Iowa Speedway secures July 4th race for 2027 NASCAR Cup season

The Iowa Speedway short track will host a NASCAR weekend from July 2-4 in 2027, moving a month earlier in the Cup schedule to race on Independence Day. The Cup Series will be joined by the O’Reilly Series and ARCA Menard’s Series.

The track has sold out for three consecutive years after joining the Cup schedule in 2024. Originally, the inaugural Cup race at Iowa was scheduled for mid-June, but had sat on the first weekend of August for the last two years.

“From the moment NASCAR returned to Iowa Speedway, fans have embraced this event in an incredible way with three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series sell outs,” said Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson. “Moving to Fourth of July weekend and competing on a brand-new racing surface is an exciting next chapter for our fans, our partners and the entire state of Iowa.”

Iowa announced plans to repave the track ahead of the 2027 race, and planned improvements that include an upgraded fan concourse, suites, and Newton Club areas.

The coveted July 4th weekend race date was held by the summer Daytona race for decades. However, the anniversary of America’s founding has moved between various tracks in the past few years. In 2020, it shifted to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400, and then Road America from 2021-2022. From 2023-2025, the Chicago Street Course hosted the Fourth of July race weekend, and then Chicagoland Speedway for the 2026 season.

“Hosting one of NASCAR’s marquee weekends on Independence Day, combined with a brand-new racing surface, reinforces Iowa’s place on the national stage,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “Since the NASCAR Cup Series race came to Iowa in 2024, the opportunity to showcase Iowa to NASCAR fans and promote the widespread use of clean, cost-effective E15 fuel has been truly extraordinary. The Iowa Corn 350 and improvements to the Iowa Speedway will generate meaningful economic impact for communities across central Iowa for many years to come.”