“If you build it, they will come.” – Field of Dreams
After a lovely week off from racing, the NASCAR Cup Series returns with a vengeance to Iowa Speedway in the land of corn and baseball.
Iowa is a challenging little short track that has not been on the Cup Series schedule very long, but it has been a staple of the lower series for decades. I would stay partial to guys who were winners here before they found Cup success.
Guys like Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell are who I would bet on. I would avoid Hendrick Motorsports like the plague. I don’t know what has happened to one of NASCAR’s stalwart teams, but they just don’t have it lately.
Fantasy Forecast
Ryan Blaney $10,500
YRB had a rough day two weeks ago, but he came out swinging on qualifying day at Iowa.
The pole sitter and crew chief Jonathan Hassler no doubt dug into Paul Wolfe’s North Wilkesboro notebook and found something. That makes Blaney just dangerous enough to be my favorite.
If his pit crew, which has improved a bit over the course of the season, can find some consistency, it’ll be a dominant win for the No. 12 Ford Mustang.
Joey Logano $9,500
I definitely whiffed when I told you two weeks ago that I thought Logano’s North Wilkesboro Speedway win was an aberration.
He followed that up with a podium run, and this week he comes to a track with similar characteristics to North Wilkesboro. I think Team Penske may have this thing locked down with the No. 22 starting third. I just don’t think that he’s better than his teammate.
Maybe I’ll be wrong about him again this week, we’ll see.
Ty Gibbs $8,200
Gibbs just keeps on impressing me with both his ability to contend and his ability to somehow not be around the front at the end.
I predict a change in fortune this week though.
Gibbs is a short track ace this season, and with how good he was at North Wilkesboro, I think he’s the guy to watch out of the Toyota camp. This team just has to find a way to turn these dominant performances into victories.
Brad Keselowski $7,900
It was nice to see the No. 6 back in contention last time we saw it at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I think Keselowski can build on it this week.
Keselowski’s average finish of 6.5 at this track is phenomenal too, and I feel like we’re getting close to a return to form for all of the Ford teams. It only stands to reason he’ll be good tomorrow.
I’m looking for a top-five run.
Ross Chastain $7,100
Well, would you look at that.
The Melon Man put his Chevrolet Camaro in the top 10 in qualifying on Saturday for the first time on a non-superspeedway in what seems like forever.
It’s been a tough season, but this team definitely needed this shot in the arm.
His consistency at Iowa the last two years has also been impressive, as he brought home back-to-back 11th-place finishes.
Austin Dillon $6,800
Another team who wants to build some sort of momentum for 2026 is this No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing.
He’s not been stellar on short tracks at all this year, but we all know how good Dillon can be at Richmond Raceway, which might be the closest sister to Iowa.
If he can find some magic this weekend, he’d be a nice dark horse pick for your fantasy team.
Top Bets of the Week
Blaney +500
These short tracks races are almost always won from the front. That’s where YRB will be when we go green tomorrow, and I think that’s where he will stay. If he doesn’t lead the most laps and win the race, I’ll be shocked.
Dark Horse of the Week
Carson Hocevar +2200: Look, if anybody can be aggressive enough to pass at Iowa, it’s Hocevar. He put on a show here last season, and he’s always got a puncher’s chance.
Garrett joined Frontstretch as a news writer in 2023, and became a fantasy racing and betting writer in 2024. Hailing from the heart of coal country in southern West Virginia, he's a married father of three and a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant there.
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