The 2020 Iowa IndyCar 250s was an IndyCar Series event that took place from July 17–18, 2020. It made up the fifth and sixth rounds of the series' 2020 season. The race was originally scheduled as a single race for July 18 for 300 laps, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic an additional race had to be added due to cancellations of other races so IndyCar officials made the weekend a doubleheader & shortened each race to 250 laps. The race was also the second event of the 2020 season to allow spectators at the track, however there were restrictions regarding attendance.
Entry list The entry list for both races were released by IndyCar on July 15 with separate entry lists for both races. The only difference between the two was the main sponsor for Graham Rahal. CarNo.Driver NameOwner/TeamEngine 1 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 4 Charlie KimballA. J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet 5 Patricio O'WardArrow McLaren SP Chevrolet 7 Oliver Askew Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet 8 Marcus EricssonChip Ganassi Racing Honda 9 Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing Honda 10 Felix RosenqvistChip Ganassi Racing Honda 12 Will PowerTeam Penske Chevrolet 14 Tony Kanaan A. J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet 15 Graham RahalRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 18 Santino FerrucciDale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda 20 Ed CarpenterEd Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 21 Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 22 Simon PagenaudTeam Penske Chevrolet 26 Zach VeachAndretti Autosport Honda 27 Alexander RossiAndretti Autosport Honda 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 30 Takuma SatoRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 55 Álex Palou Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh Honda 59 Conor DalyCarlin Chevrolet 60 Jack HarveyMeyer Shank Racing Honda 88 Colton HertaAndretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport Honda 98 Marco Andretti Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian HondaSources: All cars run a Dallara safety tub utilizing the IndyCar mandated Universal Aero Kit 18. All cars also will utilized Firestone tires. Key Meaning R Rookie W Past winner
Pre-qualifying notes Racer.com's Robin Miller reported on July 15 that after speaking with IndyCar officials that the qualifying procedure for Iowa would be modified. There would be 1 session of qualifying on July 17, however it would not be a 2 lap average to set the field as was usually done on short ovals, rather lap 1 would set the cars starting position for race 1 and lap 2 would set the cars starting position for race 2.
Combined Qualifying Session, July 17 KeyMeaningRookiePast winner
PosRace 1 PosRace 2 No. Name Lap 1 Lap 21359 Conor Daly18.371118.3951211 Josef Newgarden 18.379618.35593212 Will Power18.411218.38834588 Colton Herta18.412018.556652127 Alexander Rossi18.683119.084662030 Takuma Sato18.697519.024271010 Felix Rosenqvist18.704818.78418125 Patricio O'Ward18.753418.81029660 Jack Harvey18.754018.65491098 Marcus Ericsson18.766618.7495111618 Santino Ferrucci18.783718.881812428 Ryan Hunter-Reay 18.790518.4705131521 Rinus VeeKay 18.820518.868114137 Oliver Askew 18.834418.824415114 Charlie Kimball18.841218.7888161420 Ed Carpenter18.858418.843417189 Scott Dixon18.863118.984118755 Álex Palou 18.876818.670219814 Tony Kanaan 18.878218.7297201798 Marco Andretti 18.995118.8970211915 Graham Rahal19.110919.0136222226 Zach Veach19.452019.9487232322 Simon Pagenaud No Time
Race 1 – July 17 All sessions for race 1 took place on Friday, July 17.
The aeroscreen had its first major test when during an aborted restart on lap 157, Ed Carpenter Racing's Rinus VeeKay appeared to slow behind eventual race winner Simon Pagenaud and move to the right, and behind the Dutch rookie, Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Racing's Colton Herta was caught in an accordion affect, launching the No. 88 Honda over the left-rear tire of VeeKay's No. 21 Chevy. Prior to getting significantly airborne, Herta's unimpeded nose – minus its wings – attempted to spear into the left side of VeeKay's cockpit, level with his helmet. With the aeroscreen acting as a vertical barrier, Herta's nose was forced upward, sliding skyward on the screen before hitting the top of the aeroscreen frame and flying over VeeKay's Dallara DW12 chassis. This saved Veekay from apparent serious injury.
Race DriverTeamEngineLapsTime/StatusPitStopsGridLapsLed122 Simon PagenaudTeam PenskeChevrolet2501:41:25.29391223835329 Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingHonda250 +0.49512174037 Oliver Askew Arrow McLaren SPChevrolet250 +7.21213143545 Patricio O'WardArrow McLaren SPChevrolet250 +13.989138303351 Josef Newgarden Team PenskeChevrolet250 +16.7351226831627 Alexander RossiAndretti AutosportHonda250 +19.60013528760 Jack HarveyMeyer Shank RacingHonda250 +20.04813926859 Conor DalyCarlinChevrolet250 +20.534131132698 Marcus EricssonChip Ganassi RacingHonda250 +20.7381410221030 Takuma SatoRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda249 +1 Lap13649211155 Álex Palou Dale Coyne Racing w/Team GohHonda249 +1 Lap1218191215 Graham RahalRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda248 +2 Laps1421181318 Santino FerrucciDale Coyne Racing w/Vasser-SullivanHonda247 +3 Laps1411171410 Felix RosenqvistChip Ganassi RacingHonda247 +3 Laps1477171520 Ed CarpenterEd Carpenter RacingChevrolet247 +3 Laps1416151628 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti AutosportHonda247 +3 Laps131214174 Charlie KimballA. J. Foyt EnterprisesChevrolet245 +5 Laps1315131814 Tony Kanaan A. J. Foyt EnterprisesChevrolet213In Pits1319121921 Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter RacingChevrolet156Contact313112088 Colton HertaAndretti Harding Steinbrenner AutosportHonda156Contact24102112 Will PowerTeam PenskeChevrolet142Contact3392298 Marco Andretti Andretti Herta Autosport w/Marco Andretti and Curb-AgajanianHonda128Mechanical22082326 Zach VeachAndretti AutosportHonda95Mechanical2227 Official Box Score Notes: Points include 1 point for leading at least 1 lap during a race, an additional 2 points for leading the most race laps, and 1 point for Pole Position.
Race statistics
Lead changes: 7 Lap leader breakdown Fromlap Tolap Totallaps Driver11313Conor Daly147057Josef Newgarden71777Felix Rosenqvist7812649Takuma Sato12713711Josef Newgarden13814710Simon Pagenaud14817730Patricio O'Ward17825073Simon Pagenaud
Cautions:1 for 26 laps Fromlap Tolap Totallaps Reason14416926Accident car #12 (Power) turn 4;then during aborted restart contact cars #21 (VeeKay) and #88 (Herta) front straight
Average speed:
Championship standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Scott Dixon 213 1 2 Simon Pagenaud 163 1 3 Patricio O'Ward 143 1 4 Josef Newgarden 137 3 5 Colton Herta 130
Engine Manufacturer standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 430 2 Chevrolet 361
Note: Only the top five positions are included.
Race 2 – July 18 All sessions for race 2 (except qualifying) took place on Saturday, July 18.
Race DriverTeamEngineLapsTime/StatusPitStopsGridLapsLed11 Josef Newgarden Team PenskeChevrolet2501:38:40.51893121454212 Will PowerTeam PenskeChevrolet250 +2.78632241315 Graham RahalRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda250 +3.5643191336422 Simon Pagenaud Team PenskeChevrolet250 +6.1244233259 Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingHonda250 +6.57541823167 Oliver Askew Arrow McLaren SPChevrolet250 +16.0003131029760 Jack HarveyMeyer Shank RacingHonda250 +16.6184626827 Alexander RossiAndretti AutosportHonda250 +17.8863212498 Marcus EricssonChip Ganassi RacingHonda250 +18.52049221098 Marco Andretti Andretti Herta Autosport w/Marco Andretti and Curb-AgajanianHonda250 +20.017417201114 Tony Kanaan A. J. Foyt EnterprisesChevrolet250 +20.7424819125 Patricio O'WardArrow McLaren SPChevrolet249 +1 Lap3121191359 Conor DalyCarlinChevrolet249 +1 Lap434181455 Álex Palou Dale Coyne Racing w/Team GohHonda249 +1 Lap37161510 Felix RosenqvistChip Ganassi RacingHonda248 +2 Laps31015164 Charlie KimballA. J. Foyt EnterprisesChevrolet248 +2 Laps411141721 Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter RacingChevrolet248 +2 Laps315131818 Santino FerrucciDale Coyne Racing w/Vasser-SullivanHonda247 +3 Laps516121988 Colton HertaAndretti Harding Steinbrenner AutosportHonda247 +3 Laps65112026 Zach VeachAndretti AutosportHonda247 +3 Laps322102130 Takuma SatoRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda247 +3 Laps52092228 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti AutosportHonda178Contact44492320 Ed CarpenterEd Carpenter RacingChevrolet112Contact2147 Official Box Score Notes: Points include 1 point for leading at least 1 lap during a race, an additional 2 points for leading the most race laps, and 1 point for Pole Position.
Race statistics
Lead changes: 12 Lap leader breakdown Fromlap Tolap Totallaps Driver15656Josef Newgarden57582Will Power59602Scott Dixon61622Graham Rahal6310644Josef Newgarden1071071Patricio O'Ward1081114Conor Daly1121198Graham Rahal12017152Josef Newgarden1721743Graham Rahal1751784Ryan Hunter-Reay17918810Oliver Askew18925062Josef Newgarden
Cautions:2 for 24 laps Fromlap Tolap Totallaps Reason11412512Accident car #20 (Carpenter) turn 218019112Accident car #28 (Hunter-Reay) turn 2
Average speed:
Championship standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Scott Dixon 244 2 Simon Pagenaud 195 1 3 Josef Newgarden 191 1 4 Patricio O'Ward 162 5 5 Will Power 142
Engine Manufacturer standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 495 2 Chevrolet 457
Note: Only the top five positions are included.
References