After Similar Recognition as Daytona & North Wilkesboro by NASCAR Community, Can Iowa Speedway Live up to Expectations on Cup Series Debut in 2024?

The Iowa Speedway’s inaugural NASCAR Cup race has been highly anticipated. This is because, as per reports, most of the tickets are already sold out for the race. The best part is that Iowa is not the only racetrack that is enjoying this. As it happens, the same thing is happening at the Daytona International Speedway and the North Wilkesboro Speedway. The Iowa Speedway’s ticket sales ran from November 10th until the 15th, and the tickets are all reportedly sold out.

Now the 2024 NASCAR Cup race at Iowa will kick off on June 16th and will be the first time the Cup Series sets camp there. Safe to say, the track authorities are pulling out all the stops. In the last couple of years, NASCAR has had a pretty good track record with new tracks on the calendar, and new old tracks. To be exact, tracks like the LA Coliseum and Chicago were pretty well-received. Additionally, the return of the North Wilkesboro Speedway was also a grand success. Now, the question is, would we be able to say the same for Iowa?

How similar is the Iowa Speedway news to Daytona and North Wilkesboro?

As per reports, the grandstand tickets for the 2024 Daytona 500 have sold out. This is good news for the iconic race track, and for the sport as a whole, as tickets being sold out is becoming a more frequent occurrence. So for the 2024 Cup Series campaign, the speedway officials will be thrilled to see a possible venue packed to the rafters. The good news for some fans who may have missed out is that some tickets may be available on the resale market. Additionally, there may also be a few packages up for grabs, like the Daytona 500 Club.

Meanwhile, on the North Wilkesboro front, the 2023 All-Star race was a sold-out event as well. The 0.625-mile oval was not on the Cup Series calendar for a very long time. Then, Dale Earnhardt Jr opted for an audacious gamble and helped revamp the track for the iRacing platform. He did too good a job because NASCAR officials noticed and found that it was fit to host Cup races once again.

The grand return was finally complete, thanks to the 2023 NASCAR All-Star race. Once the North Wilkesboro Speedway was announced as an All-Star host, the anticipation skyrocketed. It clearly showed with the boost in ticket sales, and fans were rewarded with a great race. Kyle Larson also had the honor of being the first driver in the modern era to win at North Wilkesboro.

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Will the Iowa Speedway experience similar levels of hype in NASCAR?

Truthfully speaking, it is hard to say, as Iowa is a relative unknown to the Cup Series. It has seen some NASCAR action, thanks to the Xfinity and Truck Series between 2009 and 2019. Some of the current Cup Series drivers are familiar with the track and have won there before. The Xfinity list includes Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, William Byron, and the last winner was Chase Briscoe. Out of them, Keselowski has won three times.

Meanwhile, in the Truck Series, race winners included Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney. Coming back to the 2024 Cup edition of the race, the weekend will be pretty action-packed. This is because the weekend starts with the ARCA Series, followed by the Xfinity Series’ return after a 4-year hiatus. Finally, the Cup Series closes the show, as it is the main event after all. Like with Daytona, fans who missed out need not fret, because there may be opportunities to snatch more tickets in the future.

WATCH THIS STORY: A Tearful Journey Down Memory Lane: Kelley Earnhardt’s Emotional Revisit to North Wilkesboro Speedway