Nationwide Series all set to race at Iowa Speedway (NASCAR.com)
July 30, 2009
There's something to be said about that new-car smell. For the Nationwide Series this week, it's a new-track smell that's raising the scent of anticipation.
OK, so isn't exactly a new, fresh-off-the-factory-assembly-line-straight-to-the-dealership track—it's been hosting races since 2006—but this week will mark the first time any of NASCAR's national series will have raced there.
Unfamiliar with Iowa Speedway, located in Newton, Iowa? A BTN look:
.875Distance in miles. The track has a tri-oval shape.1Iowa Speedway is the first race facility to install the SAFER Barrier as the sole retaining wall surrounding the track.4Degrees of banking along the backstretch.10Degrees of banking along the frontstretch.10-12Variable degrees of banking in the turns.60Width, in feet, of track.104RV spaces located along the backstretch.869Distance, in feet, of the backstretch.1,075Distance, in feet, of the frontstetch.3333Numerical street address of Rusty Wallace Dr., location of Iowa Speedway. It is the first track designed by a driver.25,000Grandstand seating, with and additional 25,000 temporary seats having been installed. Add to that club and luxury seating, and the total increases to 55,000, which would make the crowd the largest to watch a race in Iowa.
NASCAR has raced at Iowa Speedway before with Camping World Series East-West combination event three times, the first in 2007. Coverage of the U.S. Cellular 250 ( | Tickets) begins at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN.
2Place of finish for Kevin Harick (2007) and Brian Ickler (2009) in the Camping World Series East-West combination race at Iowa. Harvick started on the pole.2Place of finish for Justin Allgaier in a 2008 ARCA race at Iowa.3Drivers entered in this week's race who have won at Iowa Speedway: Kyle Busch (2009) and Brian Ickler (2008), East-West combination event; and Steve Wallace (2006), ARCA event.3Place of finish for Trevor Bayne in the 2008 East-West combination race at Iowa.3Place of finish for Iowa native Michael Annett in a 2007 ARCA race. He started from the pole.4Place of finish for Matt Carter in a 2008 ARCA race at Iowa. He started from the pole.6Place of finish for Austin Dillion in the 2008 East-West combination race. He started from the pole.75,000Dollar amount of the Dash 4 Cash bonus to the eligible winner at Iowa.
THE BUSCH WATCH
Kyle Busch finished second last week at O'Reilly Raceway Park, his eighth consecutive race with a top-two finish. One more would tie Jack Ingram's 1983 record of nine in a row.
14Top-five finishes for Kyle Busch in 20 series races this season. He has a 6.2 average finish, with 17 top-10s.
THE WOW FACTOR
6Hours allowed for an open practice on Thursday, the first time many of the drivers will have ever turned a lap at Iowa. "With the six-hour practice on Thursday, not only will we be able to learn about the track but we'll be able to try a lot of things in our short-track program that we would've liked to already tried but haven't had the opportunity," Jason Keller said.
THE SUPER LOOPER
1,737Laps led in 2009 by Kyle Busch. How dominant has he been? Carl Edwards is second with 575.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
48Career wins in the NASCAR career (all Cup) of Herb Thomas. In 1953, driving a '53 Hudson, Thomas won the first NASCAR race held in Iowa, at Davenport Speedway, a half-mile dirt track. Thomas went on to win the second of his two Cup championships that year. Nationwide Series Standings Pos.+/-DriverPointsBehind 1.—Kyle Busch3296Leader2.—Carl Edwards3104-1923.—Brad Keselowski2904-3924.—Jason Leffler2790-5065.—Joey Logano2395-9016.+1Justin Allgaier2370-9267.-1Mike Bliss2353-9438.—Steve Wallace2311-9859.+1Brendan Gaughan2277-101910.-1Jason Keller2244-1052
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