Rounds 11 & 12: Hy-Vee Homefront 250, Hy-Vee Step 250, Iowa Speedway, July 21-23.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 20 Jul 2023, 15:20 (Ref:4169194)

Rounds 11 & 12: Hy-Vee Homefront 250, Hy-Vee Step 250, Iowa Speedway, Newton Iowa. July 21-23.

For the second year in a row, Iowa Speedway will host the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend, since the speedway returned to the IndyCar calendar last year, with supermarket chain Hy-Vee as the title sponsor. Unlike last year's event, which had a 250 lap race and a 300 lap race, this years event will have two 250 lap races.

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History
The AAA, (American Automobile 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 input from famed NASCAR-star-turned-commentator Rusty Wallace. It has 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 entire 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 Racing League's inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Ethanol, on June 24, 2007. It was won by Dario Franchitti, driving a Dallara IR-05-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 been a perennial event on the IndyCar calendar, becoming a double-header in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a number of races to be cancelled and the calendar to be revised.

Following the 2020 season, it was rumoured the track was up for sale and subsequently the race was left off the 2021 calendar, a long with races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. However, Iowa Speedway returned for the 2022 IndyCar season with a double-header, after former series champion and team owner Bobby Rahal, managed to secure new sponsorship for the event from Iowa supermarket chain Hy-Vee, with a multi year deal.

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Some trivia:
Driver with the most wins:
Josef Newgarden, 4
2016, 2019, 2020, 2022 Race 1.

Team with most wins: Andretti Autosport, 7:
2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.

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Track:
Iowa Speedway is the shortest track on the IndyCar calendar, with an average lap time of under 18 seconds. However, the track length is disputed by the two major series that run at Iowa. NASCAR timing and scoring uses a length of 0.875 miles (1.408 km), while IndyCar timing and scoring uses a length of 0.894 Miles (1.439 Km).

Track Layout

Length:
0.894 Miles - 1.439 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.

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Last Year Race 1
https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/07/07-23-iowa-race1

Pole.
Will Power,
Team Penske,
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: 1:39:34.4218
Average Speed: 134.674 Mph (216.737 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Will Power-Team Penske. Lap 2, 19.4571 sec, 165.410 Mph (273.304 Km/h)

Cautions: 4
Laps: 17 - 21, 111 - 122, 127 - 132, 164 - 173

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Last Year Race 2
https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/07...wa-sunday-race

Pole
Will Power,
Team Penske,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Winner:
Pato O'Ward
Arrow McLaren SP,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Laps: 300
Distance: 262.50 Miles (422.452 Km)
Race Time: 1:54:23.2097
Average Speed: 140.681 Mph (226.404 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Will Power-Team Penske. Lap 134. 19.224 sec, 167.415 Mph (269.428 Km/h )

Cautions: 2
Laps: 120 - 131, 235 - 248.

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Practice and Qualifications:
Qualifying consists of two consecutive laps, with the first lap deciding the grid for Race 1 and the second lap deciding the grid for Race 2

Practice - Friday, Jul 21
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM ET

Qualifications - Saturday, Jul 22
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM ET

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TV coverage
Race 1 - Saturday, Jul 22
NBC: 3:00 PM ET, UTC 7:00PM, BST 8:00PM
Sky Sports F1: 8:00PM

Race 2 - Sunday, Jul 23
NBC: 2:00 PM ET, UTC 6:00PM, BST 7:00PM
Sky Sports F1: 7:00PM

**joeb** · 20 Jul 2023, 16:24 (Ref:4169202)

Short oval Indycar is a spectacle. You go multiple laps down to pit under green, and there is just action everywhere. I've been amazed at the passing in past events. It makes me a little nervous to watch because it is so small.

broadrun96 · 20 Jul 2023, 19:08 (Ref:4169209)

Rather watch the smaller than bigger, wish they would get to add Richmond or Michigan again for that racing. I get they probably need Texas to prep for Indy but it is a race I miss.

mstets · 21 Jul 2023, 04:30 (Ref:4169245)

Free admission on Friday. I've never been to the track, would like to see it but don't feel up to the drive. Trolled around for someone to make the trip but came up empty. Maybe next year.

broadrun96 · 21 Jul 2023, 20:58 (Ref:4169345)

Early in practice, Daly at 20. His replacement in the 20 is 3rd

And the Foyt speed from Indy has escaped

broadrun96 · 21 Jul 2023, 21:47 (Ref:4169348)

Daly recovered to 6th, just behind RHR in 5th. Rossi, Rosenqvist at the tail, well back from O'Ward in 4th. Missed a bit with a vicious storm here knocking out stream but looks to have been fairly clean running

broadrun96 · 21 Jul 2023, 21:50 (Ref:4169349)

And yes, RLL did keep Viktor around and put him to work. He's in a crew shirt and was lollipop guy for practice. Well done Rahal and Co

mstets · 21 Jul 2023, 22:16 (Ref:4169351)

Practice results. No big surprises except perhaps Rosenqvist near the bottom.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 14:59 (Ref:4169431)

Rain delays qualifying.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/07-22-quals-delay

**Adam43** · 22 Jul 2023, 15:04 (Ref:4169435)

Thanks and that reminded me of the qualifying format.

Stingy low down in practice. I guess with the circuit being so short it is difficult for him to demonstrate his brilliance in a single lap time.

broadrun96 · 22 Jul 2023, 15:05 (Ref:4169436)

And as the Georgians here will relate to, another storm at Iowa delays quali. Still drying track at 1100 so 90 min late already but cars coming on pit lane

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 15:31 (Ref:4169442)

Qualifying is now underway.

broadrun96 · 22 Jul 2023, 16:05 (Ref:4169446)

And Penske looks dominant and Chevy power to the front, Newgarden couldn't keep it off the deck but so much smoother on the wheel. Power likely gonna add to his pole record x2

Gonna be a some wrecks with contact in the race if they bounce and walk like some are in quali

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 17:08 (Ref:4169459)

Qualifying result Race 1, Hy-Vee Homefront 250.

Power breaks his duck, getting his first pole of the season and his first since Laguna Seca last year, when he broke Mario Andretti's pole record.

All three Penske drivers took the top three spots, in a much needed turn around for Team Penske and Chevrolet but can they convert this into a win?

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 19:07 (Ref:4169473)

That was an uneventful start.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 19:23 (Ref:4169474)

An early stop and a bad stop for Colton Herta, puts him 3 laps down.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 20:02 (Ref:4169477)

First FCY as Graham Rahal white walls his tyres, damaging his suspension.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 20:43 (Ref:4169481)

Congrats to Josef Newgarden. Will Power never looked quite the same after his brush with the wall.

**joeb** · 22 Jul 2023, 21:36 (Ref:4169482)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Congrats to Josef Newgarden. Will Power never looked quite the same after his brush with the wall.

Crap I completely missed the race today! Guess I'll have to catch #2 tomorrow

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Jul 2023, 23:34 (Ref:4169487)

Race 1 result: Hy-Vee Homefront 250.

Not the most exciting race, with drivers hanging back during the first couple of stints, in order to preserve their tyres. Sort of came alive within the last 10 laps or so. Maybe a 200 lap race might be better? Otherwise a very good result for Penske and Chevrolet, neither of whom have had a win since the 500.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Jul 2023, 12:18 (Ref:4169525)

Qualifying result Race 2, Hy-Vee One Step 250

Despite the 2 lap qualifying format, the grid for Race 2 is in quite a marked contrast to the grid for Race 1. Though Power took pole for both races, Penske took just the first 2 spots on the grid, as Josef Newgarden dropped to 7th. Other notable changes were David Malukas up in 3rd spot, oval specialist and IndyCar stalwart Ed Carpenter 4th and Graham Rahal 6th.

**Adam43** · 23 Jul 2023, 18:11 (Ref:4169581)

Just finished watching the Tour. Now BBQ and ready for Iowa 2.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Jul 2023, 18:32 (Ref:4169583)

An uneventful start and Ed Carpenter's 200th.

**joeb** · 23 Jul 2023, 18:34 (Ref:4169584)

Didn't think I was going to be able to see the start, but plans have changed. That was exciting. Ericcson and Oward took a lot of spots.

**joeb** · 23 Jul 2023, 18:48 (Ref:4169585)

Juncos cars are doing good early.

Power is an early pit stopper after losing ground on track.

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