Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol
Location: Newton, Iowa
Course: Iowa Speedway
Format: 0.88-mile D-Shaped Oval
Laps: 350
NASCAR Iowa Corn 350 Race Preview
A combination of strategy and speed gave Bubba Wallace the edge last week at Indianapolis, relieving him from the pressure of the points battle to make the playoffs. His win secured his playoff spot and left Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece separated by 42 points on the cutline. Three playoff spots remain to be claimed by new 2025 winners with four races remaining for drivers to get the job done. This week the NASCAR Cup Series competitors head to Iowa Speedway where Ryan Blaney dominated the series debut at the track last season, leading 201 of 350 laps after starting on the front row. It is one of two short ovals left in the regular season with two potential wild-card races laying in wait as well. As playoff spots continue to be claimed, pressure continues to mount on those who remain winless. Several big names are still on the outside looking in, and everything could change again Sunday at Iowa.
Key Stats at Iowa
- Number of races: 1
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 1
- Winners from top-10 starters: 1
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 102.874 mph
Previous Iowa Speedway Winners
2024 - Ryan Blaney
Iowa Speedway is a short, D-shaped oval that most closely resembles Richmond. Though the NASCAR Cup Series made its track debut just last season, the circuit has been a regular stop for the Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series in years gone by. The track's old and abrasive surface used to provide several grooves for side-by-side racing, but partial repaves of some areas ahead of last year's race led to the inside line being the preference. While it resembles Richmond, Iowa's progressive banking encourages some close racing by opening up additional lanes throughout the weekend. The track's tight turns also produce heavy braking, making it a demanding venue where action can build with aggression.
Last year, Ryan Blaney dominated from pole, but his closest competitor (Kyle Larson) was eliminated from contention due to contact in the final stage. Like last week at Indianapolis, track position should be expected to be a key factor in determining the outcome. The top four finishers in this race last season all started inside the top 10, and the furthest back any driver in any of NASCAR's top three series started and won at Iowa was Brett Moffitt, who won the 2018 truck race from the 16th starting spot.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Iowa Corn 350 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Ryan Blaney - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
William Byron - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,800
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Joey Logano - $9,300
Chase Briscoe - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chris Buescher - $8,700
Kyle Busch - $8,200
Josh Berry - $8,000
Ty Gibbs - $7,800
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Brad Keselowski - $7,600
Carson Hocevar - $7,400
Alex Bowman - $7,100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $5,700
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Iowa Corn 350
Ryan Blaney - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Josh Berry - $8,000
Brad Keselowski - $7,600
Alex Bowman - $7,100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $5,700
With just one series race run at Iowa, and no races yet at Richmond yet this season, choosing a lineup for Iowa can be a bit murky for fantasy players. We do know that Ford, and Ryan Blaney (DK $10,700, FD $14,000) specifically, were very strong in last year's race, though. Blaney led 201 of the 350 laps, after starting on the front row, to win. He was in the top five all day and won a stage, too. Entering this weekend on the heels of back-to-back top-10 finishes gives him a big dose of confidence for the weekend.
Kyle Larson (DK $10,500, FD $13,000) was his main challenger in this race last season. Larson started on pole, won a stage, and led 80 laps before contact in the final stage took him out of contention for the win. These two drivers were the best at Iowa Speedway last season and are in good form heading into this weekend, too. Fantasy players should feel very comfortable selecting both, and this lineup leverages several lower-priced options to enable that.
Josh Berry's (DK $8,000, FD $10,000) seventh-place finish from the third starting spot at Iowa last season makes his price for this week's race feel like a bargain. That bargain seems even better when you consider he qualified third and led 32 laps, too. The downside of selecting him this week is that he has just one top-15 finish in the last five races. However, given his success at this track last season, fantasy players have reason to believe he'll end his current slump this week.
Brad Keselowski (DK $7,600, FD $7,500) was also very competitive at Iowa last year. He qualified fifth, led five laps, and walked away with a 10th-place finish and stage points from both segments. He needs a win to get into the playoff fight, and his success at this track last season coupled with two top-fives from the last five races make that seem like a possibility.
An even bigger value than any other driver discussed so far could be Alex Bowman (DK $7,100, FD $7,800). The Hendrick Motorsports driver remains winless in 2025 but has five top-fives and 12 top-10s and remains in a comfortable spot in the playoff positions. He finished eighth in this race last season, which is remarkable considering he started the day 33rd. If Bowman has a better qualifying effort this week, fantasy players can reasonably expect him to be racing well inside the top 10 throughout Sunday's race.
Another top-10 finisher in this race last season was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $5,700, FD $4,000). Like Bowman, Stenhouse started well down the order in 35th position. That didn't hold him back, though. He finished fifth and led four laps after gambling on a two-tire strategy late in the race. The decision paid off with a top-five finish and shows what a difference positive track position can mean to a contender at this track.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Iowa Corn 350
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:00 PM ET Saturday.
Race Winner - Kyle Larson +450, Ryan Blaney +550
Top-Five Finish - Chase Elliott +150
Top-10 Finish - Alex Bowman +200
Winning Manufacturer - Ford +230
Ford drivers were very competitive at Iowa last season, but Chevrolet wasn't far off. Kyle Larson led a good portion of the race but suffered from a mistake in the final stage. Had he been around at the finish, perhaps Ryan Blaney's win wouldn't have seemed as dominant. The decision this week is between Kyle Larson at relatively nice odds compared to past races this season or a slightly bigger payout from going with Blaney. Wagerers should expect both of these drivers to be competitive. Neither option is a poor choice, but I am going to go with Larson. He will want to right his wrongs from last season and he usually commands much lower odds as a race favorite, which makes this week's numbers a bit of a bargain. He also enters the weekend on an upswing in momentum with back-to-back top-five finishes.
Like Larson last year, Chase Elliott and all the Hendrick Motorsports cars raced well at Iowa. Elliott started the race ninth and finished third. His consistency this year has been unmatched and he continues to be in contention for top-10 finishes every week. Coming to Iowa, another top finish is the expectation if not another 2025 victory. Elliott has seven top-five finishes this season including two from the last five races. He finished 13th a week ago at Indianapolis, but it isn't unreasonable to expect him to be racing inside the top five throughout Sunday's race again. Teammate Alex Bowman's odds for a top-10 finish also seem quite attractive. Bowman, like his teammates, had pace at Iowa last season and snagged a top-10 finish despite starting 33rd. If Bowman is able to qualify even a fraction better for this year's race, he could be racing right at the front with the rest of them. It appears as though both fantasy pricing and oddsmakers have overlooked him this weekend, which gives us value.
Oddsmakers are also giving wagerers value with Ford as winning manufacturer. It is tough to believe that, despite winning the 2024 Iowa race and putting four drivers in the top 10, Ford is still the least likely to win according to the odds. Granted, Chevrolet and Toyota were better in practice and qualifying last year, the Ford machines roared to life in the race. I would say Ford has a great chance at winning this race again this season, and wagerers should feel good about taking the blue oval this week.
