NASCAR veteran Austin Dillon says Friday’s practice session will be crucial leading into Sunday night’s Iowa Corn 350. After crashing out early in last week’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 in Sonoma, California, Dillon’s car will be the first one to make a qualifying run Saturday afternoon at the Iowa Speedway.

Cup Series cars will have 50 minutes of practice time on Friday afternoon and based on that will set the car up for a qualifying run.

The 2018 Daytona 500 champ has had a lot of success at the Iowa Speedway over the years. He won a truck race in 2010 and finished second a year later. He also has three top five finishes in six Xfinity Series starts.

Dillon says he was excited to see the Iowa Speedway added to the Cup Series schedule.

It will be the first Cup Series race at the Iowa Speedway but Dillon is one of 19 drivers expected to be in the field who have won a race at the track.

The first of three days of action on Friday is capped off by an ARCA/Menard Series race.