NASCAR Iowa qualifying results and starting lineup for the Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on August 8, 2026, have been released. The race marks the final month of the regular season before the Chase for the Championship begins. The qualifying session saw a mix of top drivers and some surprises, with Brad Keselowski crashing after his third-place finish.
Here's a breakdown of the top 10 qualifiers and the starting lineup:
- Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford) - 23.474 seconds
- Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) - 23.492 seconds
- Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford) - 23.492 seconds
- Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford) - 23.503 seconds (Crashed after qualifying)
- Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota) - 23.523 seconds
- Ty Gibbs (No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) - 23.545 seconds
- Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) - 23.545 seconds
- Connor Zilisch (No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) - 23.550 seconds
- Ross Chastain (No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) - 23.566 seconds
- Erik Jones (No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) - 23.595 seconds
Starting Lineup (Post-Qualifying Adjustments):
1. Ryan Blaney
2. Kyle Larson
3. Joey Logano
4. Tyler Reddick
5. Ty Gibbs
6. Austin Dillon
7. Connor Zilisch
8. Ross Chastain
9. Erik Jones
10. Michael McDowell
11. Austin Cindric
12. Josh Berry
13. Zane Smith
14. Noah Gragson
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
16. Todd Gilliland
17. Carson Hocevar
18. William Byron
19. Chase Briscoe
20. John Hunter Nemechek
21. Christopher Bell
22. Shane van Gisbergen
23. Austin Hill
24. AJ Allmendinger
25. Bubba Wallace
26. Chris Buescher
27. Riley Herbst
28. Denny Hamlin
29. Alex Bowman
30. Ty Dillon
31. Chase Elliott
32. Daniel Suarez
33. Cody Ware
34. Ryan Preece
35. Cole Custer
TV and Streaming Information:
- Qualifying time: 3:10 p.m. Eastern/2:10 p.m. Central on August 8
- TV: truTV
- Radio: SiriusXM and IMS Radio
- Streaming: HBO MAX; NASCAR.com and SiriusXM (subscription required)
The race is set to take place at the 0.875-mile oval track in Newton, Iowa, and will be a crucial event in determining the Chase for the Championship contenders.
Personal Takeaway:
The Iowa race weekend is always a thrilling affair, and this year's qualifying session did not disappoint. The top-tier drivers' performance and the unexpected crash of Brad Keselowski add an extra layer of excitement. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the Chase for the Championship contenders perform in this race, as it could be a crucial step towards the title.
