By: Spencer Neff
July 12, 2024

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to their first two of six ovals in the 2024 season’s final eight races this weekend. The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend will also be the first of two doubleheader weekends.

As has been the case in the last two seasons and three of the last four, the .894-mile bullring in Newton, Iowa will host a pair of 250-lap races.

Before the on-track action gets started, here’s a look at the stories to keep an eye on.

Headlines

Team Penske, led by Josef Newgarden, have been the overwhelming favorites at Iowa since 2017. Penske’s organization has won six of the last eight races, including five by Newgarden.

Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, the winner last weekend at Mid-Ohio, is the only driver aside from Newgarden to win at Iowa since 2022 (Race 2). Newgarden, who won the first oval race of 2024, the Indianapolis 500, swept last year at Iowa, the first driver to do so on an oval since 1983.

Penske has also won pole for 10 of the last 12 races at Iowa. Will Power has earned pole for each of the last four races at Iowa. The two-time INDYCAR Champion has yet to win a race at this venue but has five podium finishes, including three runner-up efforts in the last four races.

Points leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, who finished third in last year’s second race, is still in search of his first INDYCAR oval victory.

Among other notables in the 27-car field include Katherine Legge, who returns to the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing entry. Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel is slated to make his oval debut.

Siegel failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in May while driving for Dale Coyne Racing.

The field will also look to adapt to a partial repave the track recently completed, with the bottom lanes in all four turns receiving new asphalt.

Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Fast Facts 

Race weekend: Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 14

Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa

Race distance:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Saturday)

Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Sunday)

INDY NXT by Firestone

INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/67.05 miles

Hybrid energy deployment parameters:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 105 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.

Firestone tire allotment: 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend.

INDY NXT by Firestone

Three sets for use through the event weekend.

X: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #HyVeeHomefront250, #HyVeeOneStep250 #INDYCAR

Instagram: @indycaratiowa, @INDYCAR, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250,#INDYCAR

Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT

Facebook: @HyVeeINDYCARWeekend, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @INDYCAR

Event website: http://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com

INDYCAR website: http://www.indycar.com

2023 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), Race #1 and Race #2

INDY NXT by Firestone

Christian Rasmussen (No. 6 HMD Motorsports)

2023 NTT P1 Award winner:

Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 17.7395 seconds, 181.426 mph (Race 1);17.7246 seconds, 181.578 mph (Race 2)

2023 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:

Jacob Abel (No. 51 Abel Motorsports), 39.6735 seconds, 162.244 mph (two laps)

One-lap qualifying record:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Helio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014

INDY NXT by Firestone

Colton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017

NBC race telecast: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, July 13,NBC; Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, noon ET Sunday, July 14, NBC. Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch and Georgia Henneberry will be the pit reporters.

Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying willstream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecasts of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250presented by Gatorade will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestoneat Iowa Speedway will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCARLIVE.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analystDavey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Michael Young, Jake Query and DJ Clarkare the pit reporters.

The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart race (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade race (noon ET Sunday), INDY NXT byFirestone at Iowa Speedway (2 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDYNXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway practices and qualifying sessions air live on networkaffiliates, SiriusXM 218, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times Central):

FRIDAY, JULY 12

1-2:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR LIVE

2:35 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps

2:45-3:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES High-Line Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each),Peacock

3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, Peacock

5:30-6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE

7:30 p.m. $50,000 Pit Stop Challenge, INDYCAR.com (Live)

SATURDAY, JULY 13

1:10 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines)

1:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles), Peacock

2:45 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2),Peacock

7 p.m. NBC on air

7:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”

7:06 p.m. Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live)

SUNDAY, JULY 14

11 a.m. NBC on air

11:25 a.m. “Drivers, start your engines”

11:30 a.m. Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live)

Header Image By Chris Jones/INDYCAR