Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup teams ahead of Iowa Speedway weekend
NASCAR Cup teams will experience something new with their inaugural trip to Iowa Speedway.
While this weekend presents a reset for all teams with the new venue — USA Network will have all the action from Cup practice, qualifying and the race — not everything can be pushed aside.
Some teams enter the weekend with momentum and others in need of it.
Here’s a look at where things stand for each Cup organization heading into the 17th race of the season:
23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick has eight top 10s in the last 11 races. He’s also won two stages in the last four races. Bad news: Bubba Wallace has one top-10 finish in the last seven races.
Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Organization had both cars finish in the top 10 for the first time this season last weekend at Sonoma. Michael McDowell was second. Todd Gilliland was 10th. Bad News: The organization has had a car fail to finish a race six times this year. That’s double the total at this point last year.
Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Kyle Larson and William Byron both have three wins, tied for the most wins this year with Denny Hamlin. … Larson has an average finish of 3.3 in the three races at tracks less than a mile this season (Bristol, Richmond and Martinsville). … Chase Elliott and Larson are the only drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three races at tracks less than a mile this season. … Elliott’s average finish this season is 9.5, best in the series. … William Byron has the most Cup wins in the Next Gen car with 11. … No Hendrick car has been penalized for speeding on pit road this season. Bad news: Alex Bowman is the team’s only driver without any playoff points this season.
Kyle Larson climbs to No. 1 spot in NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings
Kyle Larson earns the top spot after his victory at Sonoma.
Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Sonoma is done. Bad news: Denny Hamlin’s blown engine on the second lap at Sonoma dropped him out of the points lead. … Martin Truex Jr. lost 25 positions by running out of fuel on the last lap at Sonoma. … Ty Gibbs finished next-to-last after hitting the wall at Sonoma.
JTG Daugherty Racing — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won three consecutive races in the Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway between 2011-12. Bad news: Stenhouse has one top-10 finish in the last 14 races. … Stenhouse has been penalized a series-high five times for speeding on pit road this year.
Kaulig Racing — Good news: Daniel Hemric is one of three drivers who has been running at the finish of all 16 races this season. The other two drivers are Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. Bad news: The organization has had one top-10 finish in 27 starts on a short track. That was a seventh-place finish by AJ Allmendinger at Bristol in 2022.
Legacy Motor Club — Good news: At this time last year, Legacy Motor Club’s cars had failed to finish 10 races. This season, that number is down to four races. … Erik Jones has two Truck wins and one Xfinity win at Iowa. … John Hunter Nemechek has a Truck win at Iowa. Bad news: Jones’ only top-10 finish came in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Austin Dillon’s first NASCAR national series win came in a 2010 Truck race at Iowa. That also marked the first win for the black No. 3 in NASCAR since 2000. Bad news: Kyle Busch’s Cup winless drought is a career-high 37 races. … Busch has 47 career stage victories but none this season. … Busch has an average finish of 20.3 in the three races at tracks less than a mile this season (Bristol, Richmond and Martinsville) and Dillon has an average finish of 27.3 in those events.
Kyle Busch’s Cup winless drought now longest of his career, but he moves closer to playoff spot
Two-time Cup champions Kyle Busch and Joey Logano remain outside a playoff spot with 10 races left in the regular season.
Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Justin Haley has two top 10s in the last four races. Bad news: Haley is 32nd in points.
RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski won the inaugural Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway in 2009. That was one of three Xfinity victories he has at the track. … Keselowski took part in a tire confirmation test last month at Iowa with Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. Bad news: Chris Buescher has only two finishes better than 14th in the last nine races.
Spire Motorsports — Good news: Placed all three cars in the top 20 for the first time this season last week at Sonoma. Corey LaJoie was 11th, Zane Smith was 16th and Carson Hocevar was 17th. … Hocevar has scored the most points among the rookies this season. Bad news: The organization has never had a top-10 finish in 50 starts on short tracks.
Stewart-Haas Racing — Good news: Sonoma is done. Bad news: It has been 64 races since the organization last won a Cup race. That was in August 2022 at Richmond by Kevin Harvick. … After having at least one car finish in the top 10 seven races in a row, SHR now has gone back-to-back races with not having a car finish in the top 15.
NASCAR Cup, Xfinity racing returns to NBC, USA Network beginning this weekend at Iowa
Sunday night’s inaugural Cup race at Iowa Speedway will air on USA Network.
Team Penske — Good news: Iowa has been partially repaved. Last oval that Cup raced that was repaved was North Wilkesboro. Joey Logano won the All-Star Race there. Bad news: Austin Cindric has one career top-10 finish in 14 Cup short track races. … Joey Logano has one top-10 finish in the last eight points. … Ryan Blaney has three top 10s in the last 12 races.
Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Ross Chastain has two top 10s in the last three races. … Daniel Suarez won two Xfinity poles at Iowa. Bad news: Chastain has finished outside the top 10 in the last seven short track races.
Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Harrison Burton scored a stage point last weekend at Sonoma, the first time he’s done so since Talladega in April. Bad news: Burton does not have a top-10 finish in Cup on a short track.