NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Will Take Iowa Speedway’s First Cup Race?
On Sunday the NASCAR Cup Series will visit its 180th different track, with their inaugural trek to Iowa Speedway. The 7/8-mile venue in the cornfields is gearing up for a debut race nearly 20 years in the making. With no past Cup races here, a lot of predicting this weekend is educated guessing. A few drivers do stand out from the pack however. Here are some who may end Sunday as the Iowa Corn 350 winner.
Christopher Bell
Few have a more decorated history at Iowa Speedway than Christopher Bell. Across five Xfinity starts, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has two wins and two runner-ups. Bell also took part in a recent Goodyear tire test at Iowa, getting added time to re-acclimate himself to this track. Following recent lights-out quick runs at Phoenix and Gateway, the No. 20 may be number one again on Sunday.
“I was fortunate enough to test at Iowa a couple weeks ago and it’s going to be a lot different than last time I was there in 2019,” Bell said. “It’s nice to diversify the schedule and get new venues. The new pavement is going to level the playing field, it’s going to be a huge event. Iowa will always have a special place in my heart, in 2015 I ran my first ever NASCAR race there in the Truck Series.”
Bell was elite at both Phoenix and Richmond, each a comparable race to Iowa. Phoenix saw the No. 20 rally from 20th inside the final 100 laps to the win. He backed up that massive day with a sixth-place Richmond showing. Between past success, recent track time, and short track speed, Bell should be seen as a favorite this weekend.
William Byron
Never one to be counted out anywhere, William Byron also boasts past Iowa high points. Driver 24 has a pair of Iowa trophies, one apiece from Trucks and Xfinity. Byron also has a series-best 2024 average start of 10.0. Qualifying on Saturday will be vital, heading into what many see as a difficult to pass track.
“Iowa is going to be a challenge,” Byron said. “It’s a partial repave in the corners. Turn one may be the trickiest as you will enter on old pavement and then you will run into the new pavement through the corner. Turns three and four are repaved a little bit more all the way through. The times I ran (previously) at Iowa, the groove eventually moved up towards the top, but that lane wasn’t touched in the repave. That probably won’t be the preferred lane now. You’ll be able to run high but only high enough in the new pavement.”
Trying to reassert himself in the championship discussion, Iowa is a prime opportunity for a season turnaround. Byron’s Truck Series victory here came with crew chief Rudy Fugle; this dynamic duo may have what it takes to end up with another checkered flag.
Brad Keselowski
Tied as the all-time winningest Iowa Speedway Xfinity Series driver is Brad Keselowski. The RFK Racing co-owner has three Hawkeye State victories, most recently in 2014. Across seven career starts, BK only has one result worse than fourth. RFK Racing also eyes to extend their recent run of success, earning a top-three in each of the last five weeks.
Keselowski in particular has looked as consistent as ever with the 6 crew. Sonoma ended a three-race top-five stretch for BK. Having won a month ago on the worn out Darlington surface, Keselowski’s experience at finding grip may pay off again on Sunday.
Martin Truex Jr
Can a driver who’s never seen Iowa Speedway end up in victory lane? Martin Truex Jr is one of three Cup drivers with no past experience in Newton, but still has a prime chance ahead. Truex is always a threat at every short track, with nearly 300 laps led this year between Bristol and Richmond alone. Truex expects to have his usual bullring pace.
“I always thought it was kind of a big Richmond with the curved front straightaway and the progressive banking,” Truex said. “It’s gotten to be pretty wide over the years. I know they did some repaving, which will be interesting to figure that out. That’s always a unique challenge. The place has put on some great racing over the years and I think we are all looking forward to going there, and hopefully we have a good shot to run well there this weekend with our Reser’s Fine Foods Camry.”
“I tend to like tracks that are similar to Iowa, medium-sized tracks that are pretty fast and hopefully a few grooves we can run in and move around and make passes. Richmond, Loudon, Phoenix, those kind of tracks I really enjoy and I think Iowa is kind of in that ballpark, and our cars have been really fast at those types of tracks this year, as well. We are going there looking to win the inaugural event. Anytime you go somewhere new, you always want to be the guy who wins that first one, it’s always extra special if you can do that. I’m excited to get there and see what we can do with our Reser’s Fine Foods Camry.”
A memorable weekend is shaping up for Truex both on and off-track. It is heavily rumored a Friday press conference at Iowa Speedway will see MTJ announce retirement. Should that be the case, he has the chance to kick off a retirement tour with a win. The No. 19 has seemingly found every way to lose a race in 2024; eventually things have to fall in this team’s favor.
Kyle Busch
Nearly 300 laps led, a runner-up, and a win are Kyle Busch’s Xfinity Series stats at Iowa. Making his most recent Iowa laps over a decade ago though, it has been a long time since Rowdy was on top here. Timeline aside, past knowledge of Iowa’s changing conditions could pay dividends for team 8.
“I have enjoyed my past races that I’ve run at Iowa,” Busch said. “Running there in the Xfinity Series and a Pro Series East race there years ago was pretty fun. I think the track is going to be vastly different than I remember it with the old asphalt. The new asphalt in the various parts of the racetrack will make it way different.”
“As similar as Iowa and Richmond are to each other in their size and how they look, the tracks are not even close to each other at all in how they race. I feel like the biggest challenges at Iowa with the Next Gen Cup car will be the aero deficiencies in traffic and how wide the new asphalt is that allows for you to work your way outside of the wake of the other cars in front of you.”
“I have always been a supporter of short track racing and enjoy racing at the short tracks, but with this Next Gen Cup car, it is probably one of the biggest challenges we’ve ever had of putting on good racing at short tracks.”
Busch is in desperate need of a strong run, like he had going a last week in Sonoma. The RCR team enters Iowa eight points below the Playoff cut line, within eyesight of a postseason berth. Should circumstances and luck fall in his favor, Busch may be celebrating big after 350 laps.
Joey Logano
No conversation handicapping an inaugural race is complete without mentioning Joey Logano. The Penske driver has maiden triumphs on Bristol Dirt, the L.A. Coliseum, and Gateway. More recently, Logano was nearly perfect on the freshly repaved North Wilkesboro Speedway. Having similar characteristics to Iowa, this could be a preview of what’s to come. Logano is well aware though that this repave will be unique.
“Until you get there you don’t really know,” Logano said. “It’s probably the most interesting repave-ish thing that we’ve seen. Like I said, I can’t really form an opinion until I make laps on it, but it’s definitely unique. Good or bad, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Going off the tire test at Wilkesboro, I thought that was gonna be a single lane race that wasn’t gonna have any passing, and I was completely wrong about that. The track was up to the wall, so who knows. Maybe things have changed. You just don’t know.”
Similar to Busch, Logano is also in a precarious Playoff position outside of the top 16. Riding a 47-race losing streak as well, Logano is in dire need of a win. Should he start off on the right foot in qualifying again though, Iowa may be another long night for the competition.
Iowa Speedway will see a momentous occasion with the Cup Series’ first race at this track. The green flag will fall on a rejuvenated and reborn World’s Fastest Short Track Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Whoever grabs this initial win will live on in Midwest racing history as the first Cup driver to conquer Iowa Speedway.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Jeff Curry/Getty Images
