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Iowa Speedway prepares for next month’s NASCAR Cup Series race

Sports

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Speedway is gearing to host its first NASCAR Cup Series race next month. The Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, June 16th will cap three days of racing and the Xfinity Series race on the 15th is also sold out.

That’s Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson. Among the current projects are construction of temporary suites in turn one.

Three NASCAR drivers conduced tire tests on Tuesday. That includes Christopher Bell, who just two days earlier won the rain shortened Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte.

Bell was in victory lane in 2019 the last time the track hosted the Xfinity Series and says a recent repaving in both sets of turns has changed the track.

Bell says the repaving may make it more difficult to pass.

Brad Keselowski (keh-suh-lau-skee) has won three times at Iowa Speedway, including the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race back in 2009.

Keselowski says he was happy when Iowa was granted a Cup race.

Former NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson raced at Iowa in 2013 and says the repaving has altered the track.

Larson has won two of the last three Knoxville Nationals titles and is the defending champ. A weather delay in Indianapolis foiled Larson’s plays to drive in the both in the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600 this past weekend. A pit row penalty at Indy knocked him out of contention and he finished 18th.