The NASCAR Cup Series returns after a week to go racing at Iowa Speedway. This will be the third race for the Cup Series in the Hawkeye State. Ryan Blaney won in 2024 and William Byron went to Victory Lane in Iowa last year. This will also be the first of three consecutive races on short, flat tracks (Richmond and New Hampshire are the others). The drivers may have taken a vacation last week, but I am sure the teams spent extra hours in the shop to prepare their cars for these three tracks. The playoffs start in one month, so time is running out to secure a spot at a run for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. The Iowa Corn 350 can be seen Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network (yes, the Cup Series switches from TNT to USA for the rest of the season).
Here are my Driver Rankings for the race at Iowa Speedway Sunday…
Need to know which driver would be the best pick for your Fantasy NASCAR lineup Sunday? Simply play the driver highest in the rankings.
UPDATED BEST BETS
I like to look at the odds early in the week to see if there are any drivers who are mispriced and provide some value. It is always a good idea to bet on these drivers now, because if they unload with a lot of speed, their odds will drop like a rock.
Here is the early week Best Bets for the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway…
JOEY LOGANO (+950 FD): Logano just destroyed the field on the short, flat track in North Wilksboro. He will be a serious threat to win Sunday in Iowa if the No. 22 team brings half of the speed they had at North Wilksboro to Corn Country. Logano finished 9th and 6th in his two races at Iowa Speedway. He is a good bet at +950 this week.
CHASE BRISCOE (10-1 FD): Briscoe heated up during the summer last year and he is starting to heat up again this year. Briscoe finished 2nd at Sonoma, won the race in Chicago, finished 3rd at North Wilksboro (he started 30th) and Briscoe finished 4th in the last race at Indianapolis. Briscoe won the pole, led 81 laps and finished 2nd at Iowa last year. I will bet that he can improve by one spot Sunday.
TY GIBBS (14-1 FD): Gibbs ranks No. 1 in the Cup Series on the short tracks this year. He finished 4th at Phoenix, 4th at Martinsville, won the race at Bristol and 4th at North WIlksboro. He has not finished outside the top-four on a short track this year. Gibbs has also qualified in the top-five in his last three short track races. His pit crew ranks No. 1 in the Cup Series, so if he qualifies up front, he will have a great chance to win at one of the tracks where track position is very important.
BRAD KESELOWSKI (20-1 DK & FD): Iowa Speedway is the best track on the schedule for Keselowski. He led the most laps, won both Stages and finished 3rd in this race last year. Keselowski also finished 2nd at Phoenix this year and 7th at North Wilksboro last month. The No. 6 team has their short, flat track package dialed in. Keselowski is a good bet at 20-1 odds this week.
The Cup Series had a 50-minute practice session Saturday and then the teams qualified for the Iowa Corn 350. The odds have been updated and their is only one driver I want to add to my card today.
RYAN BLANEY (+250 FD): I thought about adding Christopher Bell, but I needed better odds with the No. 20 car when he starts outside the top-20. I decided I am just going to wager the rest of my bankroll on Ryan Blaney. Iowa is his best track. He won the Iowa Corn 350 in 2024 and it looks like he is going to do it again today. Blaney had the fastest car on the long-runs in practice, he has the No. 1 pitt stall and he qualified on the pole. Blaney is going to be tough to beat in Iowa.
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