NASCAR CUP SERIES
IOWA SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT
JUNE 14, 2024
Bowman Leads Team Chevy in NASCAR Cup Series Practice at Iowa Speedway
- The NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race weekend at Iowa Speedway got underway this afternoon with the series hitting the track for a 50-minute practice session.
- Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, set the pace for the Bowtie brand – clocking-in a best-lap time of 23.105 seconds, at 136.334 mph, to conclude the practice session third-fastest overall on the speed chart.
- Four drivers from three Chevrolet organizations posted top-10 lap times at the close of the practice session, with Bowman leading:
5th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
6th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light For The Farmers Camaro ZL1
9th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1
· The NASCAR Cup Series will return to the track Saturday, June 15, at 12:05 p.m. ET, for qualifying to set the lineup for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol.
Drivers in the top-10 positions of the NASCAR Cup Series points standings met with the media following the series’ 50-minute practice session at Iowa Speedway. Team Chevy Driver Quotes:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light for the Farmers Camaro ZL1 – 6th fastest in practice
Chastain on the issues he had in practice:
“I have no idea.. we’re not sure. It’s so blown apart that we can’t see anything.”
Are you surprised and are you concerned about Sunday?
“Neither.. I mean there’s no telling what happens. We went back out and made more laps on another set. I went out; ran my fastest lap like five laps later.”
Did you put as many laps on that new set that you had one as the one you had the issue?
“I don’t know.. a lot happened quick there.”
The restart zone.. the top of the line goes right up to the start of the restart zone. Is that going to effect things?
“Yeah, it’s going to help the top get launched. I noticed that. But right now, the second lane isn’t very appetizing for me. I wouldn’t want to fire it down in there form the outside. You might be ahead on the straightaway, but if you don’t get down – like for these guys in the ARCA race, they might fight for the bottom, but throughout the weekend, I think we’ll widen it back out. My opinion now is going to change as I watch these races and participate tomorrow (in the Xfinity Series race).”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 – 13th fastest in practice
Did it feel the same as it did before?
“I don’t know.. I felt a lot different than the test a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure the track has probably just changed that much since then. So yeah, I was just very, very loose in, which I wasn’t that loose in at the test. The first-half of practice, I was super loose in. But I felt like we got that a little bit better. We started running some more comfortable laps. It trended towards getting a little more similar to the way the test ended. I think we just have to study and see. I’m sure the track is just changing so much right now.”
Do you think it will be a race like we had at Bristol Motor Speedway?
“I don’t know.. I’m not sure why people are blowing so many tires right now. I haven’t had time to talk to the team. I don’t think they’ve even had time to study tires on our end, as an organization, so yeah I’m not really sure on that yet.”
You didn’t experience that, did you?
“No, none of us, I don’t believe, had any sort of tire issues.”
Does this track, right now as it stands, worry you for Sunday?
“No, I mean it’s a racetrack, so what are they going to do before Sunday (laughs)? So no, I think honestly, the unknown of everything I think makes things exciting, competitive and all that. Yeah, it’s going to be fun. I think teams are probably going to have to study a lot and not sleep a lot the next couple of nights.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 – 5th fastest in practice
Elliott on the teams that had tire issues during the practice session:
“I saw a couple of them, but fortunately, we did not see any of that. I didn’t feel any of that. So I’m not sure if it was pressure related or setup related. Certainly, the Toyota’s had an issue all at once, so that kind of told me that was a collective issue. And then I saw the No. 1 (Ross Chastain) had a problem and maybe the No. 2 (Austin Cindric). So yeah, I’m not sure, but hopefully not on Sunday.”
What were your first impressions of the Cup car at Iowa Speedway? Kyle Larson tested here, so there was some data for the team to work with, but what was your first impression?
“Honestly, I was thinking that it would be a lot of grip around the bottom. I do think the second lane will be decent at some point, but it will definitely need to be worked in. It kind of has that fresh repaved shine to it that is not very inviting to want to go run on. But in the race, you’ll certainly be forced to run higher and I think that’ll end up working it in. I kind of missed a corner there once. There’s more banking, it seems like at least up off of (turn) two in that next lane up, so that might end up being a better place to run. I wouldn’t be super surprised if that ended up being the preferred lane at some point in the race.”
Is it any warmer today than it was during the tire test? Is there any more stress on the tire, just given that you’re going from the old pavement to the suddenly gripped-up new stuff?
“I’m not sure.. that’s a really good question. I wasn’t here for the test and I’m not familiar with how hot or not it was. I really don’t know, but I don’t think it has anything to do with going across the old asphalt and getting to the new asphalt. It certainly could, but we see that at other places.”
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