While the NTT INDYCAR SERIES raced in the Streets of Toronto last weekend, INDY NXT by Firestone had a break in the schedule as they sat out the Canadian event. Now, both series will return together and head to Iowa Speedway to race on the 0.875-mile tri-oval this upcoming weekend, July 21-23. A weekend of firsts for both series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will have their first and only double-header of the season with races on both Saturday and Sunday while INDY NXT by Firestone will compete in their first oval race of the season.
Last year marked the return of Iowa Speedway to the INDY NXT by Firestone schedule after a three-year hiatus from the track and HMD Motorsports was able to get up to speed quickly and challenge for the win as they look to do the same this year.
With eight cars entered this weekend, Christian Rasmussen will look to return to the podium after a second-place finish with a different team last season. Danial Frost, Ernie Francis, Jr., and Christian Bogle all earned top-ten results in 2022 and will aim even higher this weekend. Kyffin Simpson finished just outside the top-ten in the 11th position. Making their Iowa Speedway debut, Nolan Siegel, Reece Gold, and Josh Pierson will test their skills on their first-ever oval race in INDY NXT by Firestone with Pierson turning his first-ever oval laps at the Iowa Speedway this coming weekend.
In the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, David Malukas and the Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports team has excelled on ovals, with David Malukas finishing 14th and eighth in last year’s double-header races at Iowa Speedway. With the additional second (World Wide Technology Raceway, 2022) and fourth (Texas Motor Speedway, 2023) place finishes on ovals since, Malukas is sure to be a strong contender all weekend long.
With both series now in the second half of their seasons, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES having completed ten of 17 rounds and INDY NXT by Firestone having completed seven of 14 rounds, both Championships are beginning to take shape. In INDY NXT by Firestone, HMD Motorsports comfortably leads the championship with Nolan Siegel maintaining the lead and Christian Rasmussen closely following in second. In the seven races so far, HMD Motorsports has claimed the win in five races with four different drivers.
As the only two series on the schedule this weekend, INDY NXT by Firestone and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will alternate on track while headline musical acts of Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Ed Sheeran entertain the fans in between races of Saturday and Sunday.
Weekend Schedule · Iowa Speedway *All times CDT
Friday, July 21
2:15pm – 3:00pm INDY NXT by Firestone Practice
3:30pm – 5:00pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice
4:00pm – 4:30pm INDY NXT by Firestone Autograph Session
5:30pm – 6:15pm INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying
6:15pm – 7:15pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session
Saturday, July 22
8:30am – 9:30am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying, Race 1 & 2
10:05am – 10:10am INDY NXT by Firestone Race, 75 Laps
2:00pm – 4:00pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race 1, 250 Laps
Sunday, July 23
10:05am – 10:15am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, Group 1
10:20am – 10:30am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, Group 2
1:00pm – 4:00pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race 2, 250 Laps
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Photo: RTD Media