NEWTON, Iowa – Joe Gibbs Racing heads to Iowa Speedway with all four of its NASCAR Cup Series drivers firmly in the playoff conversation and carrying momentum into one of the final regular-season races of the year.
JGR has enjoyed success at Iowa across multiple NASCAR series and enters Sunday’s event looking to add to a record that includes seven NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories at the 0.875-mile oval. Last season, Chase Briscoe delivered one of the organization’s strongest Iowa performances, earning the pole and leading 81 laps before finishing second.
Denny Hamlin arrives as the Cup Series points leader and one of the hottest drivers in the garage. The driver of the No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE has already secured four victories this season and clinched a postseason berth for a record 20th time. Hamlin has been especially dominant on non-drafting oval tracks in 2026, posting four wins, 12 top-five finishes and 836 laps led in 14 events. Despite finishing 24th in both previous Cup starts at Iowa, the veteran enters the weekend riding a nine-race top-five streak on non-drafting ovals.
Briscoe and the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE return to one of the strongest tracks on their schedule. In addition to last year’s runner-up result, Briscoe is a former Iowa winner in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series. Fresh off a fourth-place finish at Indianapolis, Briscoe has recorded four top-five finishes in the last five races and continues to build momentum toward the playoffs.
Christopher Bell brings a strong Iowa résumé of his own. The Oklahoma native finished fourth in the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa and owns two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories at the track, along with two poles and two runner-up finishes. Bell nearly scored a victory at Indianapolis last weekend, charging from 23rd on the grid to finish second. His crew chief, Adam Stevens, also boasts an impressive Iowa record, including an O’Reilly Series win and no finish worse than 12th in eight starts atop the pit box.
Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs continues his breakout campaign in the No. 54 SiriusXM Toyota Camry XSE. Gibbs enters Iowa fourth in the championship standings and has already established career highs in top-five finishes, top 10s, stage wins and stage points. Although his best Cup finish at Iowa is 21st, Gibbs has won twice at the track in ARCA competition and has been one of the series’ best performers recently. Over the last five races, he leads all drivers with 216 points earned while collecting three top fives, four top 10s, four stage victories and 156 laps led.