Ty Gibbs holds off Christopher Bell for dramatic win at Iowa

by racedaysaeditor | Posted on Sunday, August 9th, 2026

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

NEWTON, Iowa — A two-tire call. An impeccable green-flag run. And Ty Gibbs had his second victory of the season.

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Leap-frogging Joe Gibbs racing teammate Christopher Bell on pit road—thanks to crew chief Tyler Allen’s two-tire call on Lap 290 of 350—Gibbs kept Bell behind him the rest of the way in front of a packed house at 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway.

When Ross Chastain came to pit road to complete the cycle of green-flag stops, Gibbs had the race lead on Lap 331, with Bell close behind him.

Bell tried everything. Arcing high into the corner. Running the bottom. Crowding up to the bumper of Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota and trying to force a mistake. But with Gibbs repeatedly taking his line, Bell couldn’t find a way past his 23-year-old teammate, who had claimed his first career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Before he could get to a race-winning position, Gibbs had to rally from a blown pit stop that cost him 25 positions at the first stage break. With a cool head after the miscue, he maneuvered his way back to the front.

“We made a big step from last year, obviously, and I really appreciate it,” said Gibbs, who has finished in the top four at all four short tracks so far this season. “But I really appreciate all my teammates, too.

“I wouldn’t be here without all my teammates as well, week in and week out, just help keep developing the program. And, obviously, we’re all up front for a reason. I really appreciate Denny (Hamlin) and Chase (Briscoe) and Christopher for all their help, obviously.”

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, takes a bow in tribute to the late Kyle Busch after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

For the seventh time this season, and for the fourth time in the last five races, Bell had to settle for second. That he climbed from 10th to sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with the runner-up result was of little consolation.

“This is what you call a bad second-place finish, for sure,” Bell said. “I don’t know what else to say. Ty did a really good job. He did a great job managing the race.

“I could tell that he was slipping and sliding around. Similar to last week or two weeks ago with Corey Heim (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he just didn’t make a mistake. So P2.”

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Pole winner Ryan Blaney came home third after leading the first 93 laps and winning the first stage. Josh Berry finished fourth in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, scoring his first top-five of the season.

Overcoming brake problems and a start from the rear of the field, series leader Hamlin ran fifth and extended his advantage in the standings to 103 points over Gibbs, who jumped from fourth to second with the win.

“Just had to white-knuckle every lap,” said Hamlin, who complained of a “long” brake pedal early in the race. “Obviously, not knowing where my car was going to land when I got into the corner, obviously you want to have brakes, and that was a crazy race to have to do it the whole time without it.

“But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. The team did an amazing job. I would take that day 100 out of 100 times.”

Chase Briscoe finished sixth, followed by Chastain, AJ Allmendinger, defending race winner William Byron and Austin Dillon. Sunoco rookie Connor Zilisch was 11th, matching his best Cup Series result on an oval track (2025 at EchoPark Speedway).

Shane van Gisbergen ran 30th, three laps down after spinning, but remained 15th in the standings with a 47-point margin over the current cut line for the Chase.

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The race wasn’t five laps old when a slip by Tyler Reddick ignited a wreck that had profound implications for the series standings.

With both cars running in the top seven, Reddick’s Toyota broke loose in Turn 2 on Lap 4 and collected the Camry of Erik Jones. Both cars slammed the outside wall and sustained damage that knocked them out of the race in 35th (Jones) and 36th place (Reddick).

The accident cost Reddick two positions in the standings and dimmed his hopes of overtaking Hamlin for the regular-season title. He’s now fourth in points, 120 behind Hamlin with three races left before the Chase field is set.

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

“Just got out of shape in an area—corner entry—where I thought we were pretty secure all weekend,” a chagrined Reddick said after exiting the infield care center. “For us to take ourselves out is one thing, but to take out a fellow Toyota teammate when they are racing for the Chase… pretty much ended their day as well.

“It’s the type of stuff you don’t do to yourself, and you don’t do to a teammate.”

The early exit was a crushing blow to Jones, who came to Iowa 18th in the standings, 44 points below the Chase cutoff. He leaves the Hawkeye State 20th in points, 50 behind Austin Cindric in 16th, the last Chase-eligible position.

NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, and Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DeWalt Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“Yeah, we needed a few perfect weeks, and it needed to start here today, and obviously that didn’t happen,” Jones said. “Just unfortunate with how early it is. I’m just trying to settle in and get going.

“You don’t expect it either in the top-10, top-five. You don’t think you are going to get caught up in something crazy like that. It’s a bummer. It’s a huge mountain now from here on out to get to the Chase, so we’ll see.”

Iowa once again proved a Waterloo for Kyle Larson, who started second and finished third in Stage 1, only to get collected with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman in a Lap 149 accident after John Hunter Nemechek forced Larson’s Chevrolet up the track and created an untenable four-wide situation on the frontstretch.

Larson finished 18 laps down in 33rd, two spots below his average finish for the first two Cup Series races at Iowa Speedway.

Blaney led three times for a race-high 129 laps, nine more than Bell’s total. Gibbs led the final 20 laps of the third stage, which ran under a green flag from Lap 219 through 350.

Interviews:

NCS Race Winner Ty Gibbs –

NCS Race Winning Crew Chief Tyler Allen and Car Owner Joe Gibbs –

NASCAR Cup Series Race – Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol

Iowa Speedway

Newton, Iowa

Sunday, August 9, 2026

1. (6) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 350.

2. (22) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 350.

3. (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 350.

4. (13) Josh Berry, Ford, 350.

5. (29) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 350.

6. (20) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 350.

7. (9) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 350.

8. (25) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 350.

9. (19) William Byron, Chevrolet, 350.

10. (7) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 350.

11. (8) Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 349.

12. (26) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 349.

13. (27) Chris Buescher, Ford, 349.

14. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 349.

15. (32) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 349.

16. (14) Zane Smith, Ford, 349.

17. (15) Noah Gragson, Ford, 349.

18. (16) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 349.

19. (21) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 349.

20. (35) Ryan Preece, Ford, 349.

21. (28) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 349.

22. (17) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 349.

23. (33) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 349.

24. (31) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 349.

25. (11) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 349.

26. (24) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 349.

27. (4) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 348.

28. (36) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 348.

29. (12) Austin Cindric, Ford, 348.

30. (23) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 347.

31. (18) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 347.

32. (34) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 347.

33. (2) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 332.

34. (30) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 194.

35. (10) Erik Jones, Toyota, Accident, 4.

36. (5) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Accident, 3.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 103.337 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 57 Mins, 49 Secs. Margin of Victory: .253 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 45 laps.

Lead Changes: 9 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: R. Blaney 1-93;C. Elliott 94-107;B. Wallace 108-142;R. Blaney 143;C. Bell 144-214;C. Elliott 215-218;R. Blaney 219-253;C. Bell 254-290;R. Chastain 291-330;T. Gibbs 331-350.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Ryan Blaney 3 times for 129 laps; Christopher Bell 2 times for 108 laps; Ross Chastain 1 time for 40 laps; Bubba Wallace 1 time for 35 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 20 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 18 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 12,22,5,54,3,1,20,19,88,38

Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,22,1,54,19,11,24,12,38,88