Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, and Josef Newgarden sent a message on Friday that Team Penske has every intention of winning Saturday’s 250-lap race at Iowa Speedway.
Newgarden was among the fastest in the 26-car field for most of the 90-minute session — the only practice on the schedule for the doubleheader — and he was usurped by Power, who set the bar with a 173.285mph lap in his No. 12 Chevy and remained at the top for the duration. McLaughlin followed Power moments later with a best lap of 173.083mph that was good enough for third; Newgarden’s quick lap of 171.557mph set on his fourth tour stood strong and was still good for seventh at the checkered flag.
With impound rules governing Saturday’s activities, drivers are forced to start the race with whatever chassis setup was chosen for the morning qualifying session. As a result, most teams focused on finding the best race setup instead of chasing ultimate speed that would make the car perfect for qualifying but undrivable for two hours of racing
