NEWTON, Iowa — Hendrick Motorsports heads to Iowa Speedway this weekend with a strong mix of championship contenders, a defending race winner and one of the most successful records on short tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The organization has already established itself as the team to beat at Iowa, earning one victory, one pole, three top-five finishes and five top 10s in the first two Cup Series races held at the 0.875-mile oval. As the regular season enters its final four races, Hendrick drivers will be looking to strengthen both playoff positioning and championship momentum.
Leading the Iowa charge is William Byron, the defending race winner. Byron has been nearly flawless at Iowa, posting an average finish of 1.5, leading 141 laps and recording top-five finishes in both Cup starts at the track. The driver of the No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet also owns victories at Iowa in the Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, making him one of only two drivers to accomplish the feat.
Chase Elliott arrives sixth in the Cup Series standings and remains firmly in the championship hunt. The 2020 series champion owns a best Iowa finish of third and has consistently run near the front at the track, posting a series-best average finish of 8.5 through two starts. Elliott also enters the weekend just three points outside the top five in the standings.
For Kyle Larson, Iowa presents an opportunity to reverse his recent fortunes. Despite sitting eighth in points following a difficult outing at Indianapolis, the 2021 Cup Series champion remains one of NASCAR’s most dangerous short-track competitors. Larson has led 80 laps at Iowa and owns five career Cup Series short-track victories. He also enters the weekend just one lap shy of the 11,000 career laps-led milestone, a mark reached by only 19 drivers in series history.
Alex Bowman quietly brings one of the strongest Iowa records in the field. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet is one of only five drivers to finish inside the top 10 in both Cup races at Iowa and owns an impressive 7.5 average finish at the track. Bowman will be seeking a turnaround after a challenging season that has left him 29th in the standings.
While the Cup stars headline the weekend, rising prospect Corey Day returns for his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Iowa. Day recently clinched a playoff berth after collecting his 15th top-10 finish of the season at Indianapolis. The 20-year-old enters the weekend fifth in the series standings with two victories and continues to build momentum in his first full campaign with Hendrick Motorsports.