Toyota drivers overcame brake challenges to dominate the Iowa Cup race, capturing four of the top six positions. Penske started strong but saw its strategic advantage evaporate, altering the final outcome.
WINNER: Ty Gibbs emerges as a championship contender
Watch: Iowa winner Ty Gibbs on team growth: ‘People that want to support each other’
Heading into the 2026 season, many questioned when Gibbs would finally claim a victory. He has now achieved it twice, and his recent win has propelled him to second in the championship standings. While catching Hamlin may be ambitious, Gibbs is well positioned for the upcoming Chase reset, making a title run plausible just months after his first win. He also recovered from an early pit‑stop issue that dropped him to the rear of the field.
LOSER: Christopher Bell, despite biggest points gain
Watch: Bell calls Iowa result a ‘bad second-place finish’
Bell vaulted four positions in the points standings, making him the weekend’s biggest mover, yet he was far from satisfied. This marks his seventh runner‑up finish of the season without a victory, one of the most notable winless campaigns in recent NASCAR history. Bell’s frustration was evident in his post‑race interview.
WINNER: Ross Chastain re‑enters the Chase conversation
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chastain had written himself out of the Chase picture, but at Iowa he gained 35 points, moved up three spots to 18th, and sits 47 points above the cutoff line. A performance like Iowa could put him in serious contention for the final Chase spot. He scored 43 points at Iowa, his season‑high for any race, after opting to gamble on a caution that could have yielded a win. Though they sacrificed a top‑five finish, the strategy proved pivotal; Chastain also became the top‑finishing Chevrolet driver.
LOSER: Tyler Reddick’s streak of misfortune continues
Reddick, who led the championship early in the season and held a points advantage exceeding 120 after the Coca‑Cola 600, has gone winless since May and endured six finishes of 25th or worse in the last nine races. Iowa proved especially disastrous as an early unforced error sent him and teammate Erik Jones, a contender for the final Chase spot, into the wall. Reddick accepted responsibility, but the No. 45 team—once dominant—has struggled to regain its former competitiveness.
WINNER: Josh Berry records his first top‑five of the season
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
The outgoing Wood Brothers driver delivered his strongest performance of the 2026 season at Iowa, finishing fourth—the team’s second‑best Ford result. While the finish does little for his championship positioning, it underscores Berry’s skill and offers a reminder of his potential as he seeks a new ride for 2027.
LOSER: Joey Logano’s missed opportunity
Joey Logano, Team Penske
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Logano turned in an impressive display at Iowa but finished 14th, a result that undersold his capabilities. A mid‑race pit stop left him with a loose wheel, forcing a costly reversal that erased valuable track position. Without that setback, Logano was poised to challenge for the win and improve his standings before the Chase reset.
WINNER: Hamlin/Briscoe overcome brake problems for respectable results
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe endured a weekend plagued by brake issues, yet managed fifth and sixth place finishes respectively. Despite a exhausting race, their resilience allowed them to extend Hamlin’s championship lead with three regular‑season races remaining.
LOSER: Kyle Larson caught up in another wreck
Larson is experiencing a slump similar to Reddick’s. After slipping to tenth in the points standings, he was swept into an untimely wreck. Pushed out of the groove by John Hunter Nemechek, Larson found himself in a four‑wide scenario with no room to maneuver, resulting in a 33rd‑place finish alongside teammate Alex Bowman. Although Larson has earned eight top‑fives this season, he also posted eight finishes outside the top 30, making a title run increasingly unlikely.
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.jpeg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "‘Don’t even bowl 3 overs for their IPL franchises’ – Mohammad Kaif questions Shreyas Iyer’s bowling tactics in AFG vs IND 1st T20I")
