Iowa Corn 350 Preview: New Speedway

This article is part of our Weekly Preview series.

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series visits Iowa Speedway for the first 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. Top speeds are likely to be around 135 mph as the asphalt surface provides high grip and a lot of potential for side-by-side racing. 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 has never hosted a Cup Series event in its history until now. There will be a lot of unknowns as we venture this weekend into the uncharted waters of Iowa Speedway. 

Since this is a completely new race, at a completely new track, we have no historical loop stats 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. In the table below are the driver's standard stats at Phoenix, Bristol, Richmond, Martinsville and Dover in the 2024 season, sorted by average finish.

This weekend NASCAR will make a little history. For the first time ever, the Cup Series will compete on the tri-oval at Iowa Speedway. For much of the last two decades, this track has been exclusively and IndyCar and lower division NASCAR oval. That will all change with Sunday's Iowa Corn 350. There will be plenty to learn for both the drivers and the fans. 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. Lesson's learned this weekend will be applied by both the teams and fantasy racing players alike in the near future.    

Coming into this weekend's 350-lap event we're going to rely a lot on current hot streaks and we're going to look with a critical eye at recent performance on small ovals, one-mile in size or less. We believe the statistical table above and even the recent All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro will be our greatest aides in evaluating drivers this weekend and projecting potential performance. 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 hasn't won on a short track yet this season, but he's been incredibly close to breaking that barrier. Larson has two poles, two runner-up finishes and one third-place finish on tracks one-mile in size and smaller. He won the pole and led a staggering 144 laps at Richmond before finishing third in that race on that comparable oval. 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 was a Top-5 finisher on the 5/8-mile oval in North Wilkesboro on All-Star weekend, so he should be one of the top drivers to beat in the Iowa Corn 350. 

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has won three races already this season on ovals one-mile in size or less. He's picked off trophies at Bristol, Richmond and Dover. Richmond Raceway is probably the best comp to Iowa Speedway and his performance there is very noteworthy. Hamlin led just 17 laps but he had the right strategy and would end up in victory lane in the Toyota Owners 400. Interestingly, the Joe Gibbs Racing star has never made a top-3 touring series start in NASCAR at Iowa Speedway, so this will be uncharted waters for the driver of the No. 11 Toyota. However, we feel that Hamlin's short track resume is so strong, and his stats at the comparable Richmond are so good that he should immediately develop a chemistry with the Iowa oval.          

Joey Logano – Logano has been heating up lately. He snagged a fifth-place finish at Gateway a couple weeks ago and won the pole just this past weekend at Sonoma. The No. 22 Ford team appears to be heading in a good direction. 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 runner-up recently at Richmond and that was in the depths of his slump. Logano is a two-time winner at Richmond Raceway and cracks the Top 5 there at a staggering 47-percent rate. Those are all good indicators for potential for this driver and team at Iowa Speedway.   

Martin Truex Jr. – The Joe Gibbs Racing star is coming off a crushing empty gas tank on the last lap at Sonoma. It ruined what was potentially a runner-up finish for Truex. He'll look to rebound big at Iowa Speedway this week. The veteran driver of the No. 19 Toyota has been a steady performer on the ovals one-mile in size and less this season, grabbing four Top 10's in five starts for a razor sharp 6.8 average finish. Truex led a whopping 228 laps at the comparable Richmond before claiming fourth-place in that event. We expect this driver and team to have the speed to lead laps and challenge for the win in the Iowa Corn 350.

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

Chase Elliott – A consistent producer on the short tracks this season, Elliott brings a lot of fantasy value into Iowa Speedway for the first time. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet has led 74 combined laps and grabbed three Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes on ovals one-mile in size and less this season. Elliott qualified on the outside pole at Richmond and raced to a strong fifth-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 grabbed Top 10's in all four attempts and registered a strong 5.8 average finish across the four.

Ryan Blaney – Coming off a strong seventh-place finish at Sonoma Raceway, 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 seventh-place finishes at Martinsville and Dover. Blaney was also a strong fifth-place recently in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Another good barometer of recent short track performance. Blaney has some incredible experience in his early career racing in the Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway. Between 2012 and 2015 he grabbed one victory, three Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes in five starts. That experience will pay dividends this Sunday in the Iowa Corn 350.

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 won earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway, but he also has just a pedestrian 40-percent Top-10 rate this season on the ovals one-mile in size or less. However, his Richmond start which is noteworthy netted a strong seventh-place finish in the Toyota Owners 400. That's a good comp for Iowa Speedway. His two-career Xfinity Series starts at Iowa resulted in a win and two Top-10 finishes.

Christopher Bell – The Joe Gibbs Racing driver rides a three-race Top-10 streak into Iowa this week that includes his win at Charlotte a few weeks ago. Bell will look to extend that 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 sixth-place at Richmond. We expect this driver and team to have a lot of potential in this 350-lap battle at the Iowa short track.

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 2024. Buescher has three Top-10 and four Top-15 finishes in five starts and a respectable 10.0 average finish. 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 fifth in that exhibition race and finished an impressive third-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 the first-ever Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway.

Alex Bowman – While not as noteworthy as his other Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Bowman has been steady on the small ovals this season. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet has three Top 10's on those tracks for a 60-percent Top-10 rate and respectable 11.4 average finish. Bowman also has some Xfinity Series experience at Iowa Speedway. Two of his three starts in that division of NASCAR at the track netted Top-10 finishes. That experience will be a huge help to this driver and team. Bowman should qualify well and race among the Top 10 at Iowa. He's not a big threat to win, but Bowman should deliver a good finish in the Iowa Corn 350.     

Brad Keselowski – The Penske Racing star is coming off a mixed performance at Sonoma Raceway this past weekend. Keselowski will look to get back into his Top 10 ways with a good performance at Iowa Speedway. The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has earned two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes on the small ovals in 2024 for a sound 13.8 average finish. One of those performances was Keselowski's eighth-place finish at Richmond in the Toyota Owners 400. That's a very good comp for this first-ever Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway. Although it has been some time ago, Keselowski put up some strong numbers at the Iowa oval in Xfinity Series competition. He owns 332 laps led, three victories and six Top-5 finishes in seven starts between 2009 and 2016.

Tyler Reddick – The driver of the No. 45 Toyota has been a short track hustler in recent weeks. Reddick's last three short track performances have netted 10th-, seventh-, 11th-place finishes for a very strong 9.3 average finish. One of those efforts (10th-place) came at Richmond a few weeks back. The 23XI Racing star was a reasonably good performer at Iowa Speedway during his Xfinity Series career. Reddick nabbed a 50-percent Top-10 rate at the small oval and decent 14.8 average finish. His last appearance there was one of his best, which was a fifth-place finish in 2019. Reddick will leverage that experience for this first-ever Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway. He may not qualify the best, but should have little trouble driving through the field and challenging the Top 10.

Ross Chastain – The recent All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro saw Chastain qualify seventh and finish seventh after 200 laps on that 5/8-mile oval. The Trackhouse Racing veteran also has maintained a reasonably good 12.4 average finish on the series' short tracks in 2024. He hasn't shown the speed to lead laps or challenge for the win, but Chastain has shown he can race among the leaders and mix it up inside the Top 10. Among Cup Series veterans, Chastain probably has the most experience in racing Xfinity Series competition on Iowa's oval. His eight starts there between 2015 and 2018 netted three Top-10 finishes and close to 2,000 laps. Chastain is very familiar with this small oval and has what it takes to be a Top-15 finisher Sunday 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 sixth-place finish on the 5/8-mile oval of North Wilkesboro during the All-Star Race in May. Wallace also grabbed 13th- and fourth-place finishes this spring at Richmond and Martinsville Speedway. 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. Despite coming off 21st- and 20th-place finishes the past two events at Gateway and Sonoma, we believe this driver and team will click in the Iowa Corn 350.       

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

Kyle Busch – Busch has had tremendous struggles this season on short tracks. Even the Richmond oval that has rewarded him so well over the years only yielded a 20th-place finish. The five events of this season have only netted one Top 10 thus far and a disappointing 17.4 average finish for the Richard Childress Racing star. Even the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro was a struggle for Busch and the No. 8 Chevrolet team. Certainly short track racing has had its fair share of struggles for this diver and team. Busch hasn't raced at Iowa Speedway since way back in 2010 so his experience at the oval is way in the past. We believe this is one star driver you want to pass on in weekly lineup and salary cap leagues.

Austin Cindric –  Despite Cindric's recent victory at Gateway, 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 just one Top-20 finish in five short tracks starts and an inflated 25.6 average finish. The Penske Racing driver was a disappointing 23rd-place at Richmond 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 will likely underperform in the Iowa Corn 350.   

Austin Dillon – Dillon has found it impossible to stay on the lead lap this season in short track action. He's qualified poorly (26.8 avg start) and has lost the lead lap in all five events. The Richard Childress Racing veteran was a disappointing 24th-place finisher at the Richmond oval and that is likely where he'll slot this weekend in the inaugural Iowa Corn 350. Despite having some extensive Xfinity Series experience at this oval, Dillon will find it difficult to succeed. Those starts where more than 10 years ago and in a top notch car at the time. Dillon and the No. 3 team will likely have a very long Sunday afternoon at Iowa Speedway.  

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – The superspeedways and intermediate ovals have been rewarding for Stenhouse and the No. 47 Chevrolet team this season. However, the short tracks have been a completely different story. All five starts have resulted in finishes outside the Top 20 and an average finish of 30.2. Among full-time drivers it's one of the worst average finishes among Cup Series drivers. Stenhouse made the field for the All-Star Race, but he was a dead-last finisher at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Despite being a three-time winner in his Xfinity Series career at Iowa Speedway, Stenhouse is definitely a suspect fantasy racing play for the Iowa Corn 350.