Thank you for following along here on VAVEL USA. The recap of the race will be up shortly. This is Cathy Shumaker signing off until Mid-Ohio in two weeks. Don't forget to join the VAVEL IndyCar Twitter chat on July 28th from 6-8 pm ET - we can't wait! Thank you for following.
Andretti Autosport continues their domination at Iowa Speedway.
Checkers: Ryan Hunter-Reay wins his first race of 2015, earning his first win since this very same race last year! Josef Newgarden is second, Sage Karam third for an all American podium.
White Flag: Less than a mile for Ryan Hunter-Reay to win.
Lap 297: Hunter-Reay maintains the gap over Newgarden.
Lap 294: Sage Karam is up to third, Graham Rahal passes Munoz for fourth.
Lap 291: Ryan Hunter-Reay leads Newgarden with eight laps to go. The leaders will come up on lapped traffic before the end of the race.
Lap 288: Sage Karam is loose and chasing down Carlos Munoz for third.
Lap 286: Race Control says the restart is under review.
Lap 284: Graham Rahal on fresh tires is chasing down Sage Karam.
Lap 280: Ed Carpenter is not happy with the driving of Sage Karam. Graham Rahal also gets around Carpenter.
Lap 279: Graham Rahal is battling Sage Karam for fifth.
Lap 277: GREEN GREEN GREEN Hunter-Reay leads Newgarden.
Lap 275: Twenty-five laps to go as the sixth yellow flag period is about to end.
Lap 273: Dixon will need to complete 23 laps in order to pass Takuma Sato in the finishing order and pick up one additional championship point.
Lap 270: The field is behind the pace car under yellow as the Homaltro Safety Team cleans the track after Sato's incident in Turn 2.
Lap 269: Scott Dixon has rejoined the race and is 37 laps behind leader Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Lap 268: Scott Dixon's car is being pushed out of the garage and back to the pits.
Lap 266: Marco Andretti is in the pits for fresh tires.
Lap 264: Graham Rahal pits under the yellow and should be able to get back on the lead lap. The car is having gear box problems but he is able to get back on track.
Lap 264: Sato is out of the car and sitting on the wall in Turn 2.
Lap 262: YELLOW FLAG Takuma Sato has hit the wall in Turn 2.
Lap 260: Scott Dixon sits in his car in the Ganassi garage as the team tries to make repairs and get him back on the track.
Lap 257: Hunter-Reay is ahead of Newgarden, Graham Rahal leads but still needs to stop.
Lap 251: Newgarden pits and comes back on the track just behind Ryan Hunter-Reay. Jack Hawksworth leads as the pit stops cycle through.
Lap 248: Karam pits and there is some trouble with the right front tire. He heads back out onto the track,
Lap 245: Bourdais pits for fuel and tires, Carpenter also in.
Lap 241: Chip Ganassi Racing is attempting to fix Dixon's car and get him back into the race in order to salvage some championship points. It is being wheeled to the garage with Dixon still in the car.
Lap 238: Sage Karam is up to second place, being chased by Carlos Munoz. Castroneves pits for his last stop of the race.
Lap 233: Dixon has a problem on the right rear, he is being told to shut the car off. Three of four Ganassi cars are out of the race, only Sage Karam is still running.
Lap 232: Scott Dixon is slowing on the track and heading to the pits.
Lap 223: Five cars are out of the race: Montoya, Mann, Kimball, Kanaan and Coletti.
Lap 218: There are 15 cars on the lead lap, Graham Rahal is trying to get back on the lead lap.
Lap 214: Scott Dixon and Ryan Hunter-Reay are racing side by side behind Newgarden.
Lap 210: Ryan Hunter-Reay is on the tail of Josef Newgarden for the lead.
Lap 206: GREEN GREEN GREEN Sage Karam is up to fifth place and battling Carlos Munoz for fourth.
Lap 204: With less than 100 laps to go, Ryan Hunter-Reay is having his best race of the season.
Lap 198: Newgarden continues to lead, followed by Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Munoz, Carpenter, Karam, Castroneves, Andretti, Briscoe, Power.
Lap 196: Coletti gets loose in Turn 2 and hits the inside wall. He is out of the car and in the Safety Car on the way to the Care Center.
Lap 196: YELLOW FLAG Stefano Coletti hits the inside wall. Tony Kanaan is out of his car in the pits.
Lap 193: Newgarden leads, followed by Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Munoz, Carpenter. Castroneves has fallen to seventh.
Lap 190: Tony Kanaan is in the pits with an apparent electrical problem.
Lap 187: Team Andretti drivers Carlos Munoz and Ryan Hunter-Reay have moved up tp third and second.
Lap 184: GREEN GREEN GREEN. Tony Kanaan goes around Castroneves.
Lap 181: Graham Rahal is one lap down after his long pit stop.
Lap 180: The race continues under yellow as the lights come on at Iowa Speedway. Josef Newgarden leads Castroneves, Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Munoz, Dixon, Carpenter, Karam, Briscoe, Power.
Lap 176: Graham Rahal is able to leave his pit after long stop.
Lap 174: The field is pitting under the yellow flag. Newgarden beats Castroneves out for the lead. Graham Rahal stalls the car in the pit, it may be a gear box problem.
Lap 174: Kimball is out of the car and unhurt after his incident.
Lap 172: Kimball hits the wall in Turn 2, as Tristan Vautier takes evasive action to avoid Kimball as he spins.
Lap 172: YELLOW FLAG as Charlie Kimball spins.
Lap 165: Sage Karam is very loose as he tries to get around Justin Wilson.
Lap 162: Graham Rahal gets around Justin Wilson and sets his sights on Scott Dixon for fourth.
Lap 159: Josef Newgarden has taken over the lead from Helio Castroneves.
Lap 157: Pippa Mann has retired from the race with handling problems.
Lap 154: Castroneves is close to putting his teammate Simon Pagenaud a lap down.
Lap 150: HALF WAY, leaders are Castroneves, Newgarden, Kanaan, Dixon, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, Munoz, Karam, Briscoe, Carpenter.
Lap 148: Graham Rahal has improved to fifth place after being two laps down earlier in the race.
Lap 144: Pippa Mann is in the pits.
Lap 136: Dixon is on the tail on Tony Kanaan for third place.
Lap 133: Josef Newgarden is varying his line on each lap to attempt to keep Tony Kanaan from passing him.
Lap 131: Tony Kanaan is chasing down Newgarden for second place.
Lap 129: Castroneves takes over the lead of the race from Newgarden.
Lap 124: Ryan Hunter-Reay is battling Kanaan for fourth and fifth position.
Lap 122: Graham Rahal is back on the lead lap in ninth place.
Lap 120: GREEN GREEN GREEN. Castroneves holds off Kanaan for second.
Lap 119: Justin Wilson has exited the pits after repairs for his encounter with the wall.
Lap 117: The field is behind the pace car under the yellow flag as pit stops continue.
Lap 112: Josef Newgarden beats Helio Castroneves out of the pits. Castroneves has an unfavorable pit stall at this race as a result of his last row starting position at Milwaukee.
Lap 111: The teams are laying out tires for pit stops as many cars come to pit road.
Lap 110: The Holmatro Safety Team is on track to inspect the wall where Wilson brushed it.
Lap 108: YELLOW FLAG. Justin Wilson hits the wall as Pippa Mann slows ahead of him. His able to continue.
Lap 105: The leaders are encountering traffic as Newgarden tries to get around Castroneves for the lead.
Lap 101: Montoya is the only car out of the race. Castroneves leads Newgarden, Kanaan, Dixon, Karam.
Lap 99: Kimball pits from the lead, Castroneves is back in the lead of the race.
Lap 92: Charlie Kimball assumes the lead as Bourdais pits for tires and fuel.
Lap 87: Sebastien Bourdais leads the race as a result of his off-sequence pit stop earlier in the race.
Lap 84: Power and Pagenaud pit together in perfect Team Penske stops.
Lap 81: Tony Kanaan pits under the green as the field cycles through pit stops.
Lap 79: Pit stops are beginning, Castroneves pits from the lead, putting Kanaan back in first.
Lap 76: Running order is Castroneves, Kanaan, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Power.
Lap 74: Castroneves gets around Tony Kanaan for the lead of the race.
Lap 72: Hunter-Reay is the top Honda in fifth place.
Lap 68: Ryan Hunter-Reay is pressuring Will Power for fifth place. Graham Rahal on fresh tires is trying to move up through the field.
Lap 65: Castroneves is running side by side with Scott Dixon and gets around him for second place.
Lap 61: Rahal had a punctured tire and had to pit to have it replaced. He is now two laps down.
Lap 57: Graham Rahal pits and reenters the race.
Lap 55: Ryan Briscoe continues to move through the field and is up to 11th.
Lap 53: Carlos Munoz gets around Rahal for tenth.
Lap 49: Graham Rahal has moved up to tenth place in the running order.
Lap 46: Kanaan holds off Dixon and has pulled away a bit. Castroneves is on Dixon's tail.
Lap 42: Dixon and Kanaan are side by side for the lead. Kanaan is not making it easy on his teammate to get around him for the lead.
Lap 36: GREEN GREEN GREEN Kanaan still leads, but the Andretti cars are trying to move up from their running order of 7, 8, 9 and 10th.
Lap 34: The field will get the green the next time by the starter's stand. The four Andretti cars in head to tail.
Lap 28: Pits are open as the field moves around the track under yellow and clean-up continues. Running order is Kanaan, Dixon, Castroneves, Newgarden, Power, Karam, Andretti, Hunter-Reay, Willson, Munoz.
Lap 26: YELLOW FLAG. Charlie Kimbal, Graham Rahal and Stefano Coletti come together in Turn 2. Rahal does not appear to have any damage, but Kimball needs to come in to the pits for a new front wing.
Lap 25: The field is coming to the green flag. Tony Kanaan leads Scott Dixon.
Lap 22: Sebastien Bourdais comes into the pits to top off his fuel. Starting from the back he does not give up track position and this will allow him to perhaps short pit later in the race.
Lap 19: Graham Rahal is reporting that he may have hit some debris from Montoya's crash. He thinks he may have a tire going down but stays on track.
Lap 17: Montoya's car is on the hook and headed back to the garage. The Holmatro safety team remains on track cleaning up the fluid spill and inspecting the SAFER barrier.
Lap 13: The field pits under yellow. Until tonight, Montoya had completed all but one lap this season. His points lead may be in jeopardy.
Lap 11: YELLOW FLAG, points leader Montoya hits the wall at the exit of Turn 2 and is out of the race.
Lap 10: Juan Pablo Montoya is in the wall, he says the suspension broke.
Lap 5: Tony Kanaan leads teammate Scott Dixon followed by Castroneves and Newgarden.
Lap 1: GREEN GREEN GREEN
8:49 pm ET: The start is waved off as Helio Castroneves jumps the start.
8:47 pm ET: The setting sun may be a factor early in the race, the track will change as the sun sets and lights come on at Iowa Speedway.
8:46 pm ET: The field is moving on the parade and pace laps behind the Honda two-seater driven by Conor Daly.
8:45 pm ET: The command has been given and we are getting ready to start the Iowa Corn 300.
8:40 pm ET: What a great fly-over during the National Anthem!
8:35 pm ET: Very moving to have Max Chilton offer a moment of silence for his late Formula 1 teammate Jules Bianchi.
8:35 pm ET: This could be the year when Team Penske finally wins at Iowa Speedway. The four car team is starting near the front of the grid: Helio Castroneves starts from the pole, Juan Pablo Montoya starts behind him on the second row, with Simon Pagenaud and Will Power on the third row.
8:30 pm ET: Graham Rahal starts on the inside of row 10, he started 17th at Auto Club Speedway and came through the field for the win. He thinks he has a car which is good enough to win, but feels that they are at a disadvantage being a one car team among the multi-car teams.
8:25 pm ET: That was a great feature on NBCSN with Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais. They had a great rivalry back in their Champ Car days and seemed to have cleared the air and become friends. Tracy was very complimentary about Bourdais' race last week at Milwaukee.
8:15 pm ET: The previous nine races at Iowa Speedway have seen extended yellow flag periods. If this pattern repeats tonight, look for some teams to attempt to complete the race with three pit stops. If the race has long green flag runs, four stops may be necessary. In last year's race, new tires during the final pit stop were the deciding factor in Ryan Hunter-Reay's late race surge to victory.
8:10 pm ET: Tony Kanaan talks about "unfinished business" from last year's race. He led 247 of 300 laps before being passed with two laps to go by Ryan Hunter-Reay. Kanaan starts on the front row and is looking to avenge last year's disappointment.
8:00 pm ET: Pre-race festivites are about to start at Iowa Speedway. This is the shortest track in the Verizon IndyCar Series at .894 miles. A lap is completed in about 18 seconds on the variably-banked oval. Each team is alloted nine sets of Firestone Firehawk tires for the weekend.
7:51 pm ET: At last week's race at the Milwaukee Mile, Helio Castroneves started from the back row after this team was late to tech inspection and was not allowed to qualify. He roared through the field for a second place finish behind winner Sebastien Bourdais. In qualifying for tonight's race, Sebastien Bourdais spun during his qualifying attempt and hit the Turn 2 wall. He starts last in the field; could a repeat of last week's last row to podium run be in the cards?
7:49 pm ET: The weather looks good for the race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. There is only a 10% chance of rain and temperatures are expected to be in the mid-80s.
7:45 pm ET: It's almost time to go racing at Iowa Speedway. Helio Castroneves starts on the pole, his third of 2015 and 44th of his IndyCar career. He leads the field to the green flag next to fellow Brazilian Tony Kanaan. Castroneves is looking to become the first Team Penske driver to win at Iowa.
6:10 pm ET: A reminder to join us IndyCar writers of VAVEL USA for our Twitter chat on Tuesday, July 28, from 6-8pm ET. We will be discussing four headlines of the Verizon IndyCar Series - one each during every 30 minutes of the chat! All you have to do is be on Twitter and share your thoughts with the hashtag #VAVELIndyCar. We can't wait for you to join us!
4:51 pm ET: Come back here at 8:00 pm ET for live coverage of the race.
4:50 pm ET: Castroneves started from the back of the field in last week's race at the Milwaukee Mile and raced to the front to finish second. Starting at the front, he may earn another fantastic finish tonight.
4:50 pm ET: Qualifications have been completed. Helio Castroneves claims his third pole of the season and the 10th for Team Penske in the 12 races this season. Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden are the only non-Penske drivers to take a pole position this season.
4:50 pm ET: Stefano Coletti is the final qualifier. His speed of 180.043 is 13th fastest.
4:45 pm ET: James Jakes is on track, his speed is 178.997 mph which is provisionally 13th fastest.
4:44 pm ET: Josef Newgarden, last week's polesitter, is on track to try to make it two races in a row as the fastest qualifier. He does not do it, his speed is 181.367 mph which is seventh fastest with a couple of drivers still to go.
4:42 pm ET: Takuma Sato is on track, with a two lap average of 178.433 mph, which is 12th in the field so far.
4:40 pm ET: Juan Pablo Montoya qualfies third fastest with a speed of 182.707 mph, inside of row two.
4:39 pm ET: Carlos Munoz qualifies 10th with a speed of 180.080.
4:38 pm ET: Helio Castroneves is fastest with a two lap average of 183.480 mph. He is now on the provisional pole.
4:34 pm ET: Scott Dixon is next up. He is trying to knock his teammate Tony Kanaan from the top spot. His two lap average of 182.357 mph is second fastest, Kanaan is still on pole.
4:33 pm ET: Ed Carpenter in the No. 20 is on track. His speed of 180.401 mph is seventh fast.
4:31 pm ET: Pippa Mann is on track for her attempt. Her speed of 175.812 is currently 13th fastest of those who have qualified.
4:30 pm ET: Marco Andretti will attempt to knock Kanaan from the top spot. His two lap average speed is 181.077 mph, fourth fastest.
4:28 pm ET: Tony Kanaan is on track and is setting a blistering pace. His two lap average is 183.125, fastest by more than 1.5 mph over Pagenaud. He is the new fastest qualifier.
4:26 pm ET: Next up is Simon Pagenaud, pole sitter at Auto Club Speedway last month. He is the new provisional pole sitter with a speed of 181.627 mph. ahead of teammate Will Power.
4:25 pm ET: Gabby Chaves is attempting to qualify. His two lap average is 175.668 which is tenth fastest.
4:24 pm ET: The track is green for qualifying, Charlie Kimball is on track. His two lap average is 177.972, fifth fastest so far.
4:22 pm ET: Bourdais says the team changed the suspension setting from yesterday's practice. The car was loose on the first lap and he was unable to prevent the car from spinning.
4:17 pm ET: The track is under yellow for the Bourdais incident. He has brought the car back to pit lane. The car does not appear to have much damage beyond the rear wing. He hit the bumps in Turn 2 and backed into the wall. There appears to be no suspension damage.
4:15 pm ET: Sebastien Bourdais, last week's winner at the Milwaukee Mile, is on track. He spins in Turn 2 and backs it into Turn 2. He stayed out on the track.
4:13 pm ET: Ryan Briscoe is on track in the No. 5 Honda, substituting for the injured James Hinchcliffe. Hinch is at the track and on the pit box for SPM Racing Briscoe's two lap average is 176.907 mph, sixth fastest so far.
4:11 pm ET: Team Penske driver and 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power has exited the pits for his qualifying laps. His two lap average is 181.625 mph, he is on the provisional pole.
4:09 pm ET: Ryan Hunter-Reay is next up. The Andretti Autosport driver turns in a two lap average of 180.843 mph, fastest so far.
4:08 pm ET: Next on track is Graham Rahal, winner at Auto Club Speedway last month. His two lap average is 177.857 mph, currently second quick.
4:06 pm ET: Jack Hawksworth of A.J. Foyt Enterprises is on track as he attempts to qualify his Honda. His two lap average is 176.255 mph.
4;04 pm ET: Sage Karam goes out for his qualifying attempt. He has won at Iowa Speedway in every series he has competed in. His two lap average is 180.659 mph, currently fastest.
4:03 pm ET: Tristan Vautier of Dale Coyne Racing is on track, qualifies with a two lap average of 176.256 mph.
4:02 pm ET: Justin Wilson runs a two lap average of 177.824 mph and is on the provisional pole.
4:00 pm ET: Green flag for qualifying at Iowa Speedway, waiting for Justin Wilson to roll off pit lane for his qualifying laps.
3:59 pm ET: Justin Wilson will be the first to qualify.
3:58 pm ET: Qualifying will take place during the day with the race being run at night. Race set-up will be critical.
3:56 pm ET: The drivers are getting ready to qualify for the Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway. The sky is clear with some scattered clouds.
3:46 pm ET: Stayed tuned for LIVE Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying at Iowa Speedway coming up here at the top of the hour.
A full preview of this evening's race is below with news, notes, and more to get you up to speed ahead of what will be a great race tonight. More will be added here as the race nears this evening including the starting grid following qualifying at 4:00 pm ET, but be sure to follow @VAVELIndyCar on Twitter for continued coverage.
Notes on Iowa Speedway: There is a bump in Turn 2 which is the trouble spot on the track. The variable banking on the D-shaped oval makes for a challenging race. The backstretch is straight with a curved front straight and a tight exit from Turn 2. Turn 4 has been described as an increasing radius corner, causing some drivers to attempt to go three wide through the turn. With laps at around 17-seconds, Turn 1 comes up quickly and side-by-side racing can be disasterous. Two of the feeder series, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and Pro Mazda Presented by Cooper Tires, are also running at the track this weekend, so rubber build-up on the track may also be a factor - especially with the various other series' using different brands of tires than the Firestones of the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Qualifying is again taking place on race day as it did at Milwaukee. Something to note is that while qualifying will take place during the late afternoon, the race itself will be run at night under the lights. Getting the cars set-up correctly for qualifying and then making adjustments needed for a night race will keep the crews busy all day.
Track position is important at all tracks, but it is interesting to note that no one has ever won from pole position at Iowa. Last year's winner Ryan Hunter-Reay started 13th and Kanaan's victory in 2010 came from starting 15th on the grid. Marco Andretti won from the 17th spot in 2011. Given these instances in the recent races run at the track, it is likely that we will see a driver advance from anywhere on the grid to steal this race. It will depend on who is luckiest in regards to track position.
Handling is always key at any track, and last week's race at Milwaukee saw many drivers dealing with a lack of rear grip. This can make for a very long day for the teams if the set-up is not right. Having clean air on the front wing will be very impotant at Iowa and the new aero packages will have a role in this.
Past races at Iowa Speedway have included many laps run under yellow. The 2014 race had seven caution periods lasting 68 laps. The average is five cautions per race. The race can be run with four pit stops, but caution periods can allow a team to complete the race with three well-timed stops. Tires can be the key to the race, as illustrated by Tony Kanaan's final stint on old tires in the 2014 race. He was passed by Ryan Hunter-Reay, who had pitted for fresh rubber, in the final laps of the race. Ed Carpenter was also able to use new tires to his advantage, moving from 14th at the restart to fifth at the finish.
Also notable: It will be Pippa Mann and Tristan Vautier in the Nos. 18 and 19 Dale Coyne Racing entries this weekend. The team announced prior to Milwaukee that they will race at both the Milwaukee Mile and at Iowa Speedway.
Chip Ganassi Racing is always competitive at Iowa. Tony Kanaan led 247 of the 300 laps of this race last year, but Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to pass him in the final laps, stealing what would've been the Brazilian's first win of the 2014 season. Scott Dixon was also passed during the final laps last year, also on older tires like his teammate. Another Ganassi driver to watch is rookie Sage Karam in the No. 8 entry. He has raced at Iowa several times in the ladder series and loves racing there.
Team Penske, surprisingly, has never won a race at Iowa. Championship points leader Juan Pablo Montoya is hoping to add to his lead with a good finish at Iowa. Helio Castroneves has been on the podium only once in the eight races at Iowa Speedway (he's competed in every Indy car race at the track), but is always a threat to win. He is looking for his first victory of the 2015 season after an incredible last to second run last weekend at Milwaukee. Will Power's title chances are looking slim after the last two races (Fontana and Milwaukee) have seen the Australian be collected in a crash with another car. Simon Pagenaud is still seeking his first victory as a Penske driver.
Much has been written about the dominance of Andretti Autosport at Iowa Speedway. Of the eight Indy car races run at the track to date, six have been won by Andretti drivers. Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012 and 2014) and Marco Andretti (2011) have both won at Iowa, with Hunter-Reay trying to win again tonight at the site of his last victory. The other Andretti winners were James Hinchcliffe (2013), Tony Kanaan (2010) and Dan Wheldon (2008). Marco Andretti has completed every lap of each race in 2015 and is long overdue for a win. He will be one to watch this weekend. Also driving for Andretti this weekend is Justin Wilson after it was announced that he would pilot the No. 25 entry for the remainder of the season.
Iowa Speedway is the second short oval of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season, following last week's race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. It has been said that Iowa is a short track that runs like a superspeedway. It is the shortest track on the schedule, but the speeds are higher than those run at Milwaukee because of the variable banking in the turns. Speeds are expected to be about 17 mph faster than those turned at Milwaukee, meaning each lap will be a lightning fast 17-seconds.
Above this point as the race nears, news and notes will get you up to speed and keep you informed ahead of this evening's race. Then, come back here for coverage of the race beginning here at 8:00 pm ET.
Welcome to live coverage of the Iowa Corn 300! My name is Cathy Shumaker, and I'm thrilled to be bringing you minute-to-minute coverage of the 13th round of this 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series from Iowa Speedway.