The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Iowa Speedway for the Iowa Corn 350, where Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry headline this week’s betting picks and value predictions.
Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol Picks
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Track: Iowa Speedway
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Channel: USA
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
In a surprising turn of events, Corey Heim took home the…milk…at the Brickyard 400 with his very first opportunity to kiss the bricks. In just 15 starts, Heim gained his 2nd Cup victory, a crown jewel at that! This is one of those races that every driver salivates at winning in their career, and it only took Heim a few starts to do it. As a part-time driver, it’s an impressive feat, especially since it wasn’t just by happenstance. Heim beat out Logano and Bell in the remaining 34-lap green flag run to take the checkered flag with 0.287 seconds to spare.
He respectfully admitted that he was “hanging on for dear life” as the track cooled down and his car got looser. That didn’t stop him from being able to keep Bell and Logano behind him, with the key being dirty air. That’s always the key at the Brickyard. If you can get out front, you have to stay there. Dirty air from second back will kill you. The endurance of this race is also a challenge for everyone, including Heim. He was noticeably out of breath and exhausted at the end of the race, describing just how hard managing these 400 miles can be. Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin came in behind Heim, Bell, and Logano to round out the top 5 spots with Brad Keselowski, Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, Carson Hocevar, and Tyler Reddick finishing out the top 10 positions.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
This weekend, the teams and drivers are heading to a vastly different track in the cornfields of Iowa. Well, maybe not the cornfields, but it’s definitely a different vibe and a different style of racing. At just 0.875 miles, this little D-shaped asphalt short track is crazy compared to the super-speedway lengths and speeds we saw at Indy. With 12-14 degrees of banking in the turns, 10 degrees on the frontstretch, and 4 degrees on the backstretch, Iowa gives the teams a much different challenge in setup. It’s not a smooth track, which is one of the biggest challenges drivers will face. With only 2 main racing grooves, these guys are battling the rough patches through turn 1 and then suffering through bottoming out in 3 and 4. This leads to issues with grip and control through the corners, ultimately producing some rough racing.
Odds and Value Picks
With only 2 races to really base our predictions off of, this is a little tough relative to current stats. That being said, we see the veterans coming to the front of the field, which isn’t much of a surprise based on the track conditions that the drivers have to fight. Current NASCAR betting odds are available at Bovada. Let’s take a look at your potential winners heading into this weekend:
Winner: Ryan Blaney (+500)
Blaney is top tier here with a 2.5 average finish in his 2 starts. He has one win and another top 5 finish. He’s led the most laps by far at 230. Overall, Blaney is class of the field at Iowa and can look for a solid run at the trophy this weekend.
Mid-Range Pick: Alex Bowman (+4000)
Bowman has struggled…a lot…this year, but he’s had some recent decent finishes. At Iowa with only 2 races, Bowman has the 4th best average finish at 7.5. He’s really looking for a solid run, and this is a weekend that he can do just that.
Dark Horse: Josh Berry (+10000)
Berry had a surprising top 10 finish at Indy a couple of weeks ago, and he’s coming into one of his statistically best tracks. He’s got an average 10th place finish here and has led 32 laps. This is a place where Berry can thrive, so look for him to be a contender when all is said and done.
Points Picture Heading Into Iowa
Berry is also struggling in the points, so this weekend can elevate him some and maybe lift him out of the 33rd place spot he’s currently sitting in. Bowman isn’t much better, currently in 29th. Both of these guys could benefit from a strong weekend. Let’s take a look at your current standings after Indy:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Ty Gibbs
5. Carson Hocevar
6. Chase Elliott
7. Chase Briscoe
8. Kyle Larson
9. Chris Buescher
10. Christopher Bell
11. Daniel Suarez
12. William Byron
13. Joey Logano
14. Bubba Wallace
15. Shane van Gisbergen
16. Austin Cindric
Cindric is 38 points up on Ryan Preece, so the gap is pretty large between the transfer spot. As the weeks wind down, the racing is sure to get more intense heading into these final races before the playoffs. The chance to lock in is shrinking. Who will win this weekend? Are the veterans going to take the cake once again or are we going to get surprised by these rookies and young guns? Stay tuned for a great Sunday afternoon of racing this weekend at Iowa Speedway!
