Rounds 11 & 12: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa. July 23-24.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Rounds 11 & 12: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa. July 23-24.

This weekend IndyCar returns to Iowa Speedway for the 2022 IndyCar season, having been dropped from the calendar for the 2021 season and like it did in 2020, the venue will host a double-header: the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash on Saturday 23 and the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google, on Sunday 24.

Qualifying for short ovals is decided by a two-lap speed average. However because there is a double-header this weekend, the first lap will set the grid for Saturday's race, the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash and the second lap will set the grid for Sunday's race, the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google.

History
The AAA, (American Automobole Association) held it's first race in Iowa at the Tri-State Fair Grounds, in Burlington on July 9, 1915, with a distance of 100 miles (160 km). The AAA also hosted events at Des Moines Speedway in Valley Junction, on a one mile (1.60 km) wooden board track, in 1915 and 1916. The track though was closed and dismantled soon after.

Construction of the current speedway began towards the end of 2005 and was completed in July 2006. It is modeled after Richmond International Raceway, with a track width of 60 feet and 12-14 degree compound banking in the turns. The front stretch features 10 degrees of banking and the backstretch has 4 degrees of banking.

Iowa Speedway was the first track to install SAFER Barrier around the track's perimeter and to subsequently upgrade to the second generation of SAFER barrier, which doesn't use a concrete wall behind the energy
absorbing structure.

The first major event to be held at the venue, was the Indy Racin League's inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Ethanol, on June 24, 2007, which was won by Dario Franchitti, driving a Dallara IR05-Honda HI7R V8 for Andretti Green Racing. From 2014, the race distance was increased to 262.5 miles (422.45 Km) or 300 laps.

Since 2007, the race has become a perennial event on the IndyCar calendar, except for 2021 when it was left off due to financial issues with Iowa Speedway. However, former series champion and team owner Bobby Rahal managed to secure new sponsorship for the event from Iowa supermarket chain Hy-Vee, successfully returning IndyCar racing to Iowa Speedway with a multi year deal starting this year.


Track:
Iowa Speedway is the shortest track on the IndyCar calendar, at 0.875 miles (1.408 km) long, with an average lap time of under 18 seconds.




Length:
0.875 miles - 1.408 km
Turns: 4

Lap record:
Helio Castroneves, July 12, 2014 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph (300.64 km/h).
Team Penske,
Dallara DW12-Chevrolet Indy V6.

Some trivia:
Driver with the most wins:
Josef Newgarden, 3 2016, 2019, 2020.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, 3: 2012, 2014, 2015.
Team with most wins: Andretti Autosport, 7: 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.

-

2020 Race 1
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...aign=widget-22

Pole.
Conor Daly, 18.3711 sec. 175.188 mph (281.937 km/h)
Carlin,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Winner:
Josef Newgarden
Team Penske,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Laps: 250
Distance: 262.50 Miles (422.452 km)
Race Time: 1:56:53.575
Average Speed: 137.664 mph (221.548 km/h)
Fastest lap: Conor Daly, Carlin. Lap 59, 18.9515 sec, 169.823 mph (273.304 km/h)

Cautions: 1
Laps: 144 - 169

-

2020 Race 2
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...aign=widget-22

Pole
Josef Newgarden, 18.3559 sec. 175.333 mph (282.171 km/h)
Team Penske,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Winner:
Simon Pagenaud
Team Penske,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Laps: 250
Distance: 262.50 Miles (422.452 km)
Race Time: 1:56:53.575
Average Speed: 137.664 mph (221.548 km/h)
Fastest lap: Josef Newgarden, Team Penske. Lap 4, 19.1928 sec, 167.688 mph (269.8676767 km/h )

Cautions: 2
Laps: 114 - 125, 180 - 191.

-

Practice and Qualifications:
Practice - Friday, Jul 22
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM ET

Qualifications - Saturday, Jul 23
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM ET

-

TV coverage
Race 1 - Saturday, Jul 23
NBC: 4:00 PM ET, UTC 8:00PM, BST 9:00PM
Sky Sports F1: 9:00PM

Race 2 - Sunday, Jul 24
NBC: 3:00 PM ET, UTC 7:00PM, BST 8:00PM
Sky Sports F1: 8:00PM

[tux]

Will this be any good? From memory dirty air made it very difficult to pass around here?

[broadrun96]

That's not what I remembered of Iowa last year. There wasn't passing constantly like a Cup race but they could get a run and pass into T1 and T3. It was a fairly decent show if you like ovals

[tux]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

That's not what I remembered of Iowa last year. There wasn't passing constantly like a Cup race but they could get a run and pass into T1 and T3. It was a fairly decent show if you like ovals

I think you are right. Im old and the memory is not great. Watched some of the race on Youtube and it wasnt all that bad.

Pato O'Ward & Rosenqvists cars look a handful in qualifying.

Penske look almost nailed on to win both races. Power & Newgarden a class apart.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Qualifying Result Race 1:
The Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash.

Will Power took Pole, with five of the the top six places dominated by Chevrolet. Penske team mates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, took 2nd and 5th spots. Rookie David Malukas was the lone Honda in 6th.

Championship leader Marcus Ericsson was 12th and reigning driver's champion Alex Palou was 14th.

[bjohnsonsmith]

A clean start. Power leads.

[bjohnsonsmith]

First FCY. Jimmie Johnson loses it but avoids the wall, seems unnecessary.

[joeb]

My dad and sister are supposed to go to the Saturday race, but now plans may have changed. And I'm super disappointed. But on the plus side since they are both Hy-Vee employees they got merch! Actually went to a couple stores this week and all the employees wear IndyCar gear and there is a ton of advertising. This is in direct contrast to when I've been at local Firestone shops with no mention of IndyCar.

Also my sister got me a shirt!

sent during haircut

[mstets]

Does Hy-Vee have stores in LA? I'm sure they are expanding their territory but I didn't know they were that far south.



Peacock coverage of practice implied that the company has financed some of the infrastructure improvements. Is the track still owned by NASCAR?


Sounds like tire management will be a bigger factor in the races than qualifying position, perhaps especially so on Saturday as it's going to be so hot.



I'm unclear on the rules. Since there is only one qualifying session for the two races, and no major chassis changes are allowed between qualifying and the first race - does that mean nothing can be changed between the race on Saturday and the race on Sunday? If so it seems like a real crap shoot on setup for the weekend as a whole.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mstets

Does Hy-Vee have stores in LA? I'm sure they are expanding their territory but I didn't know they were that far south.

I did some Googling and it came up with:
Hy-Vee is an employee-owned chain of supermarkets in the Midwestern and Southern United States, with more than 280 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and soon Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Originally Posted by mstets

Peacock coverage of practice implied that the company has financed some of the infrastructure improvements. Is the track still owned by NASCAR?

Iowa is owned by NASCAR. In this article from Forbes, it said the track was rundown, in disarray and needed repairs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucema...h=741daa924192

Originally Posted by mstets

Sounds like tire management will be a bigger factor in the races than qualifying position, perhaps especially so on Saturday as it's going to be so hot.

I'm unclear on the rules. Since there is only one qualifying session for the two races, and no major chassis changes are allowed between qualifying and the first race - does that mean nothing can be changed between the race on Saturday and the race on Sunday? If so it seems like a real crap shoot on setup for the weekend as a whole.

Motorsport.com have this article on the parc ferme rules and how they will affect the race and qualifying. https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...iowa/10341226/

[joeb]

Originally Posted by mstets

Does Hy-Vee have stores in LA? I'm sure they are expanding their territory but I didn't know they were that far south.



Peacock coverage of practice implied that the company has financed some of the infrastructure improvements. Is the track still owned by NASCAR?


Sounds like tire management will be a bigger factor in the races than qualifying position, perhaps especially so on Saturday as it's going to be so hot.



I'm unclear on the rules. Since there is only one qualifying session for the two races, and no major chassis changes are allowed between qualifying and the first race - does that mean nothing can be changed between the race on Saturday and the race on Sunday? If so it seems like a real crap shoot on setup for the weekend as a whole.

No stores in Louisiana but I was traveling this week.

Going to be a scorcher for the race, hard on the fans in the grandstand and the teams on track.

sent during haircut

[Mogster]

Jeez problems for Herta again, Andretti are a clown outfit.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Ed Carpenter clips the wall. 4th FCY.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Congrats to Newgarden. The car looked dialed in, so can he do it again tomorrow?

[joeb]

I was in the air for the race so missed everything live, I'm going to have to watch the recording tonight. Or I guess I could just wait for tomorrow's race too! It is such a different track to run Indy cars on I kind of like it for a variety.

sent during haircut

[joeb]

Good summation of the involvement of Hy-Vee and Indy Car.

https://apnews.com/article/entertain...4cf139b30f15ef

sent during haircut

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

Good summation of the involvement of Hy-Vee and Indy Car.

https://apnews.com/article/entertain...4cf139b30f15ef

sent during haircut

That's a good article, thanks for posting.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Result Race 1.

I thoroughly enjoyed that, looking forward to Race 2.

That was a good result for O'Ward.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Qualifying Result Race 2:

The Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google.

With the qualifying format that was used for both races, it wasn't too surprising that the pole sitter for the first race might also be the pole sitter for the second race. As it is, Will Power took Pole for both races, making this his 65th and 66th career pole positions, bringing him within one of the all-time IndyCar series record, held by Mario Andretti.

[bjohnsonsmith]

A clean start. Power leads but O'Ward moves up to third.

[gert]

Left rear tire blew or left rear suspension failure?

I don't think he *just crashed*

[gert]

Originally Posted by gert

Left rear tire blew or left rear suspension failure?

I don't think he *just crashed*

Right rear problem, probably. Left front was in the air...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by gert

Left rear tire blew or left rear suspension failure?

I don't think he *just crashed*

Something definitely went at the left rear quarter of the car.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Congrats to Pato O'Ward, second yesterday, so he has been in contention and now the win, with luck going his way.

[NaBUru38]

I'm very disappointed that NBC barely mentioned or showed O'Ward.

For much of the race, they kept focused on Newgarden and Power lapping cars. O'Ward was 3rd, but they pretty much ignored him.

When Newgarden crashed and O'Ward overtook Newgarden, they stopped talking about the leaders at all, and focused on JJ, Sato and Malukas.

Only with 4 laps to go they remembered to show O'Ward leading the race.