- Ty Gibbs celebrated his Iowa win by helping start digging up the track ahead of a repave — and his comeback from the back showed the short oval still offers real passing if you can master it.
- Christopher Bell keeps finishing second — seven runner-up spots this year (four of the last five) and still looking for a win.
- Trouble for big names (Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson) has opened the door for surprises, while Josh Berry is suddenly finding strong finishes.