John Deere NASCAR Nationwide series race produces first-time winner

A Deere-sponsored NASCAR race was run recently in Newton, Iowa.
A Deere-sponsored NASCAR race was run recently in Newton, Iowa.
In late April, John Deere announced its partnership with the Iowa Speedway in Newton and its sponsorship of the track's Iowa John Deere Dealer's 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Deere sales manager, Jeff Oldham, said the new partnership allows the company to better connect with its customers. "Because many of our customers are avid race fans, we are very excited about the sponsorship with our dealers, and look forward to an exciting race on the fastest track (under 1 mile) in the nation," he said.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr won the checkered flag at the event on May 22nd, earning his first series victory. His win marked the first time that a Nationwide Series regular took the top spot since March of last year, SpeedTV.com reports. Stenhouse's performance was a rebound from last year, when he crashed three cars: one in practice, another in qualifying and a third during the actual race.

“Iowa definitely wasn’t my favorite place, but it is now,” Stenhouse told the news source. "These are the same guys who were with me then and they stuck with me."