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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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