The NASCAR Cup race at Iowa featured 12 cautions, and most of them came during the final stage. Shockingly, all 37 starters still finished the race, but many were involved in some kind of contact at the short track. The timing of all these yellows resulted in countless pit strategies unfolding during a critical point of the event. In fact, the top five finishers all made their final pit stop during a different caution flag period.
But at the end of the day, it was William Byron putting the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Victory Lane for the first time since the season-opening Daytona 500. With all of the contact throughout the field, there were plenty of hurt feelings as well. So, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from Iowa Speedway:
WINNER: William Byron makes the fuel last ... somehow
When nine cautions flew within 80 laps of each other at Iowa, it became a guessing game on when to pit for the final time. And yet, it was a car that had no business making it to the end that ultimately won the day. Making up for a botched fuel-save at both Michigan and Indianapolis, Byron and team stretched a tank that should have lasted 110 laps at most to 144 laps, thanks partially to all the cautions. But Byron was also working hard to save every drop, all while maintaining the lead over a charging Chase Briscoe. Impressively, he even had enough in the tank for a post-race burnout.
LOSER: Kyle Larson gets pushed around in a frustrating day
Larson was not a happy driver on Sunday. He got used up and pushed around, and ultimately sustained damage that left him with a 28th place finish. It started with several run-ins with teammate Chase Elliott, before he was later knocked around by Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, and some others. While trying to rebound, he suffered nose damage in a wreck he had nothing to do with before being involved in another incident soon after. On the radio, Larson vented his frustrations in a rare outburst to the team.
WINNER: Bubba Wallace's remarkable rebound
After winning the Brickyard 400, the No. 23 team could breathe easy at Iowa. But when they suffered a broken toe-link during the final stage, they did not throw in the towel. After repairs, Wallace fought his way back onto the lead lap and made a valiant charge through the field, driving from 32nd to sixth during the final green-flag run. "What a drive," his team told him on the radio as he crossed the finish line.
LOSER: A missed opportunity for Brad Keselowski
Keselowski had his strongest run of the season on Sunday, winning both stages and finishing third in a stellar showing for the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford. So, why then count him among the losers? That's because Keselowski desperately needs a win and Iowa was a golden opportunity that slipped through his fingers. And it wasn't really his fault, either. The team did their best to time their final stop during one of the many cautions, but due to the sheer amount of laps behind the pace car, the two cars ahead of him managed to go longer than anyone thought they would. Keselowski now has just three races left to win his way into the playoffs.
WINNER: Ryan Preece makes big gains in the points
Speaking of the playoffs, for the second consecutive week, Preece joined Keselowski in the top five. The momentum is in his hands as he tries to slash away at the margin between himself and teammate Chris Buescher, who holds the final spot in the playoffs. Entering Iowa, Preece was 42 points below the cut-line, but he leaves just 23 points back. Preece has been in this 'bubble battle' for most of the season, but he'll need to keep it up and hope for no new winners in August.
LOSER: Another strong run for Hocevar overshadowed by a new enemy
Carson Hocevar has seemed to embrace the fact that he won't change his style of driving. He is done apologizing, and that means he will be fun to watch on television. However, his rivals certainly won't enjoy it. On Sunday, he rebounded from a mid-race incident to score another top ten, but no one is talking about that. After a run-in with Zane Smith, the driver of the No. 38 attempted to unsuccessfully wreck him back during the race. And while giving some post-race interviews, Hocevar was confronted by the crew chief for Smith in a tense exchange.
WINNER: Austin Dillon with his best run in months
The Richard Childress Racing driver was quiet at Iowa, but he was competitive. Dillon ran inside the top ten for most of the race, finishing tenth in the end. While that is just an average good day for most, it's a much-needed step in the right direction for the No. 3 team. Dillon's last top ten came three months ago, but maybe Richard Childress' public push for his teams to find more speed helped fuel this weekend's improvement.
LOSER: SVG's good day goes bad
Shane van Gisbergen is certainly getting better on ovals, but anyone who didn't watch the race at Iowa will just see a 31st-place finish for SVG. And that's unfortunate, as he was impressive all weekend. SVG out-qualified both of his Trackhouse Racing teammates, and was running near the top ten when he made an unforced error and spun early in the race. Despite that, he got back onto the lead lap and fought his way back inside the top 20, only to get spun out by Kyle Busch in an incident that left him trapped one lap down.
