What time and channel is the IndyCar race today?

While IndyCar lost its only traditional double-header, the Belle Isle, Detroit races, to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, three double-headers were established to partly compensate for the deletion of not only Detroit but also the races at Barber Motorsports Park, the streets of Long Beach, Circuit of The Americas and Richmond Raceway. The first double-header was held last weekend at Road America, and now IndyCar arrives at the 0.894-mile oval at Newton, Iowa.

One of the most notable aspect of the Iowa 250s is the unusual qualifying procedure. As has become usual on ovals, qualifying is a one-by-one affair, with each car running two consecutive flying laps. However, grid positions on this occasion will not depend on an average of these two laps. Instead, the first lap will set the grid for this evening’s race, and the second lap will set the grid for tomorrow evening’s race.

Another interesting aspect to watch in the races is the fact that Firestone has brought the same tires as in 2019 – same construction, same compound. Given the 2020 aeroscreen-induced shift in the cars’ center of gravity and weight distribution – and the abrasive track surface at Iowa Speedway – the teams and drivers will find it challenging to find a good setup that doesn’t punish the rubber.

Team Penske-Chevrolet’s two-time and reigning champion Josef Newgarden took pole for today's race, while Simon Pagenaud came from the back of the grid to win last night.

This weekend’s races are the 14th and 15th IndyCar races at Iowa Speedway, with four former winners on the grid. Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay has taken victory here three times, Newgarden twice, while Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan – who returns this weekend to replace Dalton Kellett in the #14 AJ Foyt Racing-Chevy – have one Iowa win each.

For a preview, facts, spotters’ list and schedule for the event, click here 

Races: IndyCar Iowa 250s
Dates: Friday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18, 2020
Start times: 8.10pm local/Central Time on Friday, 7.40pm local/Central Time on Saturday
Location: Iowa Speedway, Newton, IA.

How can I watch practice for IndyCar? (Eastern Time)
Friday, July 17, 2.00pm – 3.30pm NBC Sports Gold (live)
Saturday, July 18, 2.30pm – 3.30pm NBC Sports Gold (live)

How can I watch qualifying for IndyCar?
Friday, July 17, 5.30pm on NBC Sports Gold (live)
Two-lap runs: first lap sets grid for Race 1, second lap sets grid for race 2

How can I watch the IndyCar races?
Race 1 - Friday, July 17, 9.10pm on NBCSN (live)
Race 2 - Saturday, July 18, 8.40pm on NBCSN (live)

In addition there are IndyCar Radio Network broadcasts: both REV Group Grand Prix races air live on network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the IndyCar Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT IndyCar Series practices and qualifying are available on indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the IndyCar Mobile app, with qualifying also airing on Sirius 211 and XM 205.

For spotter’s guides and entry lists (yes, there are two of each!), as well as facts and figures for IndyCar’s races at Iowa Speedway, click here

Grid line-up for Saturday's race:

Cla	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Mph
1	Josef Newgarden	Team Penske	18.355		175.333
2	Will Power	Team Penske	18.388	0.032	175.024
3	Conor Daly	Carlin	18.395	0.039	174.960
4	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti Autosport	18.470	0.114	174.245
5	Colton Herta	Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport	18.556	0.200	173.437
6	Jack Harvey	Meyer Shank Racing	18.654	0.299	172.523
7	Alex Palou	Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh	18.670	0.314	172.382
8	Tony Kanaan	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	18.729	0.373	171.834
9	Marcus Ericsson	Chip Ganassi Racing	18.749	0.393	171.653
10	Felix Rosenqvist	Chip Ganassi Racing	18.784	0.428	171.336
11	Charlie Kimball	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	18.788	0.432	171.294
12	Patricio O'Ward	Arrow McLaren SP	18.810	0.454	171.099
13	Oliver Askew	Arrow McLaren SP	18.824	0.468	170.970
14	Ed Carpenter	Ed Carpenter Racing	18.843	0.487	170.797
15	Rinus van Kalmthout	Ed Carpenter Racing	18.868	0.512	170.574
16	Santino Ferrucci	Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan	18.881	0.525	170.450
17	Marco Andretti	Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco & Curb-Agajani	18.897	0.541	170.313
18	Scott Dixon	Chip Ganassi Racing	18.984	0.628	169.531
19	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	19.013	0.657	169.268
20	Takuma Sato	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	19.024	0.668	169.174
21	Alexander Rossi	Andretti Autosport	19.084	0.728	168.639
22	Zach Veach	Andretti Autosport	19.948	1.592	161.334
23	Simon Pagenaud	Team Penske
View full results

Results of Race 1

Cla	Driver	Team	Laps	Gap
1	Simon Pagenaud	Team Penske	250
2	Scott Dixon	Chip Ganassi Racing	250	0.495
3	Oliver Askew	Arrow McLaren SP	250	7.212
4	Patricio O'Ward	Arrow McLaren SP	250	13.989
5	Josef Newgarden	Team Penske	250	16.735
6	Alexander Rossi	Andretti Autosport	250	19.600
7	Jack Harvey	Meyer Shank Racing	250	20.048
8	Conor Daly	Carlin	250	20.534
9	Marcus Ericsson	Chip Ganassi Racing	250	20.738
10	Takuma Sato	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	249	1 Lap
11	Alex Palou	Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh	249	1 Lap
12	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	248	2 Laps
13	Santino Ferrucci	Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan	247	3 Laps
14	Felix Rosenqvist	Chip Ganassi Racing	247	3 Laps
15	Ed Carpenter	Ed Carpenter Racing	247	3 Laps
16	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti Autosport	247	3 Laps
17	Charlie Kimball	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	245	5 Laps
18	Tony Kanaan	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	213	37 Laps
19	Colton Herta	Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport	156	94 Laps
20	Rinus van Kalmthout	Ed Carpenter Racing	156	94 Laps
21	Will Power	Team Penske	142	108 Laps
22	Marco Andretti	Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco & Curb-Agajani	128	122 Laps
23	Zach Veach	Andretti Autosport	95	155 Laps
View full results