Blunt Chase Elliott Delivers a Stern Verdict on NASCAR Failing to Meet Expectations in Iowa

Goodyear used the two-day test in Iowa to determine which tire to run during the Father’s Day weekend race, scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 16. Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and Brad Keselowski are the three drivers who ran hundreds of laps through heat and a brief rain delay Tuesday. However, despite their good remarks, the No. 9 Chevy driver has voiced his concerns over the repaved track.

Chase Elliott ended his 42-race winless streak this year with a convincing win at the Texas Motorway. The race saw close to 23 lead changes among 13 drivers, making it very dramatic. Currently ranked #4, Elliott has finished multiple times in the top 5 and led over 133 laps. As he looks forward to doing better with the next-gen car, his concerns over the Iowa Speedway are different from those of the three test drivers. Thus bringing his expertise to the newly inducted track this year.

What was his viewpoint about the track? Did he find it good enough, and did it meet his expectations?

Braking challenges at Iowa

The post-repave Iowa Speedway has gotten a bit of a facelift. Two lanes of the entrances and exits of turns two and four were repaved, leaving only a small section of the original track near the wall in each turn. And after being resurfaced, Iowa Speedway has been a subject of heated discussions among the drivers. Among them is the #9 Chevy driver, who didn’t seem to like it that much. “This is a very hard track on brakes. There are long straights and downshifts,” Elliott said.

His major focus was on the significant braking challenges posed by the design of the track. The reason is that the brake and rotor could put enormous strain on them because of long straightaways and hard braking into corners. But the JGR Iowa test driver felt differently.

Christopher Bell, one of the only three drivers to test the newly paved track, which too had all 350 laps, mentioned, “The repave basically made it a whole new racetrack,” Bell said. “It adds a lot of grip to the racetrack. Iowa was a place that was a low-grip track before. You could move around all over the place and really pass guys. I’m a little bit worried now that the pace is going to be really fast, and it’s going to be harder to pass.” 

However, he said, “The issue is heating them properly to withstand the heat over a long period.” When asked about how he manages to keep his braking despite the hard braking conditions, Chase Eliiott simply said, “You don’t. It just is what it is. You have to bring it up to temperature as best you can, and after that, you just run your lap and hope they don’t fall.”

On the other hand, Kyle Larson had his own set of problems in Iowa. The 2021 Cup Series Champion did quite well this year, winning at Las Vegas and Kansas. After the test drive on the track, Larson mentioned, “The test was difficult with just three cars… brand new surface so it took probably 4 hours or so until we could actually get some grip and make some decent laps,” commented Larson. In addition, he added, “With 30-something other cars the groove should hopefully widen out… it was just not wide wherever you can put your right sides in”

Brad Keselowski, also voiced his opinions, “We knew the repaving was coming the whole time so it’s no surprise… you change it up hopefully it does wear fairly quickly and becomes an annual event so that we can see it age back out,” said Brad. With so many mixed reactions around Iowa, it’s worth exploring why NASCAR chose this track for the 2024 season.

NASCAR’s reluctant decision to add Iowa

The inclusion of Iowa Speedway in the 2024 NASCAR schedule was not initially planned. Some of the options considered by NASCAR included Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which emerged as a strong candidate for an international points race. However, NASCAR  and the organizers of the Montreal races didn’t seem to reach any conclusions despite several negotiations. Thus, NASCAR had no choice but to look for an alternative.

Iowa Speedway, measuring 0.875 miles, is an oval short-track and is located in Newton, Iowa. Despite logistical nightmares and fan engagement issues, NASCAR deemed the California Speedway unfit due to its ongoing renovation work. Being another short track in the 28-race schedule, Iowa is helping to preserve the craze for short tracks. Short tracks are deep-rooted in the legacy of NASCAR and have huge sentimental value for fans. Dale Earnhardt Jr is undoubtedly one of them.

The hesitation was derived from fears that the short track rules package could compromise the quality of races. However, since NASCAR itself owned the track, negotiations were easy. Thus, ensuring a more flawless transition into the season. The hope is that as this track ages, it will meet or perhaps even surpass drivers’ and fans’ expectations. Thus, turning initial doubt into full support.

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