With four races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Iowa Speedway will kick off the 2025 NASCAR on NBC schedule. Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of Sunday’s Cup race (Countdown to Green begins at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network).

Last year, NASCAR announced that it would hold a Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway after the sanctioning body decided to remodel Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and needed a track to fill a hole in the schedule. Since then, Iowa Speedway has become one of NASCAR's favorite tracks.

If you’re an Xfinity fan, you already know that the series isn’t just the “middle child” of NASCAR. Nope, it’s the proving ground for future Cup stars and the breeding ground for some of the most chaotic short-track racing on the planet.