IndyCar: Iowa highlights 5 major issues that need to be addressed

Sunday runner-up Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing called the Iowa Speedway IndyCar doubleheader race weekend "the most boring thing I've ever done", according to Autosport, and there are more than just one or two factors that went into the Hy-Vee Doubleheader Weekend being one to forget (or complain about).

IndyCar is facing a number of key issues at the moment, many of which were highlighted by this past weekend at the four-turn, 0.894-mile (1.438-kilometer) Newton, Iowa oval.

Here's a look at five, plus one we hope has finally been rectified.

No passing

Thank goodness for Santino Ferrucci, because without him, both races of the weekend doubleheader at Iowa would have been total single-file duds.

The repave was designed to put on a good NASCAR race in June, and it did that. There were questions, however, about whether the IndyCar race weekend would be compromised as a result.

Though some remained optimistic about the second lane coming in for IndyCar, it never actually did. There were zero on-track passes for the race lead throughout all 500 laps.

NASCAR

Speaking of track changes, the repave at Iowa marks yet another significant NASCAR-focused change to an IndyCar race track that made the racing absolutely terrible.

The application of the PJ1 traction compound at Texas Motor Speedway a few years ago resulted in a number of poor IndyCar races at the track in the early 2020s, despite the same optimism that the second lane would "come in". Fortunately the racing at Texas improved in 2022 and then even more so in 2023.

The Cup Series had never even competed at Iowa before last month, yet the changes were made to suit the stock cars. It should be noted that NASCAR owns the track, but what does that say about IndyCar at Iowa moving forward? Fresh tires used to matter at Iowa, but degradation was nonexistent this past weekend.

No initiative

We just got done talking about Texas Motor Speedway finally hosting a good race last year. So of course, for the first year in its existence, it is no longer on the IndyCar schedule, leaving the series with just one superspeedway race for the first time in – ever.

IndyCar has a terrible habit of removing superspeedways that actually produce good races from the schedule and then not going back. Auto Club Speedway and Pocono Raceway are other examples.

Aside from Georgina falling onto the race track at Barber Motorsports Park and more than a dozen drivers in the 27-car field forgetting they're professional race car drivers on the streets of Detroit, the only race that has truly been captivating this season has been the Indy 500.

Superspeedway racing remains the best form of racing for IndyCar, yet it has become largely a thing of the past. And nothing is being done about it, with the only schedule addition in 2025 being the Thermal Club road course getting a points race (after proving it does not deserve one in 2024).

As for Pocono being "too dangerous", I'm pretty sure we all just watched Sting Ray Robb go flying across the back straightaway and Ed Carpenter go flying over the top of Kyle Kirkwood at Iowa on Sunday. Maybe we should remove that one from the calendar as well.

Sure, Iowa gets good promotion from Hy-Vee, but it's not like the grandstands were full for either race. IndyCar is effectively a sideshow for the concerts.

The same was true during the IndyCar-NASCAR weekends at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR was number one. It doesn't sound nice on paper, but it is a way of getting more eyes on IndyCar, something that other (potential) venues should consider.

Worth mentioning, Pocono and Michigan International Speedway recently reduced their NASCAR commitment from two race weekends to one. Do something, IndyCar.

No parity

It's laughable that some continue to call IndyCar the most competitive racing series in the world. It's not the fact that there's no parity that's the real issue; race wins are earned, not given, no matter who you are. It's the fact that we keep trying to pretend there is.

Two teams have combined to stand atop the podium after 14 of the most 15 recent races, with the lone exception occurring at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course when an issue for Palou coming out of the pits gave the lead to Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward. Palou had been running away with the race.

Iowa saw two new track winners, but it was still a Team Penske sweep. Even Formula 1 is more competitive at the front at the moment, with four teams now factoring into the battle for wins.

O'Ward did win on the streets of St. Petersburg this season as well, but not until 45 days after the race. It was Team Penske's Josef Newgarden who stood atop the podium before he was disqualified more than six weeks later.

And let's be real. Everybody knows Newgarden would have won the race anyway.

Hybrid era

It's not just Iowa Speedway and NASCAR track changes resulting in a relatively dull on-track product.

Three races into the hybrid era, we've yet to see a pass for the lead. Ironically, no polesitter has won a race during that stretch. Issues in the pits and/or pit sequence misfortune has knocked all three polesitters out of the lead and effectively handed the win to somebody else.

A lot of the lack of passing can be pinned on the added weight to the cars, an issue for which there will hopefully be some sort of workaround over time. But the Mid-Ohio race was far from the "classic" the series tried to bill it as, simply because of the close finish.

Even aside from that, what a disaster Iowa qualifying was. Teething problems are to be expected, but this was total amateur hour for the series. Yet it was totally predictable following the implementation of such a major change in the middle of a championship.

But for some reason, all we hear about the hybrid era is praise. It's almost as if criticism isn't allowed when it comes to certain topics.

Reason for hope: Race control

This is actually somewhat of a praise rather than a criticism from the weekend, but it revolves around a situation that had gotten out of control from past races.

Will Power won Sunday's race by driving from 22nd to 19th place. He was simply on the right pit strategy that staying out longer played to his benefit when the caution flag flew.

That's how it should be, and that's how it should be for every race.

The whole concept of holding a yellow flag to let the pit cycle play out, like IndyCar did at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca a few weeks back, is utter nonsense. It's pure race manipulation, and above all, it's a safety hazard.

Sometimes it's better to be on the right strategy than it is to have the fastest race car. Throw the yellow when the conditions warrant it. Period.

IndyCar is set to be back in action this Sunday, July 21 on the streets of Toronto. The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is the first of two races this season set to be shown exclusively on Peacock, meaning that fans will need to purchase a subscription to watch.