Chase Briscoe continued his recent qualifying dominance, earning his second straight NASCAR Cup Series pole on Saturday at Iowa Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver topped the charts with a blistering 23.004-second lap around the 0.875-mile short track, securing his sixth pole of the 2024 season. Briscoe’s hot streak comes just a week after claiming the top spot at Indianapolis, showcasing his versatility across track types as the regular season nears its end.
Key Highlights
Chase Briscoe grabs his sixth pole of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
William Byron and Kyle Larson complete the top three starting spots.
Kyle Busch will start from the rear after a crash in practice.
Briscoe’s strong partnership with crew chief James Small continues to pay dividends.
The Iowa Corn 350 kicks off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Chase Briscoe’s Momentum Continues with Sixth Pole of 2024
Briscoe has been one of the most consistent qualifiers in recent weeks, securing front-row starts in seven of the last 11 sessions. His latest effort at Iowa produced a lap at 136.933 mph, edging William Byron by just 0.084 seconds.
Briscoe credited his No. 19 team and crew chief James Small for the improvements that have helped him excel on Saturdays.
“I just feel that James and the engineers on the No.19 crew have done a really, really good job, especially these last two months, of understanding what I want and what I need out of the race car.”
“I think that came as they started to understand me more, and our performance has been better.” – Chase Briscoe
The pole marks Briscoe’s eighth career pole in the Cup Series, and it highlights his growing confidence with his new team in 2024.
Byron, Larson, and Elliott in Tight Championship Battle
William Byron will start alongside Briscoe on the front row after turning in a lap of 23.088 seconds (136.435 mph). Teammate Kyle Larson was a fraction slower at 23.089 seconds (136.429 mph) to claim third place.
The Hendrick Motorsports duo, along with Chase Elliott starting eighth, remain locked in a tight points battle for the regular season title. Elliott currently leads the standings by four points over Byron and 15 over Larson.
With just a handful of races remaining before the playoffs, every point matters—not only for playoff seeding but also for valuable bonus points that carry into the postseason. Starting positions near the front could provide a critical edge at Iowa.
Ford Shows Speed, While Toyota Struggles to Crack Top 10
Austin Cindric led the Ford brigade with a fourth-place qualifying run, followed closely by Brad Keselowski in fifth and defending race winner Ryan Blaney in sixth. Carson Hocevar, another Ford driver, qualified seventh in a strong showing for the manufacturer.
However, Toyota’s presence in the top 10 was limited. Briscoe’s No. 19 Camry was the only Toyota to secure a starting spot inside the first five rows. Denny Hamlin qualified 11th after scraping the Turn 1 wall during practice, while Christopher Bell (17th) and Tyler Reddick (22nd) failed to show the speed needed to challenge for the pole.
The lack of Toyota cars in the front could influence early race strategy, with Briscoe likely having fewer teammates nearby to work with on restarts.
Kyle Busch to Start from Rear After Practice Crash
Kyle Busch’s weekend took a major hit during Saturday’s practice session when he crashed hard in Turn 1 on his 18th lap. The incident caused significant damage to the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, forcing the team to unload a backup car.
As a result, Busch did not set a qualifying time and will start 37th in Sunday’s race. The setback adds another challenge for the two-time Cup Series champion, who will need to navigate heavy traffic on Iowa’s tight short track if he hopes to contend for a top finish.
Busch’s struggles also leave RCR with mixed results heading into the event, as teammate Austin Dillon qualified 18th with a solid mid-pack performance.
Full Iowa Corn 350 Starting Lineup
| Pos | No | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Chase Briscoe |
| 2 | 24 | William Byron |
| 3 | 5 | Kyle Larson |
| 4 | 2 | Austin Cindric |
| 5 | 6 | Brad Keselowski |
| 6 | 12 | Ryan Blaney |
| 7 | 77 | Carson Hocevar |
| 8 | 9 | Chase Elliott |
| 9 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 10 | 7 | Justin Haley |
| 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 12 | 21 | Josh Berry |
| 13 | 71 | Michael McDowell |
| 14 | 22 | Joey Logano |
| 15 | 23 | Bubba Wallace |
| 16 | 48 | Alex Bowman |
| 17 | 20 | Christopher Bell |
| 18 | 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 19 | 41 | Cole Custer |
| 20 | 54 | Ty Gibbs |
| 21 | 88 | Shane Van Gisbergen |
| 22 | 45 | Tyler Reddick |
| 23 | 38 | Zane Smith |
| 24 | 35 | Riley Herbst |
| 25 | 43 | Erik Jones |
| 26 | 99 | Daniel Suarez |
| 27 | 17 | Chris Buescher |
| 28 | 1 | Ross Chastain |
| 29 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek |
| 30 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. |
| 31 | 4 | Noah Gragson |
| 32 | 10 | Ty Dillon |
| 33 | 60 | Ryan Preece |
| 34 | 34 | Todd Gilliland |
| 35 | 51 | Cody Ware |
| 36 | 66 | Joey Gase |
| 37 | 8 | Kyle Busch |
News in Brief: Full 2025 Iowa Corn 350 Starting Lineup
Chase Briscoe’s qualifying streak continues to showcase his growing chemistry with Joe Gibbs Racing and crew chief James Small. With two straight poles and a strong car for Sunday, he has a prime opportunity to turn speed into a much-needed victory as the playoffs approach.
However, with heavy competition from Hendrick Motorsports teammates Byron and Larson, strong Fords in the top five, and Kyle Busch charging from the back, the Iowa Corn 350 is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle on NASCAR’s newest short track date.
The race goes green Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, with live radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
