"A 0.875-mile short track in Newton, Iowa, designed by Rusty Wallace, opened in 2006 and added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2024, now being completely repaved for 2027."
Location: Newton, Iowa Track Type: Paved short-track oval Length: 0.875 miles (seven-eighths of a mile) Surface: Asphalt, being completely repaved ahead of the 2027 season Opened: September 2006 First NASCAR Cup Series Race: June 16, 2024 Designer: Rusty Wallace Owner: NASCAR (since 2013)
Quick Answers
How big is Iowa Speedway? The oval is 0.875 miles, or seven-eighths of a mile, which makes it a short track.
Where is Iowa Speedway? In Newton, Iowa.
Who has won Cup races at Iowa? Three drivers, one per year: Ryan Blaney in 2024, William Byron in 2025 and Ty Gibbs in 2026.
What is changing at Iowa for 2027? The whole racing surface is being repaved ahead of the 2027 season, a project scheduled to start right after the August 2026 races. Before the first Cup race in 2024, only the four turns had been partially repaved.
Who won at Iowa in 2026? Carson Kvapil won the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race on August 8, and Ty Gibbs won the Cup Series race on August 9.
When does NASCAR race at Iowa in 2027? Over the Fourth of July weekend. The O'Reilly Series races Saturday, July 3, and the Cup Series races Sunday, July 4. Full dates are below.
Iowa Speedway Schedule: 2027 NASCAR Dates
| Date | Day | Series |
|---|---|---|
| July 3 | Saturday | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series |
| July 4 | Sunday | NASCAR Cup Series |
Dates are from NASCAR's 2027 national series schedule. Race names and start times have not been announced. Confirm at iowaspeedway.com before you travel.
Overview
Iowa Speedway is a 0.875-mile asphalt short track in Newton, Iowa, designed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and opened in 2006. The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series first raced there in 2009, but the Cup Series did not arrive until 2024. Since then it has held one Cup race a year, in the summer stretch before the Chase, NASCAR's playoff. The O'Reilly Series, which skipped Iowa from 2020 through 2023, also returned in 2024.
The track is in transition. All four turns were partially repaved in May 2024, just ahead of the first Cup race. Now the entire racing surface is being repaved, a project scheduled to begin right after the August 2026 race weekend, so the 2027 races will be the first on the new surface.
History
Iowa Speedway was proposed in 2003 as a multi-use racing facility in Newton, with Rusty Wallace leading the design. Funding problems delayed construction, and ground was finally broken in June 2005. The track opened in September 2006 with a regional stock-car race won by Woody Howard, and IndyCar raced there for the first time in 2007, when Dario Franchitti won.
The O'Reilly Series and Truck Series arrived in 2009. In 2013 NASCAR bought the speedway for a reported $10 million. In October 2023 came the announcement that Iowa would get a Cup Series race, and Ryan Blaney won the first one on June 16, 2024.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Ground broken in June |
| 2006 | Track opens in September |
| 2009 | The O'Reilly Series and Truck Series race at Iowa for the first time |
| 2013 | NASCAR buys the speedway |
| 2024 | Turns partially repaved in May; Ryan Blaney wins the first Cup race June 16 |
| 2025 | William Byron wins the Cup race |
| 2026 | Ty Gibbs wins the Cup race; a complete repave is scheduled to begin after the race weekend |
Key Drivers
Ryan Blaney, winner of the first Cup race at Iowa in 2024. He won the pole in 2026, led a race-high 129 laps and finished third.
William Byron, winner of the 2025 Cup race.
Ty Gibbs, winner of the 2026 Cup race, his second career Cup win.
Chase Briscoe, holder of the Cup qualifying record at Iowa, 136.933 mph, set in 2025.
Sam Mayer, winner of both O'Reilly Series races at Iowa in 2024 and 2025.
Carson Kvapil, winner of the 2026 O'Reilly Series race.
2026 at Iowa Speedway
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, HyVee Perks 250 (Saturday, August 8): Carson Kvapil won in double overtime, 0.343 seconds ahead of Rajah Caruth, for his second career win and his second in a row. The race ran 260 laps against a scheduled 250, with 12 cautions. Ross Chastain led every lap from 189 through 251 but spun his tires on the first overtime restart, and Kvapil went past him. A crash behind them forced a second overtime, and Kvapil held on. He led only the final nine laps.
NASCAR Cup Series, Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (Sunday, August 9): Ty Gibbs gained the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell with a two-tire pit stop on Lap 290 of 350, changing two tires instead of four to get back on track faster, took over first on Lap 331 when the green-flag stops cycled through and beat Bell by 0.253 seconds. Ryan Blaney started from the pole and finished third. Tyler Reddick lost control on Lap 4 and took out Erik Jones, ending both of their days.