After a week off and with just four races remaining until the start of the postseason Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series is back in action on Sunday with a short-track race in Newton, Iowa.
Ryan Blaney — winner of the Iowa race in 2024 — is the pole-sitter for the Iowa Corn 350. The driver of the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske finds himself in third place in the point standings entering this weekend and is one of four drivers who have clinched a spot in the Chase.
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“I had a lane in mind that I wanted to run, and I missed it on my first lap,” said Blaney, who placed fourth in last year’s race at Iowa. “Between the car getting a little better, and I kind of sneaked my lane down a little bit and hit a better lap, it was kind of a perfect storm of a couple of things coming together.”
With just four races to go before the Chase begins, Blaney trails points leader Denny Hamlin by a manageable 120 points. With Hamlin suffering brake issues in qualifying, saddling him with a starting spot of 29th, Blaney has the chance to make up some ground this weekend.
“Things swing up and down,” Blaney said. “(Hamlin’s team) is obviously incredibly good right now. They’re going to work their way through the field. I’m just trying to focus on how the start of the race is going to be tomorrow and what I think the track is going to go to. One lap at a time.”
The big change coming to Cup Series races this weekend is NASCAR altering how it will handle cautions that happen close to stage breaks. If a natural caution flag comes out within 10 laps of the stage finishing, the stage will be deemed complete and that same caution period will serve as the scheduled stage break.
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Previously, if cautions happened close to stage breaks, green flag racing would resume if the caution was cleared before the stage break, often resulting in a one-lap shootout for the stage win. While a shootout can be exciting, that also created an extra caution period, which extended the run times of races and resulted in more yellow-flag racing than was necessary.
This change will remain through the end of the 2026 season.
“I think it’s good. Because, dude, it sucks for all of us when you’re out there and you get a caution with five to go in the stage,” said Kyle Larson, who qualified second for Sunday’s race. “You got all that time in the caution, then you got a one-lap shootout, then it takes 15 minutes for them to do their stupid stage stuff. It’s just like, roll on with it. This is a step in that direction.”
Around the bubble for the Chase cutline, Iowa could be a crucial race for veteran Brad Keselowski. He’s 50 points behind RFK teammate Austin Cindric for the 16th and final spot, but Iowa has been a track he’s performed well at. Last year he notched the fastest lap and finished third, and in 2024 he finished 10th. He’ll start Sunday’s race fourth.
Here’s everything you need to know about Iowa’s NASCAR race:
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What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa start?
The Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local) on Sunday, Aug. 9, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa on?
The Iowa Corn 350 will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 3 p.m. ET, with the green flag expected to drop around 3:40 p.m. ET.
Leigh Diffey will have the call alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte. Burton and Letarte will join host Marty Snider and 1999 Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett on pre- and post-race shows. Former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will debut as the pace-car analyst.
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USA Sports will produce the final 14 races of the season, with 10 on USA Network and four on NBC.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa?
Unlike last season, NASCAR races broadcast by USA Network cannot be streamed on Peacock. Subscribers to YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and Sling can watch through those services, or fans can log into the USA Network app with their cable provider information.
HBO Max will continue to provide live streams of in-car cameras, while MRN will carry the live radio broadcast.
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa?
The Iowa Corn 350 is 350 laps around the 0.875-mile track for a total of 306.25 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 70 laps; Stage 2: 140 laps; Stage 3: 140 laps.
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Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa last year?
William Byron won last year’s Iowa Corn 350, finishing ahead of Chase Briscoe and Brad Keselowski. Byron is still searching for his first victory of the 2026 season in the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
What is the lineup for the Iowa Corn 350?
(Car number in parentheses)
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(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
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(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
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(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
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(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
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(88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet
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(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
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(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
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(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
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(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
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(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
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(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
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(42) John Hunter Nemechek
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(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
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(97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
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(33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
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(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
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(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
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(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
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(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
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(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
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(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
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(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
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(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
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(7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
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(51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
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(41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR at Iowa: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Iowa Corn 350
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