NASCAR will not give Cup Series teams extra tires at Iowa despite issues in practice
On Friday during the practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series at Iowa Speedway, tire issues were the main topic of discussion. When there were issues at Bristol earlier this season, NASCAR and Goodyear issued an extra set of tires to teams in the middle of the race.
Prior to the start of the Iowa Corn 350, we will not see Cup Series teams receive more tires. It remains to be seen if NASCAR would change that plan after the first stage at Iowa or not. This lets teams know they will only have 10 sets total to get through the race.
During the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, drivers were able to run about 30-35 laps on their tires at a hard pace. Cup drivers had about 20-25 laps on tires in practice.
Teams can make adjustments to help with tire wear. There are things they can do to make the tires last longer. Of course, drivers will be tasked with tire conservation the most. Making sure the pace isn’t pushed too hard until it needs to be.
Dustin Long of NBC Sports reported the news about the tires. There will also not be a competition caution during the race, either.
Each team will have nine fresh sets of sticker tires and their set of qualifying scuffs. The race is going to start at 7:00 PM EST tonight. That means the track will likely change drastically as the heat of the day leaves and gives way to the cool night air.
The lack of sunlight directly on the track late in this race will be important. These NASCAR drivers and teams have their work cut out for them tonight at Iowa Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series racing at Iowa Speedway
It has been a long time coming. From almost not being built due to various failures in funding and planning, Iowa Speedway was brought to life by NASCAR and NASCAR’s finest. Rusty Wallace designed the track for goodness sake!
2006 to 2024 – 18 long years. IndyCar has called Iowa home on many occasions since it was built. The series took a one-year break in 2021 from racing at the short track. Now, the NASCAR Cup Series is calling Iowa home.
There were a lot of Xfinity Series races held at the track in the 2010s. It even earned popularity among the drivers who were racing in that series at the time. Chase Briscoe still calls it his favorite race track.
Get ready for a wild ride tonight. The NASCAR Cup Series finally races at Iowa Speedway. With the tire wear the way it is, this should be a special race.