The NASCAR Cup Series begins the final month of the regular season with the Iowa Corn 350 on August 3 at Iowa Speedway.
The 0.875-mile oval is on the Cup schedule for the second year in a row. Ryan Blaney led 201 laps en route to victory in the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa.
Four races remain in the regular season, with three of the 16 spots unaccounted for in the Cup playoffs. Iowa wouldn’t be considered a wild-card race on the surface a la Watkins Glen and Daytona later in August, but that’s why they run the race each week.
Here are The Tennessean’s expert picks for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa:
Mike Organ’s pick: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
With a pair of top-10 finishes in the last three races, you can count on Bell to break through and get his fourth win of the season. Bell has always run well at Iowa going back to his time in the Xfinity Series.
Nick Gray’s pick: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Larson was close to winning last weekend, and the summer downturn can now be considered history. Larson is also still within range of the regular season points lead. He is long overdue for win No. 4 in 2025.
Tom Kreager’s pick: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Bowman needs a win to lock himself in the playoffs. He ranks ninth in the standings with 12 top-10 finishes. A win would be a strong boost entering the playoffs.
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