Iowa Corn 350 Preview: Iowa Speedway the Sequel

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series visits Iowa Speedway for the second time ever. This tri-oval is a moderately-banked .875-mile short track that is asphalt paved and features 12-14 degree banking in the turns and 10 degree banking on the tri-oval front stretch. The back stretch is nearly flat coming in at a lowly 4 degrees. The event is 350 laps, divided into three stages of 70 laps, 140 laps and 140 laps. Average speeds are likely to be around 135 mph based on what we witnessed last season in NASCAR's top division debut at the short track. The oval is somewhat reminiscent of the lower banked small ovals on the circuit like Richmond Raceway and North Wilkesboro Speedway, although modestly larger in size than those two ovals. From its opening in 2006, Iowa Speedway has hosted ARCA Menards Series races and IndyCar events. In 2009, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series began competing at the oval. The facility has been a part of the NASCAR schedule for the lower touring divisions for almost two decades but is finally on the Cup Series schedule and looks to be an established event going forward.

Since this is a very new race, at a new track to the Cup Series, we have very little in the way of statistics to examine this weekend. That does put us at a bit of a disadvantage. However, we're not completely without some numbers for examination. For much of our analysis this week, we're going to rely on the statistics that our NASCAR Cup Series drivers have accumulated this season on the smaller ovals. It's the only real measure of which drivers tend to thrive on these style tracks. The data will be fresh and recent statistics and should provide us with a good preview of who will hit the ground running at Iowa. We're also going to take a good look at the electronic scoring loop stats that the drivers posted at Iowa Speedway last year. It's reasonable to assume that those who were strong in this event last season will have an easier time replicating that success than most. The statistics in the table below are from last season's Iowa Corn 350.

This weekend NASCAR will continue building on their history at Iowa Speedway. For the second time ever, the Cup Series will compete on the tri-oval in Newton, Iowa. For much of the last two decades, this track has been exclusively an IndyCar and lower division NASCAR oval. That changed with last season's Iowa Corn 350. There will be plenty to learn for both the drivers and the fans as this is just the second event at this track. Many unknowns will be explored. As usual, we'll be in data collecting mode in order to better prepare for the next race at Iowa. Lessons learned this weekend will be applied by both the teams and fantasy racing players alike in the near future.    

In this event last season, it would be Kyle Larson that would win the pole position and dominate early. However, he would develop a tire issue on lap 84 and then later get tangled with Daniel Suarez in a wreck that would leave an equally strong Ryan Blaney to dominate the rest of the way. He would lead 201 of the 350 laps and hold off William Byron late to grab the victory in that inaugural Iowa race. Those two drivers are certainly ones to watch in NASCAR's return to Iowa Speedway as well as a few others. We'll give you the drivers you need to succeed in your fantasy racing games for the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. 

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Kyle Larson – The Hendrick Motorsports star won earlier this season at Bristol. Larson has four Top-5 finishes on tracks one-mile in size and smaller. He started third on the grid and led a staggering 411 laps at Bristol before taking the win. Even though it came many years ago, Larson has made a pair of Xfinity Series starts at Iowa Speedway. He grabbed a pair of fifth-place finishes there way back in 2013. That experience may be distant, but it should serve Larson well. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet won the pole in this event one year ago and led 80 laps before running into trouble, so he should be one of the top drivers to beat in the Iowa Corn 350. 

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has won two races already this season on ovals one-mile in size or less. He's picked off trophies at both Martinsville and Dover. The Monster Mile (Dover) is probably the best comp to Iowa Speedway and his performance there is very noteworthy and very recent. Hamlin led just 67 laps but he had the right strategy and would end up in victory lane in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Interestingly, the Joe Gibbs Racing star had never made a top-3 touring series start in NASCAR at Iowa Speedway until last season. However, we feel that Hamlin's short track resume is so strong, and his recent performance at the comparable Dover is so good that he should immediately develop a chemistry with the Iowa oval.          

Ryan Blaney – Coming off a strong seventh-place finish at the Brickyard, Blaney will look too keep the momentum rolling at Iowa Speedway this Sunday. The driver of the No. 12 Ford has recently overcome some early-season struggles on the short tracks by registering fifth- and eighth-place finishes at Bristol and Dover. Blaney was also a strong performer recently in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Another good barometer of recent short track performance. Blaney won this event one year ago in an absolute dominant performance. He would lead 201 of the 350 laps and fend of William Byron for the victory. That experience will be huge in this return to Iowa Speedway.

Chase Elliott – A consistent producer on the short tracks this season, Elliott brings a lot of fantasy value into Iowa Speedway this Sunday. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet has led 280 combined laps and grabbed three Top-10 finishes on ovals one-mile in size and less this season. Elliott qualified on the pole at Dover and raced to a strong sixth-place finish in the Toyota Owners 400. In his brief Xfinity Series career, Elliott made four starts at Iowa Speedway. Those starts will come in handy for experience this weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports star finished a brilliant third-place in this event one year ago, he shouldn't be over looked in the Iowa Corn 350.

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

William Byron – Byron is probably the biggest risk/reward driver of the solid plays this week. The Hendrick Motorsports star has been hit-or-miss on the short tracks this season, but he has race winning potential that can't be overlooked. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet racked up a pair of Top-10 finishes at Phoenix and Bristol, but he also has just a pedestrian 50-percent Top-10 rate this season on the ovals one-mile in size or less. However, Byron was an outstanding performer in this event one year ago at Iowa Speedway. He would race to an impressive runner-up finish in the Iowa Corn 350. That's great experience heading into this weekend. His two-career Xfinity Series starts at Iowa resulted in a win and two Top-10 finishes.

Christopher Bell – The Joe Gibbs Racing driver comes into Iowa this week on the heels of a strong eighth-place finish at the Brickyard this past weekend. Bell will look to extend that hot streak in the Iowa Corn 350. He was a dominant driver at Iowa Speedway during his Xfinity Series career. Bell earned two poles, two victories and two runner-up finishes there in five starts, making him one of the more successful drivers at the oval in recent years in that division of NASCAR. Bell won earlier this season on the Phoenix oval and he was a strong second-place at Martinsville Speedway. We expect this driver and team to have a lot of potential in this 350-lap battle at the Iowa short track.

Chase Briscoe – Briscoe was not a good finisher in this event one year ago, but that came with his former team at the now defunct Stewart Haas Racing. Since moving to Joe Gibbs Racing this season, the veteran driver has been redefining expectations and his potential. Briscoe has been a top short track performer in 2025. He own's two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes in the events on ovals of one-mile in size and less this season. That includes his recent strong, runner-up finish at the Monster Mile (Dover). Briscoe and the No. 19 Toyota team are very locked in on the short tracks this season and he should be a lock for a Top 10 at Iowa Speedway.

Joey Logano – Logano has been inconsistent of late, but the short tracks have been decent for the No. 22 Ford team this season. Iowa Speedway could be the event that puts it all together for Logano in his turn around. He loves the small track in Richmond, and this Iowa oval is a good comp. The Penske Racing star finished eighth at Martinsville Speedway earlier this year and he was recently a Top-15 finisher at Dover. In this event one year ago at Iowa Speedway, Logano raced to a strong sixth-place finish in the inaugural Iowa Corn 350. Those are all good indicators for potential for this driver and team this Sunday in this 350-lap short track battle.  

Sleepers – Drivers with good history of road course racing & solid upside

Chris Buescher – The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing veteran has been a steady producer on the small ovals in 2025. Buescher has two Top-10 finishes, most recently a ninth-place at Dover. He should be a good candidate to keep up the good finishes in the Iowa Corn 350. Buescher was also a strong performer in the recent All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. He qualified 10th in that exhibition race and finished a strong 10th-place on the 5/8-mile oval in North Carolina. Buescher made four valuable Xfinity Series starts at Iowa Speedway in 2014 and 2015 and came away with one victory in those starts. The driver of the No. 17 Ford should be a good performer in Sunday's short track battle at Iowa Speedway.

Bubba Wallace – Wallace has been a bit hit-or-miss on the short tracks this season, but we believe he's shown the right signs to expect a good performance at Iowa Speedway. He earned an impressive third-place finish on the Martinsville Speedway oval back in the spring. Wallace also grabbed a strong seventh-place finish recently at Dover. The 23XI Racing driver also has six starts of Xfinity Series experience at Iowa Speedway. Between Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Racing, Wallace collected four Top-10 finishes in six starts at Iowa for a solid 11.5 average finish. Coming off the big win this past week at Indianapolis, we have big expectations for the No. 23 Toyota team in Iowa.

Ty Gibbs – The young Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been strong in recent short track efforts. Gibbs fetched third-place and fifth-place Bristol and Dover performances and that lowered his season average finish on these small tracks to a very smart 11.5. The driver of the No. 54 Toyota has raced in the recent past during his ARCA Menards Series history. Gibbs made three starts at Iowa Speedway between 2019 and 2021. He would capture two wins and one fifth-place finish in those efforts. Gibbs has a great familiarity with this oval. While his Cup Series start in this event one year ago was forgettable, we believe this start in the Iowa Corn 350 will be very strong indeed.      

Alex Bowman – The Hendrick Motorsports veteran has been a real producer on the short tracks in 2025. He grabbed a pole position at Bristol, grabbed a seventh-place at Phoenix and strong third-place recently at Dover. The 13.0 average finish on tracks under one-mile in size this season is a reasonably good number. In this event one year ago, Bowman motored to a strong eighth-place finish after starting 33rd on the grid in the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway. That experience will be extremely valuable to this driver and team. We expect Bowman to be a strong Top-10 threat in Sunday's Iowa Corn 350 at the Iowa oval.  

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski reversed some recent short track struggles with his Top-10 finish at the Monster Mile (Dover). The uptick in performance is a good sign coming to Iowa Speedway this week. In this event one year ago, Keselowski qualified a strong fifth-place on the starting grid and piloted the No. 6 Ford to a steady 10th-place finish in the inaugural Iowa Corn 350. The short tracks are often equalizers for veteran drivers and Keselowski's experience in this race last season is a good sign for his potential this weekend. We expect the owner/driver to be very competitive Sunday afternoon and challenge the Top 10.

Josh Berry – The driver of the No. 21 Ford has been an up-and-down performer on the small ovals this season. However, Berry did fetch a Top 5 at Phoenix and a more recent Top 15 at Bristol. In this race one year ago the Wood Brothers Racing driver qualified third on the grid, led 32 laps and drove to a strong seventh-place finish in the Iowa Corn 350. That experience is going to be extremely valuable to this veteran driver. Berry is not known for being a stellar short track performer, but he does have that potential. We expect this driver and team to challenge the Top 10 and certainly visit the Top 15 Sunday at Iowa Speedway.

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

Kyle Busch – Busch has had up-and-down performances on short tracks this season and only has one Top 10 in the four events to-date on ovals one-mile in size and less. The Richard Childress Racing driver had struggles last season on the small ovals so this is not a new issue. Certainly, short track racing has had its fair share of struggles for this diver and team. Until last season's start at Iowa, Busch hasn't raced at Iowa Speedway since way back in 2010 so his experience at the oval was way in the past. The veteran driver ran into problems in this race one year ago and finished a distant 35th-place. Busch is a risky fantasy racing play for Sunday's Iowa Corn 350.   

Austin Cindric –  Despite Cindric's victory earlier this season at Talladega, we cannot recommend Cindric for this week's race at Iowa Speedway. The short tracks have been a struggle for the No. 2 Ford team. Cindric has no Top-15 finishes in four short tracks starts and an inflated 22.3 average finish. The Penske Racing driver was a disappointing 37th-place at Martinsville earlier this spring and that's likely the best comp to this new event in the schedule. Cindric has four-career Iowa Speedway starts in his Xfinity Series resume, but he only once cracked the Top 10 in those starts and registered a subpar 19.0 average finish across that span. This driver and team finished a deflating 30th-place in this event one year ago.

Cole Custer – The Haas Factory driver has had a long, tough season. Short tracks especially have been extremely difficult for the driver of the No. 41 Ford. Custer has no Top-25 finishes and a 30.8 average finish on ovals one-mile in size or less this season. He didn't race in the Cup Series event at Iowa Speedway one year ago as Custer was in the middle of a full Xfinity Series schedule in 2024. That lack of experience in a Cup car at this track is concerning ahead of the Iowa Corn 350. Custer has seven starts of Iowa experience in his Xfinity Series resume, unfortunately success in that division of NASCAR has been tough to translate into the Cup Series.   

Erik Jones – Coming off a crash and DNF this past week at the Brickyard, Jones will be looking to rebound at Iowa Speedway. That will be a tall order for the Legacy Motor Club driver. His short track efforts this season have not been impressive. Jones has one Top-20 finish on ovals one-mile in size and less and a disappointing 27.3 average finish across those four events. In this event at Iowa Speedway one year ago, Jones didn't qualify well and he struggled to a 32nd-place finish at 3 laps down to the leaders. The driver of the No. 43 Toyota is a high risk fantasy racing prospect for Sunday's race at Iowa Speedway.