Friday, during the training session for the NASCAR During the Cup Series at Iowa Speedway, tire issues have been the main talking point. When problems arose at Bristol earlier this season, NASCAR and Goodyear provided an extra set of tires to teams midway through the race.
Prior to the start of the Iowa Corn 350, Cup Series teams will not receive additional tires. It remains to be seen whether NASCAR will change that plan after the first stop at Iowa or not. This lets teams know they will only have 10 sets of tires total to complete the race.
In Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, drivers were able to put about 30 to 35 laps on their tires at a steady pace. Cup drivers had about 20 to 25 laps on tires in practice.
Teams can make adjustments to help with tire wear. There are things they can do to make the tires last longer. Of course, the drivers will be the ones most responsible for preserving the tires. Making sure the pace isn’t pushed too hard until it needs to be.
NBC Sports’ Dustin Long The news about the tires has been reported. There will also be no caution from the competitors during the race.
Each team will have nine sets of new tires and their qualifying set of tires. The race will begin at 7:00 PM EST tonight. That means the track will likely change dramatically as the heat of the day fades and the cool air of the night sets in.
The lack of direct sunlight on the track late in the race will be important. NASCAR drivers and teams have their work cut out for them tonight at Iowa Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series Races at Iowa Speedway
It took a while. When it was almost never built due to various funding and planning failures, Iowa Speedway was created by NASCAR and its best people. Rusty Wallace designed the track for heaven’s sake!
From 2006 to 2024, 18 long years. IndyCar has called Iowa home many times since its inception. The series took a one-year hiatus in 2021, outside of short-track racing. Now, the NASCAR Cup Series has called Iowa home.
Many Xfinity Series races were held at this track in the 2010s. It even gained popularity among drivers who competed in the series at the time. Chase Briscoe still considers it his favorite race track.
Get ready for a wild ride tonight. The NASCAR Cup Series is finally taking place at Iowa Speedway. Given the tire wear, this should be a special race.
