The Cutline – Iowa: It’s Playoff Crunch Time!
William Byron wins again, but is NASCAR really winning? Fuel strategy, wrecks, and dirty air stole the show at Iowa, leaving many fans — and even the host — wondering what we actually watched. Between Byron’s victory, Bubba Wallace’s comeback, and the tireless debate over the Next Gen car, there was just enough to talk about… but not enough to celebrate.
- Is the Next Gen car failing at short tracks like Iowa, Richmond, and Dover?
- Can we stop blaming everything on the car or do drivers need to take more accountability?
- Why does dirty air dominate every short track race now, and is NASCAR even trying to fix it?
- Did William Byron really win on strategy, or did others lose it thanks to clean air and chaos?
Byron survived a wreck-fest and beat the fuel clock. Bubba Wallace came from nowhere to finish sixth. Brad Keselowski had the best car, but dirty air blocked him like a brick wall. And in the end, strategy kept this race from being labeled a total disaster. But according to Armany, this one teetered dangerously close to “D-tier” — and that says a lot. This wasn’t a highlight reel kind of race, but it was a case study in what’s broken. If you’re a fan of chaos, cautions, and fuel mileage drama, you may have had a good time. But for everyone else? Iowa was a reminder of how much work NASCAR still has to do.
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