NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Two Races, Two Types of Pavement – What to Know About INDYCAR’s Iowa Doubleheader
Updated Jul. 11, 2025, 12:10 p.m. ET
Two types of pavement. That’s something new.
Two races in two days. That’s also different. bmw dealers
The buzz around the Iowa Speedway race weekend for the NTT INDYCAR Series is palpable; this year’s event stands out on the circuit. While it may share similarities with last year’s festivities, it definitely distinguishes itself from other race weekends in 2025.
What to Expect This Weekend
Two races in two days?
You got it! Drivers will take on 275-lap races, kicking off at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, followed by a quick turnaround for the second race at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Both races will be broadcast live on FOX.
How is the Lineup Set?
During Saturday’s qualifying round, each driver will complete two consecutive laps. The first lap will determine their qualifying speed for the first race, while the second lap will set the pace for the second race.
Why Two Races?
This concept harks back to 2011 at Texas Motor Speedway, where a new approach was adopted for its 342-mile race. They introduced pairs of 171-mile races on the 1.5-mile track instead. Running two races over one weekend isn’t unique across motorsports, particularly where teams aim to reduce travel costs or face challenges securing venue deals.
As the series evolved, Texas reverted to a single race but continued hosting doubleheader weekends at other venues, especially on ovals. Last year saw doubleheader weekends in both Iowa and Milwaukee, and following a change in the 2024 schedule, Nashville’s season finale shifted to Nashville Superspeedway, adding another oval to the mix while Milwaukee returned to a single-race format for 2025.
Why Two Types of Pavement?
Iowa Speedway is a 0.875-mile oval owned by NASCAR. In spring 2024, concerns over developing potholes for the inaugural Cup race led NASCAR to repave only the lower lanes (Lanes 1 and 2) of the track. These lanes are where drivers typically experience the most load and heat, which could cause surface cracking vip ph club login register online casino.
After NASCAR’s debut event last year, it was decided to leave the track with a mix of new and old pavement.
What does this mean for the race? It creates two distinct racing grooves, complicating INDYCAR’s efforts to identify the right combination of tires and aerodynamics, as cars tend to go much faster on the new pavement due to its high grip. Additionally, sections of the track still feature the original surface from its construction in 2006, making it prone to ‘weepers’ after rainfall, which are spots where water rises through the surface as it heats up.
INDYCAR’s Solution to Aerodynamic Challenges
To accommodate multiple racing grooves, INDYCAR recently conducted a test at Iowa, focusing on areas where cars generate maximum downforce. Despite this, cars continued to favor the inside lane during the test.
Christian Rasmussen experienced an unexpected tire blowout on the right front due to high loads, prompting Firestone and INDYCAR to select a different tire for this weekend, designed with a slightly revised construction to withstand extreme conditions. php.slot “Obviously it was needed,” Rasmussen remarked about the change. “I guess it was good that we found out that the tire needed to be changed. Not so good that it had to be me that had to find out.”
What Do Drivers Anticipate?
Drivers expect a physically demanding weekend, given the high loads and speeds. Will Power, who triumphed in one of the races last year, indicated that the physical challenge may push drivers to their limits. “I did a half-stint at the end of the day and that was difficult,” Power shared. “It’s going to be tough. Your arms are going to be falling off.”
In general, drivers view this event as an unknown due to the recent changes, despite having had a test session two weeks prior. “I think it’s an unknown,” observed Kyle Kirkwood, who participated in the testing. “We have our guesses. The downforce level we’re targeting is familiar and offers a good racing balance around this track.” He also expressed confidence in Firestone’s tire quality while stressing the need to adjust to the new tire’s characteristics.
Does Kirkwood Still Have a Shot at the Title?
Kirkwood, currently second in the standings with 113 points trailing leader Alex Palou, believes he still has a chance at the title. “It’s kind of cat-and-mouse with him right now,” Kirkwood noted. “We claw back at him, he pulls away from us. We claw back. okebet888 com login” He understands the urgency of cutting into Palou’s lead at Iowa, especially with only five races remaining post-Iowa: Toronto, Laguna Seca, Portland, Milwaukee, and Nashville, with a maximum of 54 points available per race. 50 jili ph login
“If we can get to inside 85 points [with five to go], I think we’ll still have a shot,” Kirkwood asserted. “That’s a legitimate number that we know we’ve got some good races coming up.”
Wasn’t Kirkwood Part of an Accident Last Year?
Yes, Kirkwood was involved in a frightening incident when Sting Ray Robb struck Alexander Rossi’s slowing car on the final lap of the second race. Robb’s car flipped over, but he remarkably only suffered a finger blister after grabbing the still-hot halo structure.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Iowa doubleheader and the challenges drivers will face?