The hybrid debut tour continues this weekend with a double header at Iowa Speedway as oval season begins. Six of the final eight races will be on ovals.

The new Energy Recovery System had its series debut last Sunday at Mid-Ohio. Saturday evening will mark the new power component’s first oval run, and next week, the hybrid will have its first run on a street course at Toronto. While many, including me, questioned the mid-season debut for the hybrid, it has actually worked out well that each type of track Indycar races on gets a chance to test it in rapid order.

The HyVee Indycar Weekend began in 2022 with a blockbuster concert lineup, and drew a sellout crowd. This is the third year for the Iowa race in this format. I don’t mind an occasional double header, but I think each race should be a different distance. Saturday’s race should be 300 laps and Sunday’s 250 laps. Today Indycar announced a multi year renewal of the contract with Iowa Speedway.

In addition to the hybrid debut, the track has been repaved in the turns. In testing at the track, drivers still complained of the 7/8 mile oval still being a one lane track. The series will try to rubber in the second lane, so we will see if that helps.

Penske Dominance

Team Penske has owned this track of late. Will Power has won all four poles the last two years, and Josef Newgarden has won three of the f our races. Newgarden would have won the fourth won, but a crash due to a part failure thwarted a clean sweep.

Pato O’Ward has also been strong here, and he carries the momentum from last Sunday’s victory into the weekend.

A statistic that stood out to me in the Indycar preview is that Newgarden and O’Ward are the only two active race winners at this track. I think they each win a race this weekend.

I don’t think the hybrid system will be much of a factor at Iowa. There is not a lot of opportunity to regenerate the battery, and the extra horsepower will not help much.

The races could come down to how usable the second groove is and tire wear. I understand there was not a lot degradation of the tires in the test.

Points leader Alex Palou may see his cushion shrink a bit. Palou has never won on oval. if he can get a couple of top five results, he should be okay.

Weather

The forecast has just one word: HOT. The heat index Sunday could reach above 100 degrees. There is a slight chance for rain Saturday. The timing seems to be shifting more toward evening. If you are going to Iowa, remember to hydrate, and take breaks in the shade under the grandstands often.

I will not be on site until Saturday afternoon after qualifying. The reason is Iowa related. I’m going to see Caitlin Clark play tonight, then fly to Des Moines Saturday morning.