Ryan Blaney is strongly advocating a complete repaving of Iowa Speedway, arguing that a full rework is crucial for the future quality of racing at the track. His push for a Ryan Blaney Iowa Speedway repave push comes as he highlights the benefits of recent partial work and calls for asphalt that matches the original, saying a new surface could quickly introduce better racing and an additional racing lane.
Blaney Calls for Major Changes to Iowa Speedway Surface
This year, Ryan Blaney renewed his call for a total resurfacing of Iowa Speedway, emphasizing the value of the asphalt formula used in the most recent partial repave. Team Penske’s Blaney pointed out that the new material has matured well, providing a strong base for further improvements. The current situation at the 0.875-mile oval sees only the bottom two lanes of the corners resurfaced, while straightaways still have their original pavement from 2006.
During a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview, Blaney described Iowa‘s progressive banking as “perfect” but stressed the need for a uniform surface throughout. He believes completing the resurfacing would make the track more dynamic and open up race strategies.
“I would repave the whole thing. I think you kind of have to. That place, if they keep the progressive banking that it has, I think it’s perfect,”
Ryan Blaney said. —Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
According to Blaney, Iowa Speedway has a unique banked profile that allows drivers to move higher up the track compared to most other ovals.
“For some reason, that place seems to have a little bit bigger steps in the progressive banking as you go up than other racetracks that I’ve seen have it. And so it allows you to really run up. And I think we would just continue to push it up and up and up and it would be like old Iowa where you were running everywhere,”
he added. —Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Blaney predicts that with a uniform surface, a third racing lane could be fully active in a year or two, dramatically changing the character of the event. Other drivers have criticized the limited repaving, claiming it decreased racing quality by disrupting groove options and making the track inconsistent from corners to straightaways. Reflecting on the decision to partially repave, Blaney said last season,
“In my mind, you either leave it or you pave the whole thing. … And they went with the third choice,”
a sentiment he shared via Sports Business Journal. —Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Blaney’s own history at Iowa lends weight to his recommendations. The 31-year-old clinched the inaugural NASCAR Cup race victory at Iowa, after dominating by leading 201 out of 350 laps.
Blaney’s Challenges and Cup Standings Update Ahead of Watkins Glen
Sitting seventh in the 2025 NASCAR Cup standings, Blaney is preparing for the next stop at Watkins Glen. Now in his tenth year with Team Penske, he captured his first victory of the season at Nashville in July and boasts three top-10 results from nine previous races at Watkins Glen. In the 2023 contest at the New York track, Blaney managed to climb from 23rd to a ninth-place finish, but his efforts ended abruptly last season after a first-lap incident near the Bus Stop ended his race prematurely in the 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen.
This season has been fraught with difficulties for Blaney and his team. Mechanical failures have marred his campaign, including two blown engines at Phoenix and Homestead–Miami, and a major crash at Las Vegas that contributed to a worrying streak of three consecutive DNFs. At Pocono Raceway, issues with a malfunctioning cooling suit caused Blaney to collapse after exiting his car, raising additional concerns about his comfort and safety during long races.
The Impact of Repaving on Iowa and NASCAR Racing
Blaney’s ongoing Ryan Blaney Iowa Speedway repave push reflects both a personal investment in the track and wider concerns from drivers in the series. While there are differing opinions in the NASCAR community about the best approach, Blaney’s recent success at Iowa and candid assessments of the track’s potential lend credibility to his argument for a complete overhaul. As Team Penske aims to build on recent finishes and Blaney prepares for upcoming challenges at Watkins Glen and beyond, the debate over Iowa’s future configuration is likely to remain a significant topic among competitors and officials.
