The NASCAR Cup Series is making its debut at Iowa Speedway this season, and the anticipation is palpable. The decision to race at Iowa has not been without controversy, particularly due to the recent partial repave of the track. While many drivers have expressed skepticism about the track’s condition, Chase Elliott offers a different perspective.

Having raced at Iowa in the lower series, Elliott believes the track will improve with age. His optimism contrasts sharply with the concerns of other drivers. As the race weekend approaches, one question looms large: Will Elliott’s positive outlook be validated on race day?

Chase Elliott expresses his approval

NASCAR’s most popular driver has been a standout performer this season, consistently delivering strong results. Finishing a respectable sixth at Sonoma Raceway, he showcased his skills and determination. Reflecting on his past experiences in Iowa, Elliott said, “I haven’t been to Iowa in a few years. It’s been I guess 2014 or 2015. I’ve spent two years in the extended series around that time and we were racing there a couple of times a year. So I’ve raced a lot at Iowa.”

Elliott’s optimism about the Iowa Speedway stems from his belief in the track’s potential to get better with age. “I thought it was a good track on the circuit then. I haven’t watched any races there in a long time so I don’t know what they’re like now but I would have to imagine it’s still pretty good and typically tracks just get better and better with age,” he noted.

Moreover, the HMS No. 9 driver is looking forward to returning to Iowa, as he mentioned, “So I would have to imagine Iowa falls in that same category and looking forward to getting out there and hopefully putting on a good race.”

Supporting Elliott’s positive outlook is his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, who also participated in a recent tire test at Iowa, shared his thoughts on the repave. “The test was difficult with just three cars… really a brand new surface so gosh it took probably four hours or so until we could actually like get some grip and make some decent laps,” Larson explained. He remains hopeful that the track will provide good racing conditions, saying, “I think with 30 or whatever cars the groove should widen out from what it was.”

Contrasting views from other drivers ahead of Iowa

However, not all drivers share Elliott and Larson’s optimism. Christopher Bell, who has two Xfinity wins in the old Iowa Speedway, is critical of the repave. Predicting a challenging race, Bell stated, “I mean it completely ruined the corners and it’s going to make it a one-groove race track … the top half is completely unusable.” His concerns reflect a broader skepticism among drivers about the effectiveness of the repave.

Even the defending Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney, expressed his doubts as he questioned NASCAR’s decision to partially repave the track instead of a full renovation. “I don’t know why you do that. In my mind, you either leave it or pave the whole thing,” Blaney remarked. He evidently fears the track may only support one or two lanes, limiting the quality of racing.

Next, Denny Hamlin, known for his outspoken views, also remarked on his take on the situation. “Looks like you’ll be able to force others on top of you up into the not-so-good grip so it’s interesting that they paved so much of it but they didn’t pave all of it,” he observed.

NASCAR official Sam Mayer attempted to address these concerns, emphasizing the intended benefits of the repave. “We’re confident the repairs are to a high level and it’s not going to be an issue. We’re still going to have some multi-groove racing around the racetrack,” Mayer stated.