Previewing the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol

In recent years, battling on the playoff bubble has been a regular struggle for Bubba Wallace, and it was starting to look like 2025 would be more of the same after a rough summer stretch. However, Wallace snapped that cold stretch in a big way at the Brickyard 400.

Wallace earned the biggest win of his NASCAR Cup Series career, managing his fuel mileage through two overtimes and holding off Kyle Larson for the win. Along with that, he punched his playoff ticket and reshaped the playoff conversation.

Now, Wallace can approach the final stretch of the regular season with eyes focused on chasing wins and preparing for the postseason.

RFK Racing Looking for Playoff Berth in Iowa

With Wallace's win, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece find themselves on opposing ends of the cutline, while Brad Keselowski is 24th in NASCAR Cup Series points. All three drivers are seeking their first win of the season in hopes of punching a playoff ticket.

However, all three of those drivers have won in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Iowa. Keselowski is a three-time winner with the series at the track, including the inaugural event in 2009. Buescher won there in 2015, while Preece scored his career-defining first Xfinity Series win at Iowa in 2017.

Can one of RFK's three drivers score another Iowa trophy on Sunday and reshape the playoff conversation once more?

New-Look Iowa Still Challenging Drivers

Ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series' inaugural event at Iowa one year ago, Iowa Speedway saw a partial repave of the racing surface, primarily in the lower lanes of each set of corners. This has dramatically altered the racing at the track, offering a new challenge for even those with years of experience racing there in other series.

Before, the wide, sweeping corners of the 7/8-mile oval presented plenty of racing lines, and offered drivers the opportunity to choose where to place their cars in the turns. Now, the fresher asphalt offering more grip is at a premium, and getting your car into the lower lanes is crucial.

It didn't make the racing last year at Iowa any less exciting for the NASCAR competitors, but it did create a much different race than expected when the track was first added to the schedule. With last year's notes at their disposal, who will be best prepared for the new-look Iowa in year two?