Passing may be tough, but NBC analyst Steve Letarte said there still could be plenty of action as Iowa Speedway hosts its first NASCAR Cup Series weekend after years paying its dues hosting other junior series.
Letarte served as the crew chief for Jeff Gordon from 2005 to 2010 and for Dale Earnhardt Jr. from 2011 to 2014. The Iowa Corn 350 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday on NBC-owned USA Network at Iowa Speedway in Newton. He will serve as a color analyst on the broadcast with longtime Cup Series driver Jeff Burton play-by-play man Rick Allen.
Built in 2006 Iowa Speedway has hosted 20 Xfinity Series, 13 Truck Series races and 19 IndyCar races. In May NASCAR repaved all four corners with asphalt, but left the original surface on the frontstretch and backstretch. At May’s tire test Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson worried the repave in the corners could make passing harder. The repave will likely create a scenario where the bottom, tight to the inside white line, will be the dominant line, meaning, “Passing is going to be very difficult,” Letarte said.
“I think it’s almost a new speedway,” Letarte said. “I think the asphalt is going to change the way it’s raced, the way that teams have to attack it, the way that drivers have to attack it. The new surface is going to change the look and feel of the racing.”
Letarte spoke with the Register before he boarded a flight to Des Moines Thursday. He had been to Knoxville Raceway, but never been to the Iowa Speedway. He pointed out that NASCAR has a long history of racing at the 7/8-mile tri-oval; whether it’s in the second-level Xfinity Series, third-level Truck Series or other series.
“We have a lot of history, even though it’s not Cup Series. We’ve seen a lot of Xfinity races and Truck races at Iowa. And I think that we have to take that with a grain of salt because with the asphalt repair at each end of the race track I think it’s going to change the look of the speedway.”
But that may lead to action, Letarte said. Pit strategy, qualifying and mistakes will be magnified, he said. Also pressure is building on drivers on the playoff bubble with just 10 weeks left in the regular season. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano all sit on the playoff bubble, either just inside or just outside the playoff-field of 16. But they also have wins at Iowa Speedway in other series.
“At short tracks when you have a real dominant lane usually you start to see a little pushing and shoving because you have to kind of work a guy out of that lane,” Letarte said.
Letarte is excited to see Iowa Speedway on the schedule because it’s a little like several short tracks and larger tracks on the schedule, but still has its own identity. At just 7/8 mile, but with high-banking, the track races a bit like short tracks and intermediate tracks. “It’s a very unique layout,” Letarte said.
Letarte works in television, but he said racing is best-appreciated in person. This weekend he hopes the Cup Series will leave an impression which creates life-long racing fans in the state. In May Brad Keselowski said he was excited to see Iowa get host a Cup Series race because Xfinity Series races typically sold out. Letarte seconded that sentiment. Many Iowans have tickets at Kansas Speedway, in Kansas City, Kansas, and it’s exciting to bring the product to them, Letarte said.
“We’re going to come right in their backyards right there in Newton, Iowa. And I think that’s what’s going to make this special,” Letarte said. “The track’s great, but the fanbase is what makes it special… Let’s put it on the schedule and go up there a few times. If it’s as supported as the Xfinity races were up there hopefully we’ll be there for years to come.”
Philip Joens covers retail and real estate for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: NBC’s Steve Letarte excited for first Cup Series trip to Iowa Speedway
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