Iowa Corn 350
Newton, Iowa – August 9, 2026
AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 FREIGHTLINER FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 12TH STAGE 1: 17TH STAGE 2: 25TH FINISH: 29TH POINTS: 16TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse team finished 29th in Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway after battling handling issues throughout the afternoon. Cindric started 12th and quickly moved forward, advancing to ninth within the opening three laps. After reporting no major balance concerns during an early caution, Cindric began to fight a loose condition following the restart and slipped outside the top 10. He finished Stage 1 in the 17th position. The No. 2 team continued to work on the balance of the Freightliner Ford throughout Stage 2 as Cindric reported varying handling conditions, including a persistent chatter that affected the car over the course of a run. Crew chief Brian Wilson and the team made a series of adjustments during multiple pit stops in an effort to improve the car’s stability and help Cindric fire off stronger. He was scored 25th at the conclusion of Stage 2. Cindric restarted 25th for the final stage, but the handling challenges continued and the team made its final pit stop with 28 laps to go. Unable to make significant gains over the closing laps, Cindric ultimately crossed the finish line in the 29th position.
CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Obviously not the day we wanted with our Freightliner Ford. We struggled with the balance for most of the race and just never got it where we needed it. I’m proud of everyone on the No. 2 team for continuing to work at it and making adjustments all day. Nobody gave up, and we stayed in the fight all the way to the end. We’ll learn from it, put it behind us and move on to Richmond.”
RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/PENNINGTON FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 1ST STAGE 1: 1ST STAGE 2: 8TH FINISH: 3RD POINTS: 3RD
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Pennington Ford Mustang Dark Horse team led a race-high 129 laps and captured the Stage 1 victory en route to a third-place finish Sunday afternoon at Iowa Speedway. The result marked Blaney’s third top-five finish in three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Iowa, where he won the inaugural Cup Series event in 2024. After starting from the pole, Blaney maintained control through an early caution and built a commanding lead throughout the opening stage, navigating heavy lapped traffic to score his fifth stage win of the season, tying him for the series lead. Following a four-tire stop during the stage break, the No. 12 team took advantage of their first pit stall to maintain the lead off pit road and remain out front to begin Stage 2. A series of cautions and varying pit strategies throughout the second stage shuffled the running order as Blaney battled an inconsistent handling condition. After taking four tires and fuel under caution midway through the stage, Blaney restarted outside the top 10 but rallied back to finish eighth in the segment. Looking for track position to start the final stage, crew chief Jonathan Hassler called for two tires and fuel, allowing Blaney to restart second before quickly reclaiming the lead. Blaney paced the field until just under 100 laps remained, then later, made one of the first green-flag pit stops among the leaders on lap 285. Following the cycle of green-flag stops, Blaney settled into third and maintained his position to the checkered flag for another strong finish and valuable points day at the Midwest short track.
BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “The No. 20 and the No. 54 were definitely better than me second half of the race. Still, Jonathan (Hassler) did a good job of putting two (tires) on it after the Stage 2 caution, got some track position back, then I just kind of sat in third and ran there. Overall, a really good weekend, good practice and qualifying, and strong showing in the race. Appreciate Menards and Ford for what they do, and it’s nice to get a good finish here. Even though it’s not a win, pretty decent day.”
JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 3RD STAGE 1: 2ND STAGE 2: 2ND FINISH: 14TH POINTS: 13TH
RACE RUNDOWN: A strong day for Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse team ended with a 14th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway. After qualifying third, Logano spent much of the afternoon racing near the front of the field, finishing second in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 while battling teammates and fellow contenders for the lead. The No. 22 team made adjustments throughout the race to improve rear grip and maintain track position, and strategic calls kept Logano firmly in contention. However, adversity struck during the Stage 2 break, when a slow pit stop and an additional trip to pit road to address an issue forced Logano to restart deep in the field. Undeterred, he methodically worked his way back through traffic, climbing from outside the top 25 to the edge of the top 10 as green-flag pit stops unfolded. Despite the strong recovery effort, there was not enough time to fully regain the lost track position, and Logano crossed the finish line in 14th. While the finishing result did not reflect the speed and performance of the No. 22 Ford Mustang throughout the race, Logano and the team continued to hold a solid position above the NASCAR Cup Series Chase cutline heading into the closing stages of the regular season.
LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We had a really strong Shell-Pennzoil Ford all weekend and showed solid speed throughout the race. We were able to contend toward the front, but unfortunately lost some track position there late and just didn’t have enough time to get it all back. Overall, there are a lot of positives to take from the day, and we’ll keep building on that as we head to Richmond.”
With three races remaining in the regular season, the Cup Series now heads to Richmond Raceway for the Cook Out 400 on Saturday, August 15. Coverage of the 300-mile event begins at 7 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
