NASCAR Cup Series
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol
Team Chevy Post-Race Report
August 9, 2026
Four Chevrolet Organizations Earn Top-10 Finishes at Iowa Speedway
RACE RECAP:
Stage One:
Under the hot summer sun at Iowa Speedway, an early qualifying run turned into a front-row qualifying effort for Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. Taking the green flag for the opening stage, Larson settled into the second position behind polesitter, Ryan Blaney, and it took just 26 laps around the 7/8-mile track to clock in the fastest lap of the race. Despite a quick caution just a few laps in, a long green flag run ensued to ultimately bring the stage to a close. While then race leader, Blaney, progressively pulled away from the field, Larson was able to maintain a position within the top-three for the entirety of the run. Past Iowa Truck Series winner, Austin Dillon, put his short track abilities on full display from the start to complete the Team Chevy top-five at the drop of the first green-white checkered flag.
Stage Two:
Courtesy of a clutch two position gain in the race off pit road during the stage break, Ross Chastain made his first appearance in the top-five of the race to take the green flag for Stage Two. Buried deep in the field to start the run, a pair of early cautions saw Alan Gustafson become one of just two crew chiefs to gamble on pit strategy and make the call to stay out under the second caution period of the stage. Despite the older set of tires, track position paid great dividends with Elliott becoming a steady fixture in the top-three until the run concluded with a caution just at the halfway point of the stage. Among much of the lead pack that hit pit road for four tires and fuel, trouble on the stop ultimately ended the strong progression from the strategy call for the No. 9 team. Similar to the start of the stage, it was the McSwain-led team that saw a two-tire call put Chastain back into the top-five. In the final 15 laps of the stage, Chastain was the only mover within the top-five – driving up into the third position and just 1.7 seconds from the leader to take the second green-white checkered flag.
Final Stage:
With yet another alternate strategy call for track position by Gustafson, it was Elliott that made the jump back to the top of the leaderboard to pace the field to the green flag for the final stage. But it was the fresh set of Goodyear tires that saw Chastain quickly return as Chevrolet’s top running driver as he sat in the fourth position when the race hit 100 laps to go. Blaney kickstarted what was setting up for the final trip to pit road for the afternoon with 66 laps remaining. With varying calls among the leaders, Chastain ultimately cycled up into the top position to take control of the race just a few laps later. McSwain stayed committed to his call to stretch the run as Chastain continued to set the pace before calling his driver to pit road with 20 laps to go for right-side tires and a splash of fuel. With the green flag cycle now officially complete, Chastain still maintained a position at the front of the Bowtie brigade as he reentered the field in seventh, going on to hold the position en route to the checkered flag.
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Results
Pos. Driver
7th – Ross Chastain
8th – AJ Allmendinger
9th – William Byron
10th – Austin Dillon
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 23 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 6
Poles: 5
Top-Fives: 38
Top 10s: 78
Stage Wins: 16
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Richmond Raceway with the Cook Out 400 on Saturday, August 15, at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 7th
“It was an incredible weekend for this No. 1 Busch Light Farming Chevrolet team. It was just a complete weekend from the very first lap. We made very small changes all weekend. We just made a few air pressure adjustments, a couple tenths here and a couple tenths there throughout the race, and really, we could have left it alone. To run in the top-five and take a shot at those guys, I love that Brandon McSwain (crew chief) swung for that. A seventh-place finish still feels really good. I don’t care about points unless the speed comes with it, and today was the speed we are looking for.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 10th
“I’m proud of the entire No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet team today at Iowa Speedway. We ran inside the Top-five almost all of Stage 1, and were a consistent force up front all race. We built loose, but the team was making the needed adjustments to improve that. We finished the day 10th, and probably could have finished a couple spots higher if we wouldn’t have made a mistake mid-race. I’m ready to carry this momentum into Richmond Raceway next weekend.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 8th
“Overall, I felt like it was a good day for this No. 16 Camper Inn RV Chevrolet team. We weren’t very good in practice, so Trent (Owens, crew chief) and the team made really good adjustments. Our pit crew did a really good job, especially on that last pit stop to get me near the front. I felt like we made our car better throughout the race. We were pretty decent on the long runs. I would fade a little bit, but overall, we had good speed. I felt like we executed as good as we could and got everything we could out of it.”
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 26th
“That was a long one for our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet team. We were really loose on initial fire off, but once we got into a rhythm, the balance was a little loose on entry, tight in the center and then loose on exit. Being tight in the center stayed with us for the majority of the day, no matter what adjustments we made. We fought to stay on the lead lap and did so until the green flag pit cycle in Stage 3. Proud of the guys for working hard.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 11th
“It definitely feels good to come back from the off weekend and have a solid day with this No. 88 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet team. We got points in both stages and just missed a top-10 with an 11th-place finish. I’m proud of this entire team for keeping their heads down. Our pit crew did a great job. This should help us for qualifying at Richmond (Raceway) next weekend and hopefully we can go have a good run there.”
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