NASCAR Iowa Corn 350 Power Rankings: 5 drivers to watch at the Iowa Speedway

NASCAR will make its highly anticipated return to Iowa Speedway this weekend. The short track in Newton, Iowa, will host a Cup Series event for the first time with the Iowa Corn 350 scheduled for Sunday, June 16.

The 0.875-mile oval, owned by NASCAR, has previously hosted the Xfinity and Truck Series events. The ARCA, Xfinity, and the Cup Series will visit the Hawkeye state this weekend, while NBC takes over the coverage for the rest of the season.

The D-shaped asphalt oval spans 0.875 miles. The turns have 12-14 degrees of banking, while the front and backstretch have 10 and 4 degrees of banking respectively.

Since the NASCAR Cup Series is making its first trip to the short track in Newton, Iowa, no clear favorites are heading into the weekend. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have dominated short-track events this season and will be in the mix this weekend.

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5 NASCAR drivers to watch out for at the Iowa Speedway

#5 Martin Truex Jr.

Truex Jr. had bad fortune in the past couple of weekends - a flat tire at Gateway and an empty fuel tank in Sonoma costing him solid results. The #19 Toyota driver could overturn his fortunes this weekend, with NASCAR returning to a short track.

Martin Truex Jr. had a dominant outing at Richmond Raceway, a track that shares similar features to Iowa Speedway. The #19 Joe Gibbs Racing team could bring race-winning speed to help Truex Jr. clinch his first victory of the season.

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#4 Brad Keselowski

The RFK Racing co-owner/driver was on impressive form over the past month, breaking his winless streak and fetching five top-five finishes in seven races. The #6 Ford team has shown great speed at short tracks.

Brad Keselowski participated in a tire test at Iowa Speedway last month and will certainly have a better read of the track conditions than his rivals. Keselowski has three Xfinity victories in seven starts at the track, with an eighth-place worst result.

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#3 Kyle Larson

Larson is coming off an eventful week after NASCAR granted him a playoff waiver. He capped off the weekend with his third victory of the season in his home state at Sonoma Raceway.

Kyle Larson was also one of the three drivers in the tire test which will give him an advantage. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports team has shown great speed on short tracks, and will certainly be in the mix this weekend.

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#2 Denny Hamlin

Hamlin has led the Joe Gibbs Racing outfit this season, with all three of his victories coming at short tracks. He has won at Bristol, Dover, and Richmond, the latter of which bears similarities to Iowa Speedway.

Denny Hamlin's outing at Sonoma was cut short by an engine failure, forcing him to retire on the third lap of the race. NASCAR's return to Iowa provides a perfect opportunity for the #11 JGR team to bounce back.

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#1 Christopher Bell

Bell has recorded two victories this season, but his campaign has lacked the consistency of his veteran teammates. However, the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing team has consistently brought race-winning speed to flat short-track ovals.

Christopher Bell accompanied Larson and Keselowski in the tire test at Iowa Speedway, which will certainly give him a head start over his teammates. His Xfinity record at the 0.875-mile oval includes two wins and two runner-up finishes in five starts.