It would be difficult to imagine a performance more dominant than the one JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch has fashioned over the last nine races.

In that span, Zilisch won four races, including the last three in a row. He also finished second three times and posted an average finish of 2.11 over the nine events.

With his win last Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he notched the 100th victory for JR Motorsports. At 19 years, 4 days, he’s the youngest driver to 1) win three straight races in Xfinity Series history; 2) and to reach six career victories in the series, dethroning Joey Logano.

All six of Zilisch’s Xfinity wins have come in his series debuts at the respective tracks, a streak he’ll attempt to maintain in Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Only two drivers in series history have won four straight races: Sam Ard in 1983 and Noah Gragson in 2022.

Though Zilisch has never raced an Xfinity Series car at Iowa Speedway, two facts argue in his favor: he won last year’s ARCA Menards Series race at the 0.875-mile short track; and Sam Mayer won last year’s race with Zilisch’s current crew chief, Mardy Lindley, calling the shots from Mayer’s pit box.

“I was fortunate enough to win the ARCA race at Iowa last year, so I’m looking forward to using what I learned in that race with a new challenge in the Xfinity car,” Zilisch said. “My crew chief, Mardy Lindley, won the race there with Sam Mayer last year, so I know we’ll have a really good KOA Chevrolet when we get to the track this weekend.

“We’ve been on a roll lately with top-five finishes and trips to Victory Lane, so I’m ready to get to the track and continue that with (sponsor) KOA.”

The Hy-Vee Perks 250 is the third of five short-track races on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this year, but neither of the winners of the first two such races will compete on Saturday.

NASCAR suspended Martinsville winner Austin Hill for one race for intentionally wrecking Aric Almirola last Saturday at Indianapolis, and Bristol winner Kyle Larson is not doing double duty this weekend.

Full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon will take Hill’s place in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Iowa.

With five races left in the Xfinity Series regular season, there are five berths left in the Playoffs. Cousins Jeb Burton and Harrison Burton are on opposite sides of the eligibility bubble, with Jeb Burton holding a 10-point edge for the final spot in the Playoffs.

NASCAR arrives at the Iowa Speedway this weekend, for the three action-packed races leading up to the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol on Sunday, August 3. Ryan Blaney looks to defend his race title after a top 10 finish last week.

There will be televised practices and qualifying races throughout the weekend leading up to the Iowa Corn 350. 2025 Iowa weekend includes racing events for the ARCA Menards Series (Atlas 150) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (HyVee Perks 250) along with the NASCAR Cup Series.

NASCAR’s 2025 Iowa Race Televised Schedule

Friday, August 1

ARCA Menards Series Atlas 150, 7 p.m. ET on FS1 (STREAM)

Saturday, August 2

Xfinity Series practice, 11 a.m. ET on The CW (STREAM)

Xfinity Series qualifying, 12:05 a.m. ET on The CW (STREAM)

Cup Series practice, 1:30 p.m. ET on truTV (STREAM)

Cup Series qualifying, 2:40 p.m. ET on truTV (STREAM)

NASCAR Xfinity Series HyVee Perks 250, 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW (STREAM)

Sunday, August 3

NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network (STREAM)

Where to watch the Iowa Corn 350, all Iowa events

This week, the Cup Series flips to USA Network, while Xfinity stays on The CW. Qualifying and Practice sessions are on The CW (Xfinity) and truTV (Cup) while ARCA stays at its usual home on FS1. Sound complicated? The good news is that you can stream all of it, live on DirecTV (free trial) which remains the best bet for fans looking to watch NASCAR without cable. Sling and Hulu + Live TV also carry the necessary channels.

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What to know about the Iowa Speedway

Iowa Speedway, a.k.a., “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet,” is located in Newton, Iowa. It’s a thrilling 7/8‑mile paved D‑shaped oval patterned after Richmond Raceway, complete with turns influenced by the design work of NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace.

It opened in 2006, but the track didn’t hold its first NASCAR Cup Series event until June 2024, at the inaugural Iowa Corn 350. Ryan Blaney dominated, leading 201 of the 350 laps, while William Byron and Chase Elliott rounded out the podium in second and third.

In the lower tiers, familiar names like Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have snowballed multiple Xfinity wins at Iowa, while drivers such as Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and William Byron have also triumphed in either Xfinity or Truck races here.

The Cup Series returns for its second Iowa Corn 350, set for 350 laps around the 0.875‑mile oval, and marking Race 23 of the 2025 season.

The entry list features 37 cars, led by short‑track ace Blaney and best bud Bubba Wallace, fresh off a Brickyard 400 win with 23XI Racing. Meanwhile, Iowa native Joey Gase makes his first Cup start of 2025 in the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford.

Can I bet on the Iowa Corn 350?

Yes, you can bet on NASCAR from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.

Despite his defending status, Blaney is only +550 to win again this year, while Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin share a favorite moneyline at +450, according to DraftKings.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR on Tuesday suspended Austin Hill for one Xfinity Series race for intentionally crashing Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Richard Childress Racing said Cup Series driver Austin Dillon will replace Hill in the Xfinity Series race at Iowa this weekend.

The suspension also stripped Hill of the 21 playoff points he has earned in 2025 and prohibits him from earning points ahead of the playoffs under a new rule made before the start of the 2025 season. Hill will have to apply for a waiver to retain his playoff eligibility.

Prior to the suspension, Hill’s playoff points trailed only Connor Zilisch (29) and Justin Allgaier (22). But that count resets to zero, making his margin of error during the first playoff round virtually none.

Hill is ranked seventh in the Xfinity Series standings with three victories.

What’s Happening?

Following a short clip of the main menu and soundtrack for iRacing’s upcoming console game, NASCAR ’25, Dale Earnhardt Jr hopped on X to reveal even more about the game’s soundtrack.

On Wednesday Morning, NASCAR Hall of Famer and executive director at iRacing, Dale Earnhardt Jr., uploaded a clip of NASCAR ’25’s main menu. While fans reacted to the menu’s design, the soundtrack was the main takeaway.

Fans quickly noticed that the background music in the short clip was not the usual generic southern rock found in recent games; rather, it was Killer Mike’s song Nobody Knows. Of course, while Earnhardt has taken pride in the game itself, the former driver and music-lover has taken the soundtrack under his wing, asking fans and drivers what they’d like to see in the game.

After his Instagram post, fans quickly flocked to X to ask for more information on the soundtrack, and Earnhardt, ever a man of the people, obliged.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Hawkeye Downs has been witnessing a young talent lately.

Tallan Chandler is a 15-year-old driver who’s leaving his mark at the track.

He’s beaten a couple of former NASCAR drivers, including Landon Cassill and Kenny Wallace. Cassill had high praise for Chandler.

“I haven’t raced against a teenager like that in a while. But I can tell you that I’ve been him before and he’s a tremendous talent and has won a bunch of races,” said Cassill.

The young phenom is noticed by drivers much older than him.

“Before we even race, they say that they heard I’m a good driver, and I’m the one that they have to race against. Then after the race, they’re surprised and it’s a good feeling,” said Chandler.

He comes from a racing family where his father and grandfather were always into it. That made things come naturally.

“As soon as he got into power wheels, he was doing donuts and drifting. So we knew he really liked the cars,” said his father, Nathan Chandler.

“We made a track around my backyard and my dad and all his brothers would go out there and race me just like I was one of them,” said Tallan Chandler.

Chandler plans to continue racing at Hawkeye Downs and maybe move to dirt racing.

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