IndyCar returns to the Iowa Speedway for Round 11 and 12 of the 2025 NTT IndyCar season. The short oval in Newton, Iowa, hosts the only double race weekend of the IndyCar calendar with feature races on both Saturday and Sunday.
With both physical and mental challenges for the drivers, this double feature promises double the IndyCar action.
Fastest short track on the planet
The Iowa Speedway holds host to the only double feature on the IndyCar calendar, with double the opportunity to stand on the top step.
The track is a 894-mile tri-oval, with different degrees of banking at each corner, which allows it to drive similar to a super-speedway. Additionally, lap times can go as quickly as 18 seconds and at 275 laps in length, both races can run almost two full hours.
A look back at the 2024 race gives an exciting indication of what is to come this weekend.
2024 – Saturday Race 1
Race 1 of the weekend took place on Saturday July 13th, 2024, and it became one special race for the man who came out on top.
Colton Herta started the race from Pole. Josef Newgarden, who had won multiple times at the speedway, made a strong bid for another win at the short track, gaining eight positions on the start from 22nd and jumping the collision that brought out the first caution.
However, quickly after the green flag waved for the start of the race, the first caution was called after contact between Christian Lundgaard, David Malukas, Romain Grosjean, and Agustin Canapino. This allowed for a flurry of pit stops, and running resumed after 18 laps.
A further caution on Lap 80 lead to the only change in race leader seen in Race 1, a few laps into the yellow flag running. Lap 87 saw Herta passed by Scott McLaughlin’s No. 3 Penske car.
McLaughlin would lead the final 164 laps, securing him the first oval track win of his IndyCar career.
2024 – Sunday Race 2
Race 2, Sunday July 14th, saw another first for an IndyCar driver.
Saturday’s race winner Mclaughlin started on Pole for the second feature race of the weekend. Following up on his strong showing from Saturday, McLaughlin would lead the first 94 laps of the race. A caution on Lap 101 for a the stalled car of Canapino, would see him lose the lead to championship leader Alex Palou who had yet to pit. He would drop further back to third behind Will Power, who had also held off on pitting.
Additionally, Power would continue to run behind Palou for 104 of the following 114 laps. Sitting in the tow of the lead car is what Power would later attribute to his ability to fuel save, and extend the performance of his car. The second round of pit stops is where Power took his chance, and passed the Spaniard for the lead of the race.
A flurry of final pit stops would see the race lead pass back and forth between Power and Palou, where Power held just a nine-tenths advantage over Palou as reported by the data gathered by NTT.
Power would ultimately take the win over series leader Palou, with just .3915 of a second between the pair. This cut Palou’s championship lead to just 35 points over Power. It would be Power’s first win at the Iowa Speedway.
What to watch out for in 2025?
With inclement weather having cancelled all of the IndyCar running for Friday, the pressure is on come Saturday for both practice and qualifying before the first of the 2 races. The Iowa Speedway is always a good show, challenging teams and drivers, both mentally and physically.
Will Alex Palou be able to regain the top step and continue pulling a gap in his lead for yet another championship win? Or will yet another new face grace the top step of the podium and bring the season tally to four.
