Elton Sawyer explains why NASCAR only partially repaved the Iowa Speedway

Iowa Speedway has been partially repaved for the upcoming NASCAR races this weekend, and Elton Sawyer revealed the reason for the change. In an interview with Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, the senior vice president of competition said there were no plans to touch the surface before this weekend. However, upon closer inspection, there were a few areas that raised concerns.

“Fortunately, we were 70 to 80 percent of where we needed to be as far as all the infrastructure, race control, the SAFER barrier and things like that,” Sawyer said Tuesday morning. racing driver. “The only thing that has happened to this facility over time is that Iowa winters are harsh and have taken their toll on the surface. Our goal from the beginning, when we announced this race last October, was not to resurface the asphalt.

“But as we started planning events, whether it was a tire test or touring the facility, and as we got into the early part of the calendar this year, it was clear that there were some areas that we needed to look at and resurfaced. Again, that wasn't our goal from the beginning. We wanted to show our fans this track and a race where the surface was worn down, but that just wasn't the case.”

Elton Sawyer reports on the partial resurfacing of the Iowa Speedway

Both ends of the track – through the corners – were repaved. Sawyer said there wasn't enough time to repave the entire track, so NASCAR only addressed the problem areas.

“Aesthetically, it looks a little different now than what we would normally see in a facility,” Sawyer said. “But we're confident that the repairs are to a high standard and it won't be an issue. We'll still be doing some racing on several grooves on the track. We're excited to get out there, get cars on the track and see exactly how things play out.”

This will be the first time NASCAR has competed at the track in five years. Iowa Speedway has been owned by the organization since 2019, but Cup Series teams are visiting the track for the first time this weekend. The Iowa Corn 350 starts at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. It will air on the USA Network as NBC takes over NASCAR broadcast coverage for the second half of the season.