NEWTON, Iowa – Build it and they will come…. eventually.
After nearly two decades in existence, Iowa Speedway finally gets the call for a NASCAR Cup Series date this weekend, marking the latest track to host NASCAR’s premier series.
The 0.875-mile oval in Central Iowa, a brainchild of NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, has hosted three of the lower-level NASCAR series – Xfinity, Trucks, and ARCA – over the years, which only amplified the calls for the Cup Series to visit and the fans in the Midwest are finally getting their wish.
While the drivers were excited about finally getting to race on the aging surface of this track, those hopes were tampered a bit when the track underwent a partial repave in the corners over the offseason, making for a bit more of an unknown environment for the Cup Series drivers to have to contend with.
Some drivers in the field have had previous experience at Iowa, running in the lower divisions, but for all of them, the addition of the new asphalt will be throwing everyone a curveball.
Teams will have a 50-minute practice session on Friday to get their first feel of the track and a night to digest the data before qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Sunday’s race will also go a long way in setting the stage for the final run to the Playoffs, with just 10 races remaining in the regular season and only nine of the 16 spots in the postseason already claimed by wins.
Among the drivers that have yet to win in 2024 are Martin Truex, Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, defending series champion Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace – all of whom are currently ranked inside the top-16 in the standings.
By the Numbers
What: Iowa Corn 350, NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 17 of 36
Where: Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa (Opened: 2006)
TV/Radio: USA Network, 7:00 pm ET / MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
Track Size: 0.875-mile oval
Race Length: 350 laps, 306.25 miles
Stage Lengths: First stage: 70 laps; Second stage: 140 laps; Final stage: 140 laps
Drivers with Xfinity Series Wins at Iowa
Brad Keselowski – 2009, 2013, 2014
Kyle Busch – 2010
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 2011 sweep, 2012
Chris Buescher – 2015
Ryan Blaney – 2015
Erik Jones – 2016
William Byron – 2017
Ryan Preece – 2017
Christopher Bell – 2018, 2019
Chase Briscoe – 2019
From the Driver’s Seat
“I’m super excited,” said Chase…
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