William Byron wins Iowa Speedway Cup in a tense and unpredictable NASCAR event that saw top drivers pushing their strategies and skills to the limit on Sunday. The race, held at Iowa Speedway, concluded with Byron maneuvering through the final laps with just enough fuel, reflecting the resilience and determination of his team amid a season filled with challenges.
Challenging Season Culminates in Triumphant Moment for Byron
After a series of tough breaks with fuel mileage in previous races, Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports crew approached the Iowa Speedway Cup with a sense of purpose. Their perseverance paid off as strategic pit decisions and improved car speed kept Byron in contention throughout the race. The final stretch saw him nursing his car to the finish, knowing fuel would be tight.
“Man, how about that for some fuel mileage? We’ve had our fair share of things not go our way with fuel mileage, and just super thankful for Rudy, all these guys, all the engineers, all the engineers back at the shop. Just this whole race team, we’ve been through a lot this year. It’s been a lot of growing pains. It’s been tough on us. But it feels really good today to get a win. Honestly felt like we had a good car and just kind of raced it and just tried to be there at the end, and we were, and luckily the fuel was enough there at the end. I think I ran out right there. That’s why I stopped. … Yeah, I think our confidence in each other never wavered. I feel like our speed has been better than it’s ever been, and that’s a big reason why we stay confident. I feel like every week we work really hard together and show up prepared, show up fast, and yeah, we needed just one to go our way, and today it did. Honestly, (the races) haven’t, but today it did.”
—William Byron, winner
The team’s improvement in overall speed and the unyielding confidence among engineers, mechanics, and driver were evident as Byron secured the celebrated victory. Rudy Fugle, Byron’s crew chief, along with the engineers both trackside and back at the shop, played key roles in keeping the team focused through adversity.
Chase Briscoe Takes Responsibility for On-Track Incident, Recovers for Runner-Up
Chase Briscoe finished second after an eventful race that included a self-admitted “boneheaded move” leading to contact with competitors driving the 45 and 20 cars. Briscoe expressed regret over his mistake but also detailed how his car felt strongest while chasing Byron in the closing laps. Despite challenges posed by track repaves and limited options for overtaking, Briscoe regarded the finish as a strong recovery, helped by a key caution that shook up the running order mid-race. He extended congratulations to Byron and looked ahead to improving in the next round.
Brad Keselowski Powers to Third Amid Strategic Racing and Late Cautions
Brad Keselowski surged from 24th position following a pit stop to claim third, capitalizing on frequent yellow flags in stage three. These cautions allowed leaders like Byron in the 24 car to stretch their fuel mileage just enough to avoid another stop. While Keselowski made up substantial ground, he ultimately ran out of time to catch the race leaders.
“Yeah, this is the way the yellows fell. We had so many yellows there in stage three that it got the 24 and the 19 and where they could make iton fuel, pitting way outside the window. And we just couldn’t get back by them. Got back by a lot of guys. We started 24th there after we pitted. Got way up to third, but that was as far as I could get. Yeah, great run for both of our RFK cars. Obviously we want to win, but we’re in contention. That’s for sure. Watkins Glen has been good for us. It’s been a good track for me. My teammate won there last year. Just keep putting solid runs on the board, and I feel like this will come to us, and we’ve got some pretty strongFord Mustangs right now. (Ryan) Blaney was really faster than he had a little bit newer tires. He was running us down, so I feel like I was going to get the 19, but Blaney was going to pass me, and it was just a solid day. Just needed a few more things the other way.”
—Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
Keselowski highlighted the strength of the RFK Racing Ford Mustangs, noting both his car’s performance and the efforts of teammate Ryan Blaney. Looking ahead, Keselowski anticipated future success, particularly at tracks like Watkins Glen where recent form has been strong.
Ryan Preece’s Eventful Day Ends with a Hard-Fought Fifth Place
Ryan Preece brought home a fifth-place finish after a race filled with dramatic moments and strategic gambles. Preece credited Derrick and the entire RFK Racing group for critical adjustments and quick thinking, especially after a timely caution presented a fresh opportunity to climb the ranks.
“Pretty eventful. So yeah, eventful would be the word of the day. But I am super proud of everybody at RFK. Derrick and the entire group for making solid adjustments having a little bit of luck there when that caution came out and and allowed us to kind of take another shot at it. So thanks to RFK. I thought if we had a bunch of restarts, we were going to be OK because we were so so good in that third lane, but it just seemed like the long run that last run wasn’t wasn’t the best thing for us. When we were able to get to third, I thought we were going to have a shot at it, and it seemed like we could close in on the 19 and the 24 a little bit, and then I just got loose and when Brad was catching me, I thought of what’s the best thing to do for a teammate in the company. I wanted to give him the opportunity even if it was a deficit forus, but ultimately I look forward to Watkins Glen, Richmond and Daytona. All three of us can still get in, and it’s going to take a lot of perseverance and a lot of luck but we have fast race cars, and we can get the job done.”
—Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Preece’s strategy revolved around mastering restarts and making the most of opportunities when they arose. Though a strong long-run pace eluded him, his focus remained on the upcoming races at Watkins Glen, Richmond, and Daytona, where the race team hopes their quick cars and teamwork will maintain their playoff ambitions.
Looking Ahead: Implications for the Playoff Race
The Iowa Speedway Cup result injects new momentum into William Byron’s campaign and highlights the tight competition among leading teams like RFK Racing and contenders including Chase Briscoe. The next challenges await at Watkins Glen, Richmond, and Daytona—tracks with unique characteristics that will test each team’s versatility and resilience.
With Byron’s crew demonstrating the effectiveness of bold strategy and mutual trust under pressure, and with strong results spread across veteran drivers like Keselowski and emerging talents including Preece, the remainder of the NASCAR season promises more unpredictable battles and intense showdowns as playoff berths hang in the balance.
