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The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

Ty Gibbs holds off Christopher Bell for dramatic win at Iowa

 

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

August 9, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

NEWTON, Iowa — A two-tire call. An impeccable green-flag run. And Ty Gibbs had his second victory of the season.

 

Leap-frogging Joe Gibbs racing teammate Christopher Bell on pit road—thanks to crew chief Tyler Allen’s two-tire call on Lap 290 of 350—Gibbs kept Bell behind him the rest of the way in front of a packed house at 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway.

 

When Ross Chastain came to pit road to complete the cycle of green-flag stops, Gibbs had the race lead on Lap 331, with Bell close behind him.

 

Bell tried everything. Arcing high into the corner. Running the bottom. Crowding up to the bumper of Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota and trying to force a mistake. But with Gibbs repeatedly taking his line, Bell couldn’t find a way past his 23-year-old teammate, who had claimed his first career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

 

Before he could get to a race-winning position, Gibbs had to rally from a blown pit stop that cost him 25 positions at the first stage break. With a cool head after the miscue, he maneuvered his way back to the front.

 

“We made a big step from last year, obviously, and I really appreciate it,” said Gibbs, who has finished in the top four at all four short tracks so far this season. “But I really appreciate all my teammates, too.

 

“I wouldn't be here without all my teammates as well, week in and week out, just help keep developing the program. And, obviously, we're all up front for a reason. I really appreciate Denny (Hamlin) and Chase (Briscoe) and Christopher for all their help, obviously.”

 

For the seventh time this season, and for the fourth time in the last five races, Bell had to settle for second. That he climbed from 10th to sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with the runner-up result was of little consolation.

 

“This is what you call a bad second-place finish, for sure,” Bell said. “I don't know what else to say. Ty did a really good job. He did a great job managing the race.

 

“I could tell that he was slipping and sliding around. Similar to last week or two weeks ago with Corey Heim (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he just didn't make a mistake. So P2.”

 

Pole winner Ryan Blaney came home third after leading the first 93 laps and winning the first stage. Josh Berry finished fourth in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, scoring his first top-five of the season.

 

Overcoming brake problems and a start from the rear of the field, series leader Hamlin ran fifth and extended his advantage in the standings to 103 points over Gibbs, who jumped from fourth to second with the win.

 

“Just had to white-knuckle every lap,” said Hamlin, who complained of a “long” brake pedal early in the race. “Obviously, not knowing where my car was going to land when I got into the corner, obviously you want to have brakes, and that was a crazy race to have to do it the whole time without it.

 

“But you've got to do what you've got to do. The team did an amazing job. I would take that day 100 out of 100 times.”

 

Chase Briscoe finished sixth, followed by Chastain, AJ Allmendinger, defending race winner William Byron and Austin Dillon. Sunoco rookie Connor Zilisch was 11th, matching his best Cup Series result on an oval track (2025 at EchoPark Speedway).

 

Shane van Gisbergen ran 30th, three laps down after spinning, but remained 15th in the standings with a 47-point margin over the current cut line for the Chase.

 

The race wasn’t five laps old when a slip by Tyler Reddick ignited a wreck that had profound implications for the series standings.

 

With both cars running in the top seven, Reddick’s Toyota broke loose in Turn 2 on Lap 4 and collected the Camry of Erik Jones. Both cars slammed the outside wall and sustained damage that knocked them out of the race in 35th (Jones) and 36th place (Reddick).

 

The accident cost Reddick two positions in the standings and dimmed his hopes of overtaking Hamlin for the regular-season title. He’s now fourth in points, 120 behind Hamlin with three races left before the Chase field is set.

 

“Just got out of shape in an area—corner entry—where I thought we were pretty secure all weekend,” a chagrined Reddick said after exiting the infield care center. “For us to take ourselves out is one thing, but to take out a fellow Toyota teammate when they are racing for the Chase… pretty much ended their day as well.

 

“It’s the type of stuff you don’t do to yourself, and you don’t do to a teammate.”

 

The early exit was a crushing blow to Jones, who came to Iowa 18th in the standings, 44 points below the Chase cutoff. He leaves the Hawkeye State 20th in points, 50 behind Austin Cindric in 16th, the last Chase-eligible position.

 

“Yeah, we needed a few perfect weeks, and it needed to start here today, and obviously that didn’t happen,” Jones said. “Just unfortunate with how early it is. I’m just trying to settle in and get going.

 

“You don’t expect it either in the top-10, top-five. You don’t think you are going to get caught up in something crazy like that. It’s a bummer. It’s a huge mountain now from here on out to get to the Chase, so we’ll see.”

 

Iowa once again proved a Waterloo for Kyle Larson, who started second and finished third in Stage 1, only to get collected with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman in a Lap 149 accident after John Hunter Nemechek forced Larson’s Chevrolet up the track and created an untenable four-wide situation on the frontstretch.

 

Larson finished 18 laps down in 33rd, two spots below his average finish for the first two Cup Series races at Iowa Speedway.

 

Blaney led three times for a race-high 129 laps, nine more than Bell’s total. Gibbs led the final 20 laps of the third stage, which ran under a green flag from Lap 219 through 350.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol

Iowa Speedway

Newton, Iowa

Sunday, August 9, 2026

 

                1. (6)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 350.

                2. (22)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 350.

                3. (1)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 350.

                4. (13)  Josh Berry, Ford, 350.

                5. (29)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 350.

                6. (20)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 350.

                7. (9)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 350.

                8. (25)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 350.

                9. (19)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 350.

                10. (7)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 350.

                11. (8)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 349.

                12. (26)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 349.

                13. (27)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 349.

                14. (3)  Joey Logano, Ford, 349.

                15. (32)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 349.

                16. (14)  Zane Smith, Ford, 349.

                17. (15)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 349.

                18. (16)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 349.

                19. (21)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 349.

                20. (35)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 349.

                21. (28)  Riley Herbst, Toyota, 349.

                22. (17)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 349.

                23. (33)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 349.

                24. (31)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 349.

                25. (11)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 349.

                26. (24)  Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 349.

                27. (4)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 348.

                28. (36)  Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 348.

                29. (12)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 348.

                30. (23)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 347.

                31. (18)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 347.

                32. (34)  Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 347.

                33. (2)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 332.

                34. (30)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 194.

                35. (10)  Erik Jones, Toyota, Accident, 4.

                36. (5)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Accident, 3.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  103.337 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 57 Mins, 49 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .253 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  7 for 45 laps.

Lead Changes:  9 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   R. Blaney 1-93;C. Elliott 94-107;B. Wallace 108-142;R. Blaney 143;C. Bell 144-214;C. Elliott 215-218;R. Blaney 219-253;C. Bell 254-290;R. Chastain 291-330;T. Gibbs 331-350.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Ryan Blaney 3 times for 129 laps; Christopher Bell 2 times for 108 laps; Ross Chastain 1 time for 40 laps; Bubba Wallace 1 time for 35 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 20 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 18 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 12,22,5,54,3,1,20,19,88,38

Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,22,1,54,19,11,24,12,38,88

 

Ryan Blaney masters Iowa Speedway with pole-winning run

 

 Chris Graythen/Getty Images

August 8, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

NEWTON, Iowa — Ryan Blaney continued his mastery of Iowa Speedway on Saturday, putting his No. 12 Team Penske Ford on the pole for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (3:30 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

On his second of two qualifying laps, Blaney navigated 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway in 23.474 seconds (134.191 mph) to knock Kyle Larson off the provisional pole. Blaney’s margin over Larson (134.088 mph)—and over Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who later posted an identical time—was 0.018 seconds.

 

The Busch Light Pole Award was Blaney’s first at Iowa (where he won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in 2024), his second of the season and the 15th of his career.

 

Only once before has Blaney converted a pole earned through qualifying into a race win. That was after his most recent pole, at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) in July.

 

“I had a lane in mind that I wanted to run, and I missed it on my first lap,” said Blaney, whose average running position in two Iowa races is a series-bet 3.9. “I tried to adjust a little bit the second lap, and the car got a little bit better for me my second lap.

 

“Between the car getting a little better, and I kind of sneaked my lane down a little bit and hit a better lap, it was kind of a perfect storm of a couple of things coming together. I wouldn’t say I pushed it anymore—I hit my line a little bit better.”

 

Defending series champion Larson gets the nod for the second starting spot over Logano on an owner points tiebreaker. Brad Keselowski qualified fourth at 134.025 mph on his first lap, but on his second circuit he spun and backed his No. 6 RFK Ford into the outside wall, damaging the car extensively.

 

Tyler Reddick (133.911 mph) qualified fifth ahead of Ty Gibbs and Austin Dillon, who posted identical laps at 133.786 mph.

 

Rookie Connor Zilisch nailed his best NASCAR Cup Series qualifying effort on an oval track and will start eighth. Ross Chastain and Erik Jones claimed the ninth and 10th positions on the grid.

 

Series leader Denny Hamlin suffered brake issues in practice, as did teammate Chase Briscoe. Hamlin, who leads second-place Reddick by 84 points in the Cup standings, qualified 29th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs racing Toyota.  

 

Hamlin’s equipment issues may provide an opportunity for Blaney, who stands third in points, 120 behind the series leader.

 

“(Crew chief) Jonathan (Hassler) and I have discussed it a little bit through the weeks,” Blaney said of the possibility of securing top seeding for the Chase. “I don’t think we’re out of it, but we don’t really look too much at that…

 

“Things swing up and down. That group is obviously incredibly good right now. They’re going to work their way through the field. I’m just trying to focus on how the start of the race is going to be tomorrow and what I think the track is going to go to. One lap at a time.”

 

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol

Iowa Speedway

Newton, Iowa

Saturday, August 8, 2026

 

                1. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 134.191 mph.

                2. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 134.088 mph.

                3. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 134.088 mph.

                4. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 134.025 mph.

                5. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 133.911 mph.

                6. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 133.786 mph.

                7. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 133.786 mph.

                8. (88) Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 133.758 mph.

                9. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 133.667 mph.

                10. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 133.503 mph.

                11. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 133.486 mph.

                12. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 133.480 mph.

                13. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 133.463 mph.

                14. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 133.378 mph.

                15. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 133.333 mph.

                16. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 133.232 mph.

                17. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 133.175 mph.

                18. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 133.164 mph.

                19. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 133.125 mph.

                20. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 133.119 mph.

                21. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 133.119 mph.

                22. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 133.057 mph.

                23. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 133.012 mph.

                24. (33) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 132.984 mph.

                25. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 132.906 mph.

                26. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 132.861 mph.

                27. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 132.811 mph.

                28. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 132.749 mph.

                29. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 132.565 mph.

                30. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 132.481 mph.

                31. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 132.342 mph.

                32. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 132.247 mph.

                33. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 132.087 mph.

                34. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 131.965 mph.

                35. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 131.447 mph.

                36. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 131.228 mph.

 

--30--

 

NASCAR Cup youth movement makes its mark at the Brickyard

 

July 27, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar are on a collision course—figuratively speaking, that is.

 

Both drivers made impressive statements this past weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hocevar, 23, won the pole for the Brickyard 400 and held the lead in the race until the first round of green-flag pit stops.

 

Heim, who turned 24 on July 5, grabbed the top spot after a restart on Lap 27 and kept veterans Christopher Bell and Joey Logano at bay for the final 34 laps.

 

Heim is the youngest winner of the Crown Jewel race since Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days after turning 23 in 1994.

 

Indeed, Heim and Hocevar are emblematic of a younger generation in NASCAR racing, a group of 20-something drivers already making a mark in the sport and ready to do battle against each other.

 

All three first-time winners this season—Heim, Hocevar and Ty Gibbs—got their maiden victories when they were 23 years old, the first time in Cup history that three or more drivers that young accomplished the feat.

 

Gibbs, too, was a presence at Indianapolis, leading 46 laps and winning the first stage before finishing 12th.

 

But the focus was on Heim and Hocevar, who have a history dating to the Championship 4 Race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2023, when both drivers were fighting for the title and wrecked each other in the process.

 

Nor could the drivers avoid a certain degree of controversy in the Brickyard 400. In the second stage, Hocevar steered his car to pit road on Lap 82. He returned to the track right behind the Toyota of Heim, who was leading at the time and running long.

 

For 10 frustrating laps, Heim kept Hocevar in his wake. When Heim finally ducked onto pit road on Lap 92, Hocevar steered toward him and expressed his displeasure with a one-finger salute.

 

“I’m just a fan—I wanted to wave at him,” Hocevar quipped after the race. “He’s number one. He won. It’s fun… if we don’t like each other, but we race really hard. His stuff’s super-fast, obviously, with the car he’s in. He does a really, really good job with it.

 

“I’m looking forward to, when we get our stuff a little better, being in front of him and maybe holding him up.”

 

Hocevar is an imposing 6-foot-4, and he possesses a megawatt smile that can light up a room. He revels in the unusual and outlandish—witness his outside-the-car victory celebration at Talladega—and has developed a huge social media following eager to jump to his defense during online spats with other drivers.

 

Hocevar is undeniably aggressive on the race track. His 27 incidents involving 30 different Cup drivers this season are tops in the series.

 

Heim, on the other hand, is more laid back, but at every level of motorsports he is used to winning. His single-season series-record 12 victories propelled him to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title last year as he waited for a full-time Cup ride with 23XI Racing—a career goal that won’t be met until next season.

 

Nevertheless, Heim wasn’t about to let the byplay with Hocevar on Sunday go unaddressed.

 

“I was blocking him, not really too bad I thought,” Heim said. “I was trying to just hold my position. I never threw like a bad block. I was just trying to protect my entry. He didn't like it. He lost and I won, so I don't really care.”

 

Indeed. Heim defied the odds in winning for a second time in a part-time role with 23XI. He also seems to have a penchant for major events, with his first victory coming in the inaugural street course race at Naval Base Coronado, where Hocevar also qualified on the front row before finishing 19th.

 

In a sport that craves rivalries, Heim and Hocevar were front and center on Sunday, and you don’t need a crystal ball to see the future of NASCAR racing.

 

It was right before your eyes at the Brickyard.

 

--30--

 

nascar reviews & NOTEBOOKS

www.nascar.com

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

  

Saturday Iowa Speedway Notebook

 

Notebook Items:

  • New pavement should enhance racing at Iowa Speedway
  • Haas Factory Team adds Dean Thompson to driver roster
  • Chase Briscoe broadens his racing interests with sprint car team purchase

 

August 8, 2026

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

New pavement should enhance racing at Iowa Speedway

 

NEWTON, Iowa — Ryan Blaney has mixed feelings about the imminent repaving project at Iowa Speedway.

 

Ryan Preece thinks it’s necessary. Christopher Bell applauds it.

 

On Monday, the speedway will embark on a $20-million renovation project that includes a complete repave of the racing surface.

 

The new asphalt will replace the hybrid surface that was partially repaved in the corners before the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in 2024.

 

Blaney has enjoyed enormous success in the two events at Iowa. He won the debut in 2024 and finished fourth last year. His average running position for the two races is a series-best 3.9.

 

“I think the track, the way it is now, has a lot of character in it,” Blaney said. “…I think with the full repave, I hope they do a decent job with progressive banking the way it needs to be, where we can run up the track…

 

“I hope they bank up the third and fourth lanes, and it’ll be a heck of a race track if you’re not locked onto the bottom. Time will tell.”

 

Preece’s opinion is based on a first-hand inspection of the racing surface.

 

“Brad (Keselowski), Chris (Buescher) and I kind of did the track walk earlier, and you could see separation between some of the lanes,” Preece said. “So, I think it needs (a repave), unfortunately.

 

“I’m curious to see if they’re going to do anything different with banking, but yeah, it’s time.”

 

Bell believes the repaving has the potential to widen the track. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs racing Toyota won twice and scored two poles and two runner-up results at the track from 2017-2019.

 

“Iowa was my favorite track before this half-repave thing that we have right now,” Bell said. “Right now, you have two grooves, and it’s never going to get any more than two grooves. At least now, with the fresh repave, it’s going to have the opportunity to get a lot wider.”

 

Haas Factory Team adds Dean Thompson to driver roster

 

Dean Thompson will join Haas Factory Team’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series roster as the organization adds a third car next season, team president Joe Custer announced Saturday at Iowa Speedway.

 

“It’s a multi-year deal,” Custer said. “We’re super excited about Dean coming on board. We are expanding at Haas Factory Team to a three-car O’Reilly program. We love the O’Reilly Series.

 

“Regarding Dean, I’ve known Dean for a long time… He’s a Southern California kid. We’re from Southern California. Watched him grow. Watched him experience all different forms of racing. He comes from a family of racers—his grandfather, his father. His whole family supports racing.”

 

Thompson, 24, currently drives for Sam Hunt Racing. In his second full season with that organization, he has posted a pair of top-10 finishes with a best of sixth at Talladega in April. Last year, he scored his only career top five in the O’Reilly Series, a fifth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

“I grew up racing around Cole (Custer, Joe Custer’s son),” Thompson said. “Joe’s been a big part in my growth as a driver. We’ve known Joe my whole life. Where to go, who to talk to, who we race for—he’s always led us in the right direction and given us good contacts.

 

“Finally, it all comes together full circle.”

 

Custer said the organization is still working through its O’Reilly Series plans for 2027. Current drivers are Sheldon Creed, who scored his first career victory this season at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), and Sam Mayer, who won back-to-back races at Iowa Speedway in 2024 and 2025.

 

As of yet, neither Mayer nor Creed has re-signed with the organization for next year.

 

Custer asserted the organization’s commitment to its single-car NASCAR Cup Series operation, with Cole Custer as the driver.

 

“We have unfinished business in the Cup Series as Haas Factory Team,” Joe Custer said. “We are dead committed. (Team owner) Gene Haas is an F1 owner, a NASCAR Cup owner and an O’Reilly owner, and we intend to keep it that way…

 

“We’re going to try to figure out Cup as a single-car team, and we have a ways to go. Stay tuned.”

 

Chase Briscoe broadens his racing interests with sprint car team purchase

 

Like his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe now owns a race team.

 

Unlike Hamlin’s organization, Briscoe’s new acquisition doesn’t race stock cars.

 

Briscoe announced Saturday morning at Iowa Speedway that he has acquired Brent Marks Racing and will field 410 winged sprint cars, with Marks as the driver and general manager, in the High Limit Racing Series founded by Cup driver Kyle Larson and champion sprint car racer Brad Sweet.

 

“We’re excited to announced that we’ve bought out Brent Marks Racing, and it will become Chase Briscoe Racing in the High Limit Series,” Briscoe said. “We’re excited to have a full-time car on a national tour. It’s something for me that’s been a childhood dream.”

 

With Marks, Briscoe gets a fully operational elite team and a championship-caliber driver. Marks’ resume already includes victories in the high-paying Kings Royal, the Historical Big One and Williams Grove National Open.

 

Christopher Bell, another of Briscoe’s JGR teammates and himself an elite dirt racer, voiced his approval.

 

“I’m happy for him,” Bell said. "I think it’s really cool. I think it’s great for dirt-track racing. Brent’s a great driver. I think (Briscoe) did really good getting an organization that is already acclimated to each other. They should have success right out of the gate.”

 

--30--

 

NASCAR Weekend Preview: Iowa Speedway

After week off, William Byron heads to Iowa Speedway with confidence

In a season of struggle, and with the Chase approaching, William Byron could use a turnaround—and Iowa Speedway may be the perfect place to find it.

 

After a rare week off, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the 0.875-mile short track for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (3:30 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Byron is the defending race winner, but after six straight seasons of at least one victory, the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has yet to post a win this year.

 

Iowa Speedway might just be the ideal place for Byron to end the dry spell, which has reached 23 races. In 2016, he won there in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

 

The following year, he picked up his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory at the Newton, Iowa, track that was the brainchild of leading designer and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace. 

 

In 22 races this season, Byron has posted just five top fives and nine top 10s. The 28-year-old from Charlotte, N.C., is 12th in the Cup Series standings, a relatively comfortable 88 points above the current cut line for the Chase, with the next four races providing an opportunity to improve that position.

 

“Iowa is just a track that has always clicked for me and that I really love,” Byron said. “I’ve had success there in all three series, and last year’s win really felt great to complete the sweep.

 

“I think having the off time, and this being the next track we go to, really gives our team confidence of what we can accomplish. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

Sunday’s race is the fourth of seven short track contests this season. Byron is the only driver to have won twice in the last 10 short-track races (Iowa and Martinsville last year), but the last six short-track races have been won by six different drivers.

 

In the two Cup races held at Iowa, five drivers have finished in the top 10 in both events—Byron, who was second in 2024; Ryan Blaney, the winner in 2024; Brad Keselowski; Alex Bowman; and Joey Logano.

 

Blaney, who was fourth last year, boasts the best average running position at Iowa of 3.9, with Byron second at 5.6. Blaney and Byron each led the most laps in their respective victories, Blaney with 201 of 350 in 2024, and Byron with 141 of 350 last year.

 

Kyle Larson is another driver who could use a turnaround at Iowa, but in order to break his 46-race winless streak, he’ll have to make a quantum improvement at the track. Larson’s average finish there is a dismal 31.0.

 

Among the top three drivers in the standings, third-place Blaney holds a decided edge over series leader Denny Hamlin and second-place Tyler Reddick. Hamlin finished 24th in both Iowa races. Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 84 points, posted respective results of 22nd and 19th.

 

Blaney is 120 points behind Hamlin as the Cup Series heads to Iowa, Richmond, New Hampshire and Daytona to complete the regular season.

 

After a recent review following the NASCAR weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late July, all three NASCAR Series will race under new stage break procedures for the rest of the season.

 

If a caution falls within 10 or fewer laps prior to the advertised end of Stage 1 or Stage 2, the stage will be deemed official at the time of caution. The leader will return to the start/finish line to receive the green/checkered flag along with the yellow. The caution process that follows will serve as the stage break.

 

The finishing order of the stage, with the top 10 scoring points, will be determined using all available resources, just as it is whenever points are paid.

 

Two-time defending champ Sam Mayer seeks first 2026 win at Iowa

 

NASCAR Cup Series drivers have raced at Iowa Speedway only twice. For the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, however, Iowa is familiar territory.

 

The latter series will race at the 0.875-mile short track for the 23rd time in Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 (5 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

After a four-year absence, the O’Reilly Series returned to the short track in Newton, Iowa, in 2024. Sam Mayer won that race and successfully defended his victory last year, giving him a 100-percent success rate at the track.

 

That puts Mayer in an elite group of drivers in the series who have “batted 1.000” in multiple starts at a particular venue. Christopher Bell triumphed in all four of his New Hampshire starts, and Connor Zilisch has won all three times he has raced at Watkins Glen.

 

Other drivers who, like Mayer, have gone 2-0 at a particular track are Shane van Gisbergen at the Chicago Street Course and Chandler Smith at Richmond.

 

Like William Byron in the NASCAR Cup Series, Mayer is winless this season coming to Iowa as the defending winner. His victory last year was the first for the newly formed Haas Factory team. In 2024, he took the checkered flag in a JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

 

Mayer and Justin Allgaier (2018) are the only former Iowa winners in the field for Saturday’s race. Allgaier already has clinched top seeding in the Chase, which begins Sept. 5 at Darlington Raceway after events at Iowa and Daytona International Speedway.

 

Allgaier may have locked up the regular-season title, but the race for the final Chase spots is very much in doubt. Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers surround the current cut line, with Brent Crews and Taylor Gray 11th and 12th in the standings and William Sawalich (13th) the first driver out.

 

Sawalich trails Gray by seven points, with JR Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth 20 points back in 14th. Caruth, however, returns to his preferred No. 88 JRM ride for the rest of the season after driving the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet for the last time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

"I'm really happy to get back with (crew chief) Mardy (Lindley) and everyone on the No. 88 team for the rest of the season,” Caruth said. “I haven't raced at Iowa since the repave (before the 2024 race), so it'll definitely be a different challenge than the last time I was there.

 

“The track has changed quite a bit, so we'll spend practice learning what it wants and making sure we're ready for the race. We've had speed on tracks like this all season, and if we can execute all day, I think we'll have a good shot at a strong finish and gaining some ground in the points.”

 

--30--

 

 

 

   nascar cup series

NASCAR Cup Series schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Feb. 1Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray Stadium8 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 1 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway7 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 2 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway8:45 p.m.
Feb. 15Daytona 500Daytona International Speedway2:30 p.m.
Feb. 22Autotrader 400EchoPark Speedway3 p.m.
March 1DuraMax Grand PrixCircuit of the Americas3:30 p.m.
March 8Straight Talk Wireless 500Phoenix Raceway3:30 p.m.
March 15Pennzoil 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway4 p.m.
March 22Goodyear 400Darlington Raceway3 p.m.
March 29Cook Out 400Martinsville Speedway3:30 p.m.
April 12Food City 500Bristol Motor Speedway3 p.m.
April 19AdventHealth 400Kansas Speedway2 p.m.
April 26Jack Link's 500Talladega Superspeedway3 p.m.
May 3Wurth 400Texas Motor Speedway3:30 p.m.
May 10Go Bowling at the GlenWatkins Glen International3 p.m.
May 17All-Star RaceDover Motor Speedway3 p.m.
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway6 p.m.
May 31Cracker Barrel 400Nashville Superspeedway 7 p.m.
June 7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway3 p.m.
June 14Cup Series race at PoconoPocono Raceway3 p.m.
June 21Anduril 250Naval Base Coronado4 p.m.
June 28Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway3:30 p.m.
July 5Cup Series race at ChicagolandChicagoland Speedway6 p.m.
July 12Quaker State 400EchoPark Speedway7 p.m.
July 19Window World 400North Wilkesboro Speedway7 p.m.
July 26Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway2 p.m.
Aug. 9Iowa Corn 350Iowa Speedway3:30 p.m.
Aug. 15Cook Out 400Richmond Raceway7 p.m.
Aug. 23Cup Series race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway3 p.m.
Aug. 29Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway7:30 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff race schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Sept. 6Southern 500Darlington Raceway5 p.m.
Sept. 13Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway3 p.m.
Sept. 19Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.
Oct. 4South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway5:30 p.m.
Oct. 11Bank of America ROVAL 400Charlotte Road Course3 p.m.
Oct. 18Freeway Insurance 500Phoenix Raceway3 p.m.
Oct. 25Yellawood 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m.
Nov. 1Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway2 p.m.
Nov. 8Cup Series Championship RaceHomestead-Miami Speedway3 p.m.

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