NEWTON, Iowa -- NASCAR announced Tuesday that it will finally bring its top Cup Series to Iowa for the first time.
Cup Series drivers will race at Iowa Speedway in Newton in June 2024, a weekend that will also include the second-tier Xfinity Series at the track about a 40-minute drive east of Des Moines.
"Today's announcement is an exciting one for NASCAR and for race fans in the state of Iowa," said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president for racing development and strategy. "They have long sought a NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway, and we're happy to deliver that for them."
NASCAR has held Xfinity and Truck series races at the 0.875-mile oval track but none since 2019. Iowa Speedway has hosted IndyCar Series races for years, since it first opened in 2006. The NASCAR-owned track lists a 30,000 capacity.
Rusty Wallace, a former Cup series champion who designed the speedway, and former Cup champion Brad Keselowski were in attendance at the announcement outside of the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds applauded the addition of Iowa to the schedule, adding it will boost the state's national profile and economy.
About 85,000 fans attended the IndyCar doubleheader over three days in July, the racing body said. Popular music artists Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Zak Brown Band and Ed Sheeran also brought star power -- and big crowds -- to the track for performances.