Teams test at Iowa Speedway in preparation for Iowa Corn 300…
By Steve Wittich of Trackside Online
A baker’s dozen IndyCar drivers spent Wednesday at a private test on the 0.894 Iowa Speedway oval in preperation for the Iowa Corn 300, the 11th, and next stop during the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
Early running was limited due to weepers, but a number of drivers did end up turning over 200 laps.
Reports from a number of sources on-site indicate that following closely with the lower downforce UAK18 will not be easy. TSO will be watching to see if that changes as the track takes on rubber during the weekend.
Very, very unofficial lap speeds during testing at the Iowa Speedway
| RANK | DRIVER | TEAM | BEST LAP SPEED (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | 181.63 |
| 2 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | 181.32 |
| 3 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Autosport | 181.11 |
| 4 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | 180.81 |
| 5 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | 180.40 |
| 6 | Will Power | Team Penske | 180.20 |
| 7 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | 179.79 |
| 8 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | 178.90 |
| 9 | Robert Wickens | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | 177.81 |
| 10 | Ed Carpenter | Ed Carpenter Racing | 176.93 |
| 11 | Gabby Chaves | Harding Racing | 175.01 |
| 12 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | 174.91 |
| 13 | Matheus Leist | A.J. Foyt Racing | 172.01 |
Also, a number of Mazda Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires teams were testing at Gateway Motorsports Park in preperation for their penultimate event in August.