different state tiers. So it's going to be a good event and easy to get to.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Scott McLaughlin: Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Here's the rest of my interview with Steven Sukup as IndyCar prepares for the big Sukup race weekend at Iowa, July 11th through July 13th. As far as your career in business, I was reading up a little bit of it. You've been involved with Sukup manufacturing. As you said, you're a business that your father started. You've also been involved in state politics. You're in the sports. So how would you just describe a lot of the different aspects of Steven Sukup's career?

Steven Sukup: Well, I enjoy just going out and enjoying the day and getting to know folks and chance to meet Roger Penske. That's fabulous. I have dabbled in politics, but I've been a state representative for eight years and speaker pro tem and enjoyed that. Fortunately, this is the ninth year, 2025, so don't have to worry about politics this year with things. You can watch everybody else enjoy the manufacturing, just making a product and putting it out that people enjoy. So whether it's making a grain bin that I have fun, I've climbed a grain bin for 53 years, or I Working with, uh, the Iowa Speedway here and putting on a nice signature event for this year. Uh, so yeah, no, I, I enjoy, enjoy a lot of things and try and do them at a hundred percent and, uh, moving targets are harder to hit. So.

Bruce Martin: And how do you see IndyCar in 2025? It looks like they've had some really good news. They've had some really good ratings on Fox this year. Every race will be on Fox. How important is that to be involved with IndyCar in 2025 to see it on the upward swing?

Steven Sukup: Well, seeing that attendance, viewership, being able to compete with the other supports out there and just solidifying their customer faith, you know, racing goys, they're such a passion for racing. amongst so many of us out there that it really ties in well and the competition with all the different race teams is incredible so that each one's out there working hard as you know bumped into Joseph and Will earlier. They're really like looking serious at this testing here. They got some things that they want to keep moving the dial up on and you know the other race teams are the same way. Whether it's Graham Rahal or the The arrow group or however.

Bruce Martin: The previous sponsor is based in West Des Moines, Iowa, high V your company is based in Iowa. How important was it to keep the IndyCar race weekend sponsorship within the state of Iowa?

Steven Sukup: Well, I think it brings our passion. I mean, our passion for Iowa. We don't have a full name pro sport. And so this is our professional sport activity is IndyCar. And when NASCAR comes rolling through, so it's one that we can really put our stake in the ground that this is a track to come to Iowa Speedway and make the Shookup IndyCar weekend your weekend.

Bruce Martin: And as far as your company, how important is it going to have the Sucup name coast to coast on Fox sports?

Steven Sukup: Well mentioned, uh, we've got customers in California and New York. Uh, we're, we're expecting to have, you know, a lot of those taglines going on and we'll probably put a little competition. If you have any States, we can get a check Mark that, uh, we've got our customers watching and, uh, again, making Sucup the, the egg company that they want to be associated with.

Bruce Martin: And one of the things that Randy Itaker of Hy-Vee uses talk about the great relationship to be able to get involved with the Penske corporation, Penske entertainments, the, so a promoter of the Iowa race, working with Roger Penske, Bud Danker, Michael Montry, people of that nature. What's it been like to get involved with them? Because when it comes to business success, the Penske corporation is an iconic brand.

Steven Sukup: Yes, I mean, it's one, you know, first call, you know, when you get a call from Bud and Michael, you know, you're paying. Definitely paying attention. They take a look at every detail with things on it. And everybody throughout the Penske group, Kristen, Jamie, Letty, the whole group with things have been fabulous to work with. They're always concerned for you, the customer of, okay, what else do you need? What can we do? They wanna make everything successful for us and our sponsorship and then, We're interested in making sure that we have a great, uh, IndyCar weekend, uh, here, but, uh, jet first class individuals and, uh, and with our engineering folks, you always say let's benchmark against best. And, uh, there's no doubt that IndyCar and the Penske groups are the benchmark.

Bruce Martin: And how many event sponsors are lined up for this race?

Steven Sukup: I think they've got a good, great group. I think a couple of the big national companies working on AI are going to be involved in it. And so I think there's been a dozen of the nationally named companies involved. So it'll be a great association of businesses and a nice highlight of the weekend.

Bruce Martin: And I know going all the way back to 2021, even in 2020, when the pandemic hit, IndyCar did race at Iowa that year, but it was a greatly reduced crowd for health reasons. They did not race there in 2021, but Governor Kim Reynolds and Roger Penske and Randy Edeker of Hy-Vee were able to help revive Iowa Speedway. I believe they've been quite successful in reviving it. How important was it to keep Iowa Speedway? Not just reviving it, but making it one of the centerpiece races of the summer in IndyCar.

Steven Sukup: uh… there's no doubt that uh… roger penske and uh… governor reynolds and uh… randy etiquette ivy they'd they just put their heart and soul into a name you know they've young as always there's always a little bit a roller coaster in businesses and uh… they really brought it back uh… there was uh… Everything that was done with the repainting and putting the shine back on the Iowa Speedway, those three individuals really made it happen. It's one of those that be able to step into that right now and have a first class event here is what we're looking forward to that we can show off to our customers and our employees and just make it a fun Iowa event.

Bruce Martin: I know there are some people who may look at the IndyCar schedule and immediately see these big name cosmopolitan cities like Toronto and Long Beach and places of that nature, but I've always contended that you always need a race that gives the grassroots racer a chance to come out and support the race. And because there may be more actual race fans that'll be in your grandstands, and we may see it a lot of the big time street races. So in that regard, I've always looked at Iowa Speedway, the IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway is being one of the highlights of the summer. How important is it the fact that they do put on a show and expose the race to the diehard grassroots race fans?

Steven Sukup: Well, these race fans can watch their favorite drivers, the entire oval. They can track that car. They see the amount of passing that's done on the Iowa Speedways. Incredible. So you really see true racing. Different drivers, uh, they just love the track. And so, and, and there's always, uh, some positions being lost or gained and, uh, uh, you know, a little bit of flight and around, uh, two at times. So they, they keep it exciting here. And so I think it really delivers what race fans are looking for.

Bruce Martin: And the other thing is a lot of the people in the grandstands are going to watch the IndyCar race the next weekend. And the weekend after that, they seem to draw IndyCar fans to your events.

Steven Sukup: Yeah. And then, you know, they'll start counting down for the, uh, series champion and, uh, things like that. And, uh, so we get to track our favorite teams and drivers, uh, and then just outside here, the, like we're at test day today and the amount of semis and equipment out here, it's just a, uh, a fabulous run through.

Bruce Martin: Well, Steve Sukup, it's been a pleasure talking to you and getting to know you and your company and everything that's going to be involved with the Sukup IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway. Good luck with the event. We'll see you in a couple of weeks. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Steven Sukup: All right. Well, thank you much, Bruce. Appreciate it.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Josef Newgarden: Hey everyone, this is two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: And that puts checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Steven Sukup, the president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing and the sponsor of the IndyCar Doubleheader Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests helped make Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. Later this week on a special bonus edition of Pit Pass Indy, we have an in-depth interview with Ohio's own Bobby Rahal as the racing legend and current IndyCar Series team owner will be honored this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before the July 6th Honda Indy 200 at Middle Isle. So be sure to check it out when it drops later this week. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.