NEWTON, Iowa – Iowa Speedway will host a NASCAR doubleheader for the first time on Sunday, after thunderstorms forced the postponement of the M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Stores.
Saturday night’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race was scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. ET start, but that was delayed even as track-drying efforts were attempted at the seven-eighths-mile oval.
Finally, roughly one hour after the scheduled green flag, NASCAR officials pulled the plug on the day, setting up a back-to-back race day for fans – with the NASCAR Xfinity Series CircuitCity.com 250 presented by Tamrac slated to begin just after 5:30 p.m. ET.
“NASCAR and Iowa Speedway have decided to postpone tonight’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race until tomorrow,” said Iowa Speedway President David Hyatt. “Fan safety is our number one priority.
“With dangerous storms enveloping the speedway late in the afternoon and rain continuing into the evening, we did not see any opportunity to get the race completed tonight.”
Both races on Sunday, Father’s Day, will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
All fans with a ticket to either the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store or the NASCAR Xfinity Series CircuitCity.com 250 presented by Tamron will be admitted for both races.
Two Truck Series practice sessions were completed on Saturday morning, led by the debuting Chandler Smith and fellow rookie Sheldon Creed, but early-afternoon rains led to the cancellation of qualifying and put Smith on the pole in his first Truck Series appearance.
When the race goes green, Grant Enfinger will join Smith on the front row, followed by Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton and Kyle Benjamin.
Brett Moffitt, Ben Rhodes, Johnny Sauter, Austin Hill and Harrison Burton fill out the first five rows of the starting grid.
Following the conclusion of the Truck Series race, Xfinity Series qualifying will be held before that series’ race later in the afternoon.