Iowa's 2026 NASCAR Race is Complete. Next Cup Race in 2027
The last NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway in 2026 was the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol on Sunday, August 9, 2026. The next NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa will appear here once NASCAR's 2027 schedule is released.
About Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway opened in 2006 as a 0.875-mile asphalt short-track oval designed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and originally hosted Xfinity, Truck, and IndyCar racing through the 2010s. The Cup Series debuted at Iowa in 2024 after years of fan demand for a short-track addition to the schedule, and the track has quickly become one of the most popular new additions in recent memory. Iowa's progressively banked, D-shaped layout encourages two-groove racing and rewards both clean qualifying and patient race management. The track is owned by NASCAR and sits in Newton, Iowa, about 30 miles east of Des Moines. Cup races at Iowa have already produced their share of close finishes and short-track contact, fulfilling the promise of bringing a real short-track venue back to the schedule.
Iowa Speedway was designed by Rusty Wallace, who used computer simulation and laps in a stock car at multiple existing ovals to engineer the layout for maximum side-by-side racing. It is the only major NASCAR oval designed primarily by a former driver.
Top Performers at Iowa
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Avg Fin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.7 |
| 2 | William Byron | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Josh Berry | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9.7 |
| 6 | Ross Chastain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9.7 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10.7 |
| 8 | Connor Zilisch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 |
| 9 | Bubba Wallace | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.7 |
| 10 | Chase Briscoe | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12.0 |
Recent Winners at Iowa
Short Track Context
Iowa is one of 7 short tracks on the 2026 Cup schedule. Historically, Ryan Blaney leads all Cup drivers at this venue with a 2.7 average finish across 3 starts. Drivers who excel on short tracks tend to carry that form here. Check their track type stats in S-EDGE™.
Other Short Tracks
Scorzia Edge™ Preview — Iowa
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