(KIWA Staff Photo)Newton, Iowa (RI) — The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Iowa Speedway this weekend with Sunday’s running of the Iowa Corn 350, marking the third straight year the track hosts Cup competition.
Driver Ross Chastain, who has family ties to watermelon farming, says racing in Iowa carries a special connection.
Chastain sits 21st in Cup Series points and, for the third straight year, will run two races at Iowa. He’ll also compete in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event.
He finished 11th in the Iowa Corn 350 in each of the last two years. Chastain says the partial repave more than two years ago makes set up tricky at Iowa.
Chase Elliott, currently sixth in the Cup Series standings, says teams will need to make setup decisions before Saturday morning’s short practice session.
Elliott says the practice sessions don’t offer much of a chance to make adjustments before qualifying.
The weekend opens Friday night with an ARCA Menard Series race. NASCAR announced Thursday it will return to the Iowa Speedway again in 2027, with race dates set for July 2nd through July 4th.
