Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol
Location: Newton, Iowa
Course: Iowa Speedway
Format: 0.88-mile D-Shaped Oval
Laps: 350
NASCAR Cup Race Preview
Corey Heim scored the second victory of his part-time 2026 schedule last time out, capturing one of NASCAR's biggest prizes before his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career has even begun. The 23XI Racing driver and reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion managed restarts and track position perfectly to top the Brickyard 400 field in a fairytale start to his Cup future, which will begin in earnest in 2027. Until then, the rest of the series contenders turn their attention to Iowa Speedway and a four-race run to close out the regular season. Four drivers have already booked their spots in the championship field, leaving 12 places still up for grabs as points battles tighten throughout the standings. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs can breathe a little easier knowing they will be part of the championship battle, but Austin Cindric, Ryan Preece, and others have to make every lap count over the next month to assure they are also part of that elite group of 16 drivers that will race for this season's Cup Series championship.
Key Stats at Iowa Speedway
- Number of races: 2
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 2
- Winners from top-10 starters: 2
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 102.874 mph
Previous Iowa Speedway Winners
2025 - William Byron
2024 - Ryan Blaney
Iowa Speedway is a D-shaped oval less than a mile in length with a rougher surface than most other tracks on the calendar. This week's race will be the third time the Cup Series visits the circuit and the two prior races were determined by tire and fuel management. The track's older surface can lead to heavy tire wear, which means making the switch to fresh rubber could make a big difference in track position once pit stops fully cycle through the field. Teams will also need to keep a watch on fuel, though. Last year, William Byron nursed his final fuel load further than any other driver, which netted him the victory. While every team will need to manage those two aspects throughout Sunday's race, they will have to keep an eye on track position as well. Both prior Iowa series races were won from the front row and only three of 22 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races were won by a driver that started outside of the top 10. The easiest way to get up front is to start there, but drivers will have to carefully monitor tires and fuel in order to stay there until the checkered flag.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Iowa Corn 350
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,100
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Ryan Blaney - $10,500
William Byron - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kyle Larson - $9,700
Joey Logano - $9,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,200
Chase Elliott - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Reddick - $8,500
Ty Gibbs - $8,200
Bubba Wallace - $8,000
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Ryan Preece - $7,000
Shane van Gisbergen - $6,500
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Iowa Corn 350
Ryan Blaney - $10,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,200
Bubba Wallace - $8,000
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Ryan Preece - $7,000
It may only be a two-race sample size, but Ryan Blaney (DK $10,500, FD $13,000) has the second-best average finish of any NASCAR Cup Series driver at Iowa Speedway. The off week coming directly following the Brickyard 400 is a good thing for him, too. In that race, he was swept up in contact and lost the in-season challenge to Todd Gilliland, scoring his worst finish since Talladega. Last week's break gives him a chance to reset and focus on the things that have made him successful this year, and hopefully that will enable a quick return to form from him this week at Iowa where he finished fourth last year after winning the year prior.
The only Toyota to finish in the top five at Iowa last season was Chase Briscoe (DK $9,200. FD $11,000). He led 81 laps from pole on his way to a runner-up finish, which was his best of the two races at the track. Briscoe has also been climbing the points ladder recently and scored four top-five finishes from the last five races. Given what he was able to accomplish at Iowa last season in his first try there with Joe Gibbs Racing, Briscoe appears to be one of the most reasonably priced Toyota drivers for fantasy rosters this week.
One other Toyota driver worth paying attention to this week is Bubba Wallace (DK $8,000, FD $9,000). Alongside Briscoe, Wallace was the only other Toyota driver to finish in the top 10 in this race last season. Given his pattern this year of a good week followed by a bad week, fantasy players should expect him to be on the up side this weekend. He finished 28th at Indianapolis, but he has also finished sixth or better in every race following one where he finished outside of the top 20 since Nashville, a pattern that has held for the past nine races.
Were it not for William Byron's fuel-mileage heroics in this race last season, Brad Keselowski (DK $7,900, FD $8,500) might have been the driver in Victory Lane. The RFK Racing driver started fifth and led 68 laps, winning both stages, before coming home third. Add that success to his recent uptick in form and you have a driver worth choosing this week. He finished seventh and sixth in the last two races and is looking to force his way into the championship positions. There is no better way to make that happen by winning on Sunday.
Alex Bowman (DK $7,300, FD $7,800) revealed that 2027 will be his last full-time season in the series. What better way to start the countdown to his retirement with a top finish at a track he has been quite good at in the past? In the two races run at Iowa, Bowman finished eighth and seventh despite starting 33rd and 16th. Finishing in the top 10 again this week would earn him his fifth top-10 of the season and would also be his third from the last six races.
Ryan Preece (DK $7,000, FD $7,200) is also a wise long-shot option this week. Teaming up with RFK Racing improved his Iowa fortune. That is no surprise considering how well Keselowski has done at the track. In 2024 with Stewart-Haas Racing, Preece started 29th and finished 27th. Last year with RFK, he started 33rd, but he impressively finished that race fifth. Preece finished in the top 10 in three of the last five races and is working hard to reel in Austin Cindric to take the 16th and final spot in The Chase.
Best Bets for the Iowa Corn 350
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:30 AM ET Friday.
Race Winner - Chase Briscoe +850
Top-Five Finish - Brad Keselowski +285
Top-10 Finish - Shane van Gisbergen +340
Winning Manufacturer - Ford +225
Ford and Chevrolet have closed the gap on Toyota in recent weeks, creating greater parity across the field. With only two previous races at Iowa Speedway, picking the right driver to win this week is even more difficult. As a result, targeting value over the favorites feels like the better approach. Chase Briscoe stands out as one of the best values available. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was one of the strongest competitors in this race last season, starting from the pole, leading 81 laps, and finishing second. He also enters the weekend with four top-five finishes in his last five races. With odds nearly twice as long as those of his teammates, Briscoe is an enticing option this week.
Brad Keselowski has risen to the occasion in both previous races at Iowa. The Ford driver finished third last season and might have won if the closing laps had played out differently. He enters this week with an average Iowa finish of 6.5 and an average starting position of 5.0. Keselowski also carries momentum from back-to-back top-10 finishes in the last two races. With a spot in The Chase still within reach, he will be pushing to extend that streak. However, given his strong history at Iowa and recent form, a top-five finish is a realistic target this week.
Short ovals have quickly become opportunities for Shane van Gisbergen. His best oval results this season are a pair of fifth-place finishes at Nashville and North Wilkesboro. Given Iowa's similarities to Richmond, his performance there last season is also worth considering. His 14th-place finish that night showed progress and offered an early indication of the improvement we have seen from SVG on ovals this season. He currently holds a spot in The Chase and has proven capable of earning top-10 finishes at tracks like Iowa. That makes his odds to finish inside the top 10 particularly appealing this week.
As Toyota faces mounting pressure from Chevrolet and Ford, bettors should begin looking for opportunities to back those manufacturers before the odds gap narrows. Short ovals naturally produce closer competition, and Ford's recent improvement makes this week particularly appealing. Ford drivers have been among the strongest at Iowa through the first two Cup Series races, accounting for three of the five best average finishes at the track. With Ford also offering the most favorable odds to win this week, the manufacturer is a worthy gamble to reach Victory Lane this weekend.
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