RaceAway guests witnessed a masterclass from William Byron at Iowa Speedway during the 2025 Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol in Newton, Iowa. We spent Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the 7/8-mile oval watching him start on the front row, stretch his fuel over the final run, and hold off Chase Briscoe in a dramatic finish, with Brad Keselowski charging to third after a strong day in the early stages. It was one of those weekends where the racing was fast, the company was familiar, and our Iowa Speedway NASCAR packages made it easy for everyone to just show up and enjoy.
Settling In at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines
I am Rick, your resident Midwestern host, laid back, friendly, and always happy to talk racing and travel. We spent the weekend at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown, a great home base right in the heart of the city. Most of our guests were from the Midwest, and the overwhelming majority had traveled with RaceAway before, so the lobby had that “good to see you again” feel from the moment I arrived.
I greeted familiar faces with a “Hey, good to have you back!” and welcomed newer guests into the group. Long time guest John R., who has been with us 15 times now, summed up the mood perfectly after the weekend when he wrote, “What a great time at the races. Thank you for everything. Great seats, great race and the right driver won.”
As folks checked in, we talked strategy, who they were pulling for, whether they had been to Iowa Speedway before, and what they were most excited to see. I walked everyone through the weekend schedule, carry-in rules, and charter times. My sales background probably shows a bit. I like to make sure you know exactly what you are getting, but my style is more, “Here is the plan, you bet we will make it easy!”
Two Days at Iowa Speedway: Smooth Rides and Big Moments
On Saturday, our charter rolled up to the Embassy Suites late morning. Iowa Speedway is about 35 miles from the hotel, but with race-day traffic we plan on roughly an hour’s ride, so we asked everyone to be ready a few minutes early so we could leave at 11:00 AM sharp. Guests brought along soft-sided coolers and bags that met the posted track guidelines, and we settled into an easy drive out to Newton.
Saturday’s schedule included NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at 1:40 PM and the Hy-Vee Perks 250 Xfinity Series race at 3:30 PM for those who added that portion of the package. The afternoon at the track made a nice warm-up. Folks explored the facility, watched qualifying, grabbed concessions, and started to get a feel for Iowa Speedway’s rhythm and sightlines. When the Xfinity race wrapped up, I reminded everyone that our charter would need to depart an hour after the checkered flag and made sure we had all our people before heading back to Des Moines.
Sunday was all about the Cup race. We met in the lobby early, coffee in hand and a few light jackets for the cool morning, just in case. Our charter pulled out at 8:30 AM, and we made it to the track in time for the 9:30 AM grandstand gate opening. Guests had time to find their seats, check out merchandise, and grab food before the main event.
Driver introductions at 2:00 PM set the tone, and when the green flag flew at 2:30 PM for the 2025 Iowa Corn 350, the whole place locked in. The 350-lap, 300-mile race gave fans plenty to cheer about, with different strategies playing out as teams figured out the track and managed tire falloff.
William Byron’s decision to stretch fuel over that long final run, helped by just enough caution flags, turned into a strategy clinic. From our seats, we watched him manage the lead, hold off Chase Briscoe’s late push, and see Brad Keselowski surge to third after working his way forward through the day. When Byron took the checkered flag for his second win of 2025, our section was buzzing, some happy for their driver, others simply impressed by the gamble that paid off.
After the race, I reminded everyone that we had an hour before the charter needed to leave. “No rush, but let us not test our luck with the parking lot,” I joked. We regrouped at the bus, compared favorite moments, and rode back to Des Moines feeling like we had just been part of something special.
Highlights from This 2025 Iowa Weekend
- The Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown was our comfortable home base, close to downtown and an easy meetup point for the group.
- Short, manageable charter rides, about an hour each way between Des Moines and Iowa Speedway, with a relaxed, on-time schedule.
- Saturday action with Cup qualifying and the HY VEE Perks 250 Xfinity race as a great warm up day at the track.
- A mostly return-guest crowd from the Midwest, giving the whole trip a friendly, familiar vibe.
- William Byron’s fuel mileage masterclass, stretching his final tank over 140 laps to score his second win of 2025 and hold off Chase Briscoe, with Brad Keselowski charging to third.
- Kind words from long time guest John R., calling out the great seats, great race, and that the “right driver won.”
Wrapping Up a Good as Gold 2025 Iowa Corn 350
By the time we got back to the Embassy Suites on Sunday evening, folks were a little tired, a lot happy, and already talking about where they wanted to go next. For me, that is the sweet spot, laid-back days, big moments on track, and guests who feel more like old friends than customers.
If you are thinking about joining us for Iowa Speedway or another stop on the NASCAR schedule, I would be glad to have you along. We will take care of the details so you can focus on the racing, the friendships, and making a few new memories of your own.