TRACK – Iowa Speedway (0.875-mile-oval)
NOAPS RACE – Hy-Vee Perks 250 (250 laps / 218.75 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, ESPN Mobile App at 5:00 p.m. (ET)
- Carson Kvapil will head to Iowa Speedway this weekend for the second time in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career.
- In his debut at Iowa last season, Kvapil brought home a solid ninth-place finish.
- On tracks measuring under 1 mile in length, Kvapil has made eight NOAPS starts with four top-five and five top-10 finishes.
- After winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kvapil jumped up to second in the series point standings.
- Justin Allgaier is a previous NOAPS winner in the cornfields of Iowa, capturing the checkered flag in June of 2018 after leading for a race-high 182 laps.
- Overall, Allgaier has earned a combined four top-fives and 12 top-10s to accompany the 2018 victory at Iowa.
- In his career on short tracks in the NOAPS, Allgaier has amassed seven wins, 33 top-fives and 52 top-10s in 85 starts.
- This weekend in Iowa, Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will feature a co-branded effort between BRANDT Professional Agriculture and Precision Build.
- Sammy Smith will head to his home state to race at Iowa for the third time in his NOAPS career. His best finish on the 0.875-mile oval is fourth, and his average finish is 9.5.
- In 18 career NOAPS starts on short tracks, Smith has earned seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
- According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Smith is ranked first for most quality passes thus far in 2026, with 1,112.
- The No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet is going to have a special look this weekend, paying tribute to the late Michael Annett. The Pilot scheme Smith will run at Iowa is based on Annett’s first livery with JRM in 2017.
- Ross Chastain will be making his final NOAPS start with JRM in 2026 this weekend at Iowa.
- Chastain has made one previous start at Iowa with JRM in 2025, where he led for 120 laps and finished in third.
- In 34 starts at tracks shorter than 1-mile in the NOAPS, Chastain has eight top fives and 12 top-10s with a best finish of second on three occasions (Bristol Motor Speedway, 2020 Dover Motor Speedway, 2020 and Richmond Raceway, 2018).
- Registix, the nation’s largest liquidator of home improvement and appliances, will be riding along with Chastain with an updated paint scheme in their signature colors.
- Rajah Caruth returns to the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet this weekend at Iowa and will drive the car for the remainder of the 2026 season.
- While Caruth will be making his first NASCAR O’Reilly Series start at Iowa, he has competed at the 0.875-mile oval twice in the ARCA Menards Series, earning one top-10 finish in 2021.
- On tracks measuring one mile or less this season, Caruth earned a career-best fourth-place finish at Rockingham Speedway and had strong runs at both Dover and Martinsville Speedway before late-race troubles prevented the No. 88 team from delivering the finishes it deserved.
- With two races remaining in the regular season, Caruth sits 14th in the championship standings, just 20 points below the Chase cutline as he begins his full-time stretch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet.
Carson Kvapil: “Iowa is such a fun track to race on and really suits my driving style. The different variations in pavement really make it challenging. I know Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and this entire No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team will bring another rocket ship to the track this weekend. We want to keep building on the momentum we have right now after winning at Indianapolis and put Bass Pro Shops in Victory Lane on Saturday.”
Justin Allgaier: “Iowa has always been one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. It’s a track that really lets you run in every groove, which makes it a lot of fun. We’ve had some strong runs here in the past, and I know that Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and everyone on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture / Precision Build Chevrolet have been hard at work through the off week to ensure we unload just as strong again this weekend. Hopefully we can have a smooth day and keep this momentum going as we get closer to the Chase getting underway.”
Sammy Smith: “Being able to race in my hometown area is always something I look forward to, but even more so this year as we’re honoring Michael (Annett) with the Pilot scheme. He was a great mentor for me, like family to us and a large influence on why I started racing. Thank you to Pilot for allowing us to bring their old branding back for this race at Iowa. It’s really special to me and would mean nothing more to me, my family, and this No. 8 team to park it in Victory Lane and make Michael proud.”
Ross Chastain: “This season with JR Motorsports and everyone on this No. 9 team has been so fun and I am looking forward to going back to Iowa this weekend for our last race together. We almost got it done last year, so I know Philip (Bell, crew chief) and everyone else in this group is going to bring a fast Registix Chevrolet to the track. We are keeping up the intensity to hopefully get a great finish for everyone at Registix.”
Rajah Caruth: “I’m really happy to get back with Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and everyone on the No. 88 team for the rest of the season. I haven’t raced at Iowa since the repave, so it’ll definitely be a different challenge than the last time I was there. The track has changed quite a bit, so we’ll spend practice learning what it wants and making sure we’re ready for the race. We’ve had speed on tracks like this all season, and if we can execute all day, I think we’ll have a good shot at a strong finish and gaining some ground in the points.”
JRM Team Updates
- JR Motorsports at Iowa Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Iowa Speedway a combined 67 times in NOAPS since 2009. In those starts at the 0.875-mile oval, the organization has recorded four wins, 19 top-fives, and 41 top-10s. The average finish is 11.3.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Saturday, August 8th, from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT.