NASCAR Preview: Iowa Race Weekend
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- Aug 2
- 5 min read
Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor
Following a thrilling triple-header in Indianapolis, the Cup and Xfinity Series' return once again for some action, this time at the Iowa Speedway.
Opened in 2006, Iowa features a length of 0.875 miles (1.408 kilometres) with progressive banking between 12 and 14 degrees in the corners, ten degrees on the front stretch and four degrees on the back stretch.
Below are the start times of each race plus lap count:
Xfinity: Saturday, 2 August, 15:30 local (21:30 UK) - 250 laps
Cup: Sunday, 3 August, 14:30 local (20:30 UK) - 350 laps
Below are the defending winners of each race:
Xfinity: No. 1 - Sam Mayer (JR Motorsports)
Cup: No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
Cup Series: Iowa Corn 350 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
Located near the city of Des Moines, Iowa, the Iowa Speedway has more than 15 years of history with national stock car racing, but the first Cup Series race at Iowa was only held last year. This weekend will mark the second running of the Iowa 350 as we count down towards the playoffs. Could we see another dominating showing akin to Ryan Blaney’s performance in 2024, or would we find a competitive race with a showdown to the checkered flag?
The drivers will be riding around the seven-eighths mile race track for 350 laps, with 70 laps in the initial stage, then closing off the race with 140 laps each in stages two and three, totalling a distance run of 306.25 miles (492.86 kilometres).
The weather report indicates the race track will have a temperature around 24 degrees Celsius (76 degrees Fahrenheit), with clear skies and minimal chance of precipitation. The race will commence on the Sunday of August 3rd, at 15:30 Eastern (12:30 Pacific, 20:30 British).
Race Predictions
Going into the cornfields of Iowa last year, we saw Ryan Blaney dominate the race by leading 201 laps of the 350 lap race, while taking a stage win on the way to the checkered flag. The race win also secured the Team Penske star a playoff spot amidst a struggling season for the Fords.
This season, however, has been more fortunate for the Mustangs, as four drivers have already secured a playoff spot, while a fifth is on the way with Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece on the playoff cut line. We anticipate one of the Fords will find a race win here, but it probably isn’t who you think it would be.
Our pick for the race is Josh Berry, who secured a third place in qualifying and a seventh place finish in the previous race in Iowa, despite being in an objectively poor Stewart-Haas Racing Mustang. This year, alongside the Wood Brothers Racing, Berry has already locked in his playoff spot with a win in Las Vegas, while having one of the better seasons in recent WBR history.
We anticipate Berry could find another win to strengthen his playoff position, while picking up his form heading into the final five weeks of the Cup Series regular season.
Three things to look out for
And then, there were three left
Following Bubba Wallace’s win, there are only three playoff spots remaining. Currently, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher are the three drivers occupying said playoff spots, while the likes of Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, and Ty Gibbs sit below the playoff cut line.
These drivers will have five races to either hang onto their playoff spots, or find a way to squeeze into the playoffs. It will not be easy as those under the playoff cut line are more than 40 points away, but one mistake from those above could erase their cushion from the cut line.
Bubba Wallace breaks the streak
After exactly 100 races since Wallace last did a burnout on victory lane in Kansas 2022, Wallace broke the streak in one of the crown jewel races as punches his ticket into the playoffs. After missing out on the playoffs in 2024, he will return to the playoffs in a bid to make it past the round of 12, his career best.
His win also marks the first open entry to win a race since 2023, when Shane Van Gisbergen dominated the streets of Chicago.
RFK faceoff for the playoffs
Prior to Indianapolis, Wallace was on the cut line, facing Ryan Preece who was on the hunt for the playoff spot. However, with the 23XI driver’s win, it falls upon Buescher to hold onto the playoff cut line, and on the other side is his fellow RFK teammate.
Preece, who is hunting for his first career playoff spot, will be in a tough battle against Chris Buescher who heats up towards the end of the season. Iowa will be a defining point in this battle, so this is one to look out for.
Xfinity Series: Hy-Vee Perks 250 Preview
Written by Ashleigh McGregor
Connor Zilisch has done the incredible feat of three wins in a row, becoming the youngest driver to do so in the Xfinity Series. He is also the only driver of the season to have achieved this. He’s leading the drivers with the most wins – five in just this year.
While one driver rises, however, another falls. Austin Hill had an incident in the last race with Aric Almirola – right-rear hooking him into the wall in Turn 3 – that officials deemed rough and intentional driving. The result: Hill will miss this weekend's race and lose all his 21 playoff points.
The Indianapolis race proved to be eventful. Moving ahead to Iowa, the battle continues into the 22nd race of the season, and as the summer ticks away so do the playoff opportunities.
Race Weekend Guide
This weekend in the Midwest, drivers are racing 218.75 miles (350.83 kilometres) over 250 laps on this short track. Stages one and two are each 60 laps. The final stage will be a long 130 laps of hard racing.
Practice for the drivers is on Saturday, August 2nd at 11:00 EST (16:00 UK). Qualifying will directly follow at 12:05 EST (17:05 UK). The race will start at 16:30 EST (21:30 UK).
Drivers to watch
Justin Allgaier is still leading the Regular Season standings but not by much, as just 21 points separates him and Zilisch. Allgaier has previously won this track and should have a decent performance.
Hometown hero Sammy Smith will be looking to maximize everything this weekend. Last year's debut left him with an impressive fourth-placed finish. He will hope to impress the home crowd once again and score even higher.
Zilisch is undoubtedly on fire. He will give it his all to secure his sixth win this weekend. He has a little edge of experience, as he has previously won at this track in the ARCA Menards Series.
Can Zilisch make it four in a row this weekend, or will someone else rise to the spotlight? With only five races remaining before the playoffs, every position counts.
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