NASCAR returns after being idle last week following a second win for part-time prospect Corey Heim. Heim’s win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came in just his fifteenth start, increasing hype around the driver’s first full-time season in Cup in 2027. Now, NASCAR returns to action for the 2026 Iowa Corn 350 from Iowa Speedway.
Just four races remain in the regular season as the drivers on the Chase bubble hope to end up on the right side of the line when the checkered flag flies at Daytona. The run to the regular season finale kicks off in earnest at Iowa. Who will begin building momentum as the series gets down to crunch time?
Let’s dive in.
2026 Iowa Corn 350 Entry List
Just the 36 charter entries make up the entry list for Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway. I imagine we’ll see more names competing as the regular season wraps up, but with Iowa a fair distance from most of the home bases in North Carolina, this doesn’t come as a shock.
With family and friends in the stands, @Blaney took the checkered flag for the first Cup Series race at @iowaspeedway. pic.twitter.com/l4yFauNGcD
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 6, 2026
As for the racing that fans can expect on Sunday, Iowa is a relatively unique short track at 0.875 miles with banking in the turns of 12-14 degrees. As with all short tracks, the NextGen car will struggle to put on the best product given the difficulty in passing. However, there will likely be a healthy amount of fenders bent and arguing over space, which could lead to some excitement in the form of hot tempers.
Post-Season Picture
Only four races remain for the drivers currently below the cut line to try and work their way into the field of 16 that will compete in the Chase for the Championship. Currently, only the top four drivers are mathematically locked in, but realistically, the drivers in 12th or better should be safe barring disaster. Let’s take a look at the current points picture.
- Denny Hamlin (locked in)
- Tyler Reddick -84 (locked in)
- Ryan Blaney -120 (locked in)
- Ty Gibbs -135 (locked in)
- Carson Hocevar -248
- Chase Elliott -251
- Chase Briscoe -263
- Kyle Larson -269
- Chris Buescher -273
- Christopher Bell -277
- Daniel Suarez -303
- William Byron -318
- Joey Logano -341
- Bubba Wallace -346
- Shane Van Gisbergen -349
- Austin Cindric -368
- Ryan Preece -406 (38 points below cut line)
- Erik Jones -412 (44 points below cut line)
- Brad Keselowski -418 (50 points below cut line)
- Michael McDowell -444 (76 points below cut line)
- Ross Chastain -450 (82 points below cut line)
Realistically, I believe five drivers are competing for the final two spots in the Chase. Those spots are currently held by Austin Cindric and Shane Van Gisbergen, but with no road courses left on the schedule, I don’t believe that SVG’s improvements on the ovals give the driver of the #97 much breathing room. Eventually, perhaps as soon as this weekend, I think Cindric passes SVG, and Shane becomes the cut line. With three short tracks on the schedule before the Chase (perhaps a loose definition counting New Hampshire), I think Ryan Preece is the driver most likely to jump into the Chase and knock SVG below the cut line.
2026 Iowa Corn 350 Race Predictions
The Cup Series has run just two races at Iowa, so we don’t have a ton of history to pull from here. Ryan Blaney won in 2024 while William Byron went to Victory Lane last season. The Hendrick cars really haven’t impressed with their midseason form, while a slow start from Penske seems to have turned around with Joey Logano showcasing strong form recently.
soon… pic.twitter.com/ufQVdXcK43
— Iowa Speedway (@iowaspeedway) August 5, 2026
While Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t won at Iowa in the Cup Series, it seems a foregone conclusion that Denny Hamlin will be in contention for the race win. Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Christopher Bell will all likely be near the front as well.
One interesting note from last year was how well Brad Keselowski ran here at Iowa. The #6 car won both stages before finishing third on the day. If that performance can be shared among the teammates at RFK, I expect all three drivers to have a fantastic day. However, instead of Keselowski leading the team, I think it will be Ryan Preece come Sunday. Preece is my race winner pick.
Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action this week!
Friday 08/07
JR&CO 150 (ARCA Menards Series) – 6:00 p.m. CT on FS1
Saturday 08/08
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – 10:30 a.m. CT on ESPN App
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – 11:35 a.m. CT on the CW
NASCAR Cup Series Practice – 1:05 p.m. CT on TruTV
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 2:10 p.m. CT on TruTV
HyVee Perks 250 (NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on the CW
Sunday 08/09
Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:30 p.m. CT on USA and HBO Max
Stay locked into Apollo for more NASCAR and F1 coverage throughout the racing season, and check out our Instagram – Apollo NASCAR!
Pingback: 2026 Cook Out 400 Preview: NASCAR Rolls into Richmond