Chevrolet Aims for Second Short-Track Victory of Season
· Josef Newgarden won at 1-mile ISM Raceway in April
ᴏ Reigning series champion won at Iowa Speedway in ‘16
· Team Chevy has claimed five wins at Iowa track since 2012
ᴏ Chevrolet drivers have also started from pole in every race
· New universal aero kit will add new dynamic on .894-mile tri-oval
ᴏ Increased straightaway speed forecast for 300-lap race
· Fans can interact with the drivers at Chevy Racing display
DETROIT (July 3, 2018) – Verizon IndyCar Series veteran Tony Kanaan characterizes Iowa Speedway as “a place that keeps you on your toes at all times.”
Racing side by side over 300 laps, with every green-flag circuit of the .894-mile tri-oval in the 18-second range, drivers rarely get a breather. A wrinkle July 8 for the 11th Verizon IndyCar Series race at the track in Newton, Iowa, will be the universal aerodynamic body kit introduced for the 2018 season.
A handful of Team Chevy drivers tested last week at the track in preparation for the 268.2-mile Iowa Corn 300, including Gabby Chaves, who competed in 2015 and ’16 with the distinctively different short-oval aero kits produced by Chevrolet and its competitor in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
“Definitely the speeds on the straightaways are much higher, the speeds in the corners are much slower,” said Chaves, driver of the No. 88 Harding Racing Chevrolet. “Before, this used to be a track that you’d run wide open the whole time – full throttle. I wouldn’t be surprised if late in a run with big tire wear that you’d be starting to use the brakes. It’s definitely much, much different.”
Chevrolet drivers have won five of the six races and every pole at Iowa Speedway since its 2012 return to the Verizon IndyCar Series. Last year, Will Power earned his second pole start at the track in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and Helio Castroneves led a Team Chevy sweep of the top two finishing positions.
Also in 2017, Matheus Leist won the Indy Lights race after starting 10th. Leist, driving the No. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing, is among five drivers who will compete for the first time at the track in the Verizon IndyCar Series race.
This season, drivers backed by the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged direct-injected V6 Chevrolet engine have won five races, including Josef Newgarden racing to the checkered flag in the first short-track event of the season at the 1-mile ISM Raceway in suburban Phoenix in April.
The reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion dominated the most recent race – the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America – leading 53 of the 55 laps after starting on the pole on the 4-mile permanent road course. He was also dominant in the 2016 race at Iowa Speedway, leading 282 of the 300 laps on the way to victory.
“Our win at Road America was great and we feel like we have gained a lot of momentum. We’ve done well at Iowa before and we’re excited to head back,” said Newgarden, driver of the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. “I know the whole No. 1 Hitachi Chevrolet team and myself enjoy short-track racing so we’re looking forward to racing in front of a really fun crowd.”
Fans can view an impressive array of Chevrolet production vehicles, including the Corvette Grand Sport, Silverado 2500HD, Silverado 1500, Bolt EV 2LZ, Camaro 2SS Convertible, plus simulators and other immersive displays at the Chevrolet IndyCar Racing Tour property.
Fans also will have the opportunity to interact with Team Chevy drivers: Saturday – 12:45 p.m. Team Penske (Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud). Sunday – 10:30 a.m. Ed Carpenter Racing (Ed Carpenter, Spencer Pigot); 11 a.m. Carlin (Charlie Kimball, Max Chilton).