Tag: Iowa Speedway

A Final Word on Iowa

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The racing was great, the crowd n ot so much. 2025 was the polar opposite of last year. it will take more than great racing to bring back attendance. Iowa’s doubleheader lacked several ingredients for success.

Promotion seemed nonexistent. I purchased a ticket for the 2024 race, but i did not receive a renewal email. Renewals should be the first line of building track attendance. Sure, not everyone will renew, but at least there is a baseline to work from.

Niche sponsor. I appreciate Sukup stepping up to sponsor this year’s event. The company has been affiliated with Iowa Speedway since the track opened. The main question I received from readers and friends was, “What is Sukup?”

The agricultural storage manufacturer is an Iowa based company, which has been a trademark of IndyCar at Iowa from Ethanol to Hy-Vee, local sponsorship has been a staple of the races here.

Sukup is n t a direct to consumer company, and I believe most fans didn’t see a connection to their lives. There were no opportunities to win tickets, or any product giveaways.

Bad racing in 2024. Last year produced two processional races with minimal passing and little drama which left many fans with a negative feeling toward Iowa. I had not planned to go until after i saw how good the race at World Wide Technology Raceway turned out.

Last year’s ticket prices were not worth the show the fans received. Many stayed home because of 2024.

What can be done? I have seen several good suggestions for Iowa in 2026. They run from heat braces leading to a main event to a mid-week race. I really like the heat race idea, although that was tried once, but the drivers weren’t thrilled about it.

A mid-week race might improve television ratings, but I cannot see where it helps attendance.

What is needed to help draw fans is to make the race weekend an event. The concerts were a great idea, but four concerts over two days was a bit much. A prequalifying concert and a post-race concert would likely work better, if ticket prices could be kept reasonable.

The race needs to be a minimum of 300 laps, and it needs to be on a Saturday night. Green flag should be at a time where at least the fin al hour of the race is under the lights.

IndyCar needs Iowa on its schedule. The action is nonstop, cars are always in traffic, and the strategy games are intriguing. It is a track that takes the series as far back to its roots as possible without going to a dirt track.

I would not be sad to see the double header disappear, but one race at iowa, presented and marketed properly, should be a big draw.

Quick Thoughts- Farm to Fresh 275

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It’s Iowa, so Josef Newgarden was inevitable, until he wasn’t. For the second day in a row Team Penske snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. When Newgarden passed Alex Palou for the lead on lap 65, it looked as if he would rule the rest of the day. But two untimely green flag pit stops were for naught as a caution soon followed, miring him deep in the order, He fought back to the lead the first time, but the next time, there were too few laps left for Newgarden to advance.

Alex Palou dominated the Fram to Fresh 276 today in another good race which surpassed expectations heading into the weekend. 229 of the 382 passes were for position. The race saw an on track pass for the lead, and many good battles for positions. When Newgarden fought back t the lead on lap 241, he pushed Palou out of the groove to get by. Palou said there was some contact.

For Palou, today is his seventh win of the season and his first on a short oval. He was on a street course, a superspeedway, a road course, and a short oval. Palou still has a chance to match A. J, Foyt’s 10 wins in 1964.

Race Notes

Team Penske’s day in the sun on Saturday turned to dusk on Sunday. Scott McLaughlin was the victim of a first lap accident and finished last. Will Power retired with an engine issue after 21 laps.

It looked like Newgarden would save the day, but the yellows fell the wrong way, and he ended the day 10th.

Palou’s teammate Scott Dixon was second, and Marcus Armstrong finished third for an all Honda podium. Armstrong’s Meyer Shank Racing team is affiliated with Chip Ganassi Racing.

David Malukas finished fourth after starting third. He had several battles for the lead and stayed up front all day.

Jacob Abel and Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne teammates who shared row 13 at the start, finished 11th and 12th. It was Abel’s best drive of the season.

Christian Lundgaard salvaged what had been a dismal weekend by coming home sixth today after starting 22nd.

Final Thoughts

We headed into this weekend at Iowa unsure of what the on track product would like after last year. The racing was great and came close to the classic old Iowa races.

It is a bittersweet feeling with the future of the IndyCar weekend here in doubt. If this should be the end, I am happy that it ended with two great races.

I will elaborate more on this point tomorrow.

Thanks for following along this weekend. My next road trip is to Portland in August, but I will still post about Toronto next weekend and Laguna Seca the following week.

Results

Breaking News: Siegel Not Cleared to Drive

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From IndyCar:

NEWS: Nolan Siegel has not been cleared by INDYCAR Medical and will not compete today at Iowa Speedway.

Arrow McLaren will not run the No. 6 entry in Race 2.

Statement from Arrow McLaren:

Siegel hit the wall hardin turn on.lap 248 in Saturday’s race. The impact necessitated a red flag for wall repair.

IndyCar will.leave Siegel’s 13th starting spot open on the grid.

Siegel will receive 3 points for today’s race by rule.

Iowa Race Day Redux

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Yesterday was fun. Let’s do it again. Will Power thinks that the second line will be fully usable today, which could make today’s race even better than what we saw yesterday.

Today’s schedule: Central Times

9:30-9:35 Install lap

Noon FOX on air

12:20 Green Flag

The starting lineup

I think the winner will come from the first two rows. This may be the day that Newgarden gets back to Victory Lane. he has to be estra hungry after yesterday.

Some interesting stats from Pato O’Ward’s win Saturday. He is only the second driver to have more than one win at Iowa. Josef Newgarden has six wins.

O’Ward won in his 100th career start. His first Iowa victory came in his 50th start.

Results from Saturday.

I will be back for a brief wrap up after the race, then I need to head home. I will have a full weekend summary on Monday.

Quick Thoughts- Iowa Race 1 Makes the Case for a Return

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Its IndyCar future still remains uncertain, but Iowa Speedway put on a very good race today as we saw a new season winner and Chevrolet may have saved their season.

Chevrolet took a sledgehammer and smashed their losing streak into a million pieces. Pato O’Ward led the three Team Penske cars across the finish line in Race 1 at Iowa Saturday. It was O’Ward’s first win of the season as well as the first win for Chevrolet.

Arrow McLaren is just he third team to score a victory in 2025, and O’Ward is just the fourth driver to win a race.

O’Ward got past Josef Newgarden during the final pit stops and held on through two yellow flags and a restart after a red flag. Today’s finish was the closest at Iowa since 2007.

Quick Thoughts

Team Penske had their best day of the season. Newgarden won pole and led 230 laps. Will Power finished third and Scott McLaughlin ended the day in fourth after starting last. Still, there is probably frustration in nthe Penske camp that the victory eluded them.

Kyle Kirkwood had his worst day of the year. He crashed in practice this morning, then he hit the wall during the race. Kirkwood dropped to third in the points standings.

Nolan Siegel had a great run spoiled by his crash on lap 257. he had a top ten all but clinched.

The yellows seemed to come just in time for pit stops or just after a pit cycle had been completed.

The red flag was appropriate as the wall needed to be repaired. Just happened at a bad time for the leader. O’Ward said he wasn’t worried about the restart after the red flag.

Compared to 2024’s races, this Iowa race was not quite up to the old Iowa races, but it was much better than last year. There were passes, mad dashes off pit lane, and a fight for the lead most of the second half of the race. Let’s hope for more of the same tomorrow.

Weather in Iowa is usually brutally hot. While today was warm, it was definitely the most comfortable I have ever been at this track. Tomorrow’s weather will be similar to today’s.

Tomorrow’s race begins at 12;20 pm. FOX comes on the air at noon Central.

Pre Race Notes

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Congratulations to Myles Rowe who won the IndyNXT race today. Rowe passed points leader Dennis Hauger with about 15 laps left to win his first indy NXT race and his first oval victory,

According to pole sitters Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou, how the racing will be is still an unknown. Indy NXT looked very racy this morning, but we shall see.

The finish line corn is back! Replaced by a Hy Vee logo the past few years, the traditional ear of corn has returned to its rightful place at the start/finish line

Scott mcLaughlin and Kyle Kir4kwood go into today’s race with untested rebuilt cars. Kirkwood got some laps during his qualifying run, McLaughlin’s first laps will be in the race.

It is time for oval qualifying order to be set on practice times rather than points. Qualifying groups are set by time on road and street courses, so setting the order by practice times on ovals would make qualifying procedures uniform for every race.

If there is a race at Iowa next year, it will be a single event, not a doubleheader. With fewer than 12,000 tickets sold for the weekend and no promotional help from the track, this venue seems doomed to be off the IndyCar schedule in 2026. IndyCar needs to find a way to make it worth the track’s while to have this event. Perhaps give the track a percentage of the gate. Give Iowa Speedway free signage at races earlier in the year.

If need be, pair IndyCar with another series (shudder!).

Let’s go racing. I’ll be back after the race.

Iowa Qualifying: Poles for Newgarden, Palou

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Team Penske regained a little bit of their luster as Josef Newgarden took pole for this afternoon’s race 1 at Iowa Speedway. Alex Palou nipped Felix Rosenqvist on the last qualifying lap of the day for the pole for race 2.

All was not perfect for Team Penske, however, as Scott McLaughlin crashed on his first qualifying lap. He will start 27th today and tomorrow.

Some drivers not normally in the qualifying conversations had strong runs this afternoon. Conor Daly starts second today and seventh tomorrow. The Foyt drivers, Santino Ferrucci and David Malukas, share row five this afternoon. Malukas rolls off third Sunday.

Felix Rosenqvist held the pole for race 2 until Palou turned the fastest lap of the day on his second lap. Palou’s speed of 184.014 mph was faster than Newgarden’s first lap by 0.015 mph, 0.014 of a second.

Race 1 starts at 4:20 pm Central, FOX coming on air at 4pm (5 pm Eastern.)

Interesting stat- Palou starts fourth today, and Newgarden starts fourth tomorrow.

Results

Race 1

Race 2

Good Morning from Iowa Speedway

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After an adventure filled Friday, I am now at Iowa Speedway. High line practice just finished, with Conor Daly recording the fastest speed. The session had one major inxident.

Kye Kirkwood went low then came up high, hitting the wall with the right side of the card. The damage didn’t look too bad, but he may not get back for the main practice.

Josef Newgarden touched wheels with Alexander Rossi, but both cars kept going without further issues.

My journey to Iowa began in chaos. Just as I was about to leave for the airport 5:45 am, a text from Soutwest informed me that I had been rebooked on flight departing at 3:30 pm and arriving in Des Moines after my connection at 11 pm. Communication with the airline produced no palatable alternative, so I decided to drive.

The drive is long, and the rainstorm I encountered 50 miles from the track did not help my mood. By the time I reached the exit to the track, the rain was very heavy. I pulled into the convenience store lot and parked. I found out the tracked had cancelled activity for the rest of the day.

Weather will not be an issue for the rest of the weekend. In fact, this morning is the most pleasant and comfortable I have ever been at Iowa.

IndyCar practice has just started. I will be back after practice with results as Indy NXT will get their race underway.