Joe Gibbs Racing’s Iowa Corn 350 began with plenty of problems. But it ended with two of its drivers fighting for the biggest prize. Ty Gibbs overcame an early pit-road issue that dropped him to 28th, while Christopher Bell emerged as his biggest challenger late in the race. In the end, Gibbs held off his teammate by just 0.253 seconds, delivering a massive boost to his 2026 Chase campaign.
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“Let’s lock in, hammer down.”
That was exactly what Ty Gibbs did at Iowa Speedway. Gibbs entered the Iowa Corn 350 with plenty of speed. He qualified sixth and ran among the leaders through the opening stages. He finished Stage 1 in fourth and looked like a legitimate contender for the win.
Then everything went sideways. On Lap 74, Gibbs encountered trouble during a pit stop while his team struggled to change the right-rear tire. The issue dropped him from fourth all the way to 29th. This unexpectedly forced the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to begin another climb through the field.
But Ty Gibbs refused to let the setback derail his afternoon. He steadily worked his way forward during the long green-flag stretches. Gibbs eventually passed Chase Briscoe for fourth on Lap 202. He remained there through the end of Stage 2 on Lap 210 and put himself back in position to fight for the win.
The final sequence then turned the race into a JGR showdown. On Lap 291, Christopher Bell brought his No. 20 Toyota to pit road from the lead. Gibbs also pitted, and the No. 54 Toyota managed to pass Bell on pit road.
With 40 laps remaining, the battle was set. Ty Gibbs had only two fresh tires, while Christopher Bell had four. Without another caution to reset the field, Gibbs had to defend against a teammate with a significant tire advantage.
And he did exactly that. With 10 laps remaining, Bell still couldn’t find a way around Gibbs. The No. 20 Toyota continued to pressure him. But Gibbs repeatedly positioned his car perfectly and refused to give his teammate an opening.
Then, with six laps to go, Bell made another serious attempt. He looked to the outside of Gibbs through Turns 1 and 2. Again, Gibbs immediately blocked the move and maintained control.
From there, Gibbs held his line and crossed the finish line 0.253 seconds ahead of Bell. The victory could hardly have come at a better time for Ty Gibbs. He entered Iowa fourth in the standings but now moves up to second. He now trails Denny Hamlin (who had a forgettable day) by just 103 points. Ryan Blaney sits 110 points behind Hamlin, while Tyler Reddick, who once looked untouchable at the beginning of the season, is now 120 points back.
After starting the afternoon with a pit-road disaster, Gibbs ended it with his second win of 2026 and a massive Chase statement. The No. 54 team showed that even when things go wrong, it has the speed and composure to recover. And now, Ty Gibbs heads into the remaining races as one of the biggest threats to Hamlin’s lead.
Christopher Bell finishes second…again
For Christopher Bell, second place has become an all-too-familiar result in 2026. Sunday’s runner-up finish at Iowa marked the seventh time this season Bell has finished second, once again leaving the Joe Gibbs Racing driver wondering what it will take to finally reach Victory Lane.
Bell has now finished second at Phoenix, Charlotte, Nashville, Chicagoland, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Iowa. The pattern is particularly frustrating because several of those wins have slipped away mostly to fellow Toyota drivers.
At Chicagoland, Bell lost to JGR teammate Chase Briscoe. At Nashville, Denny Hamlin beat him to the checkered flag. Last week at Indianapolis, 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim, another Toyota driver, denied him the victory.
Iowa followed the same script. Bell had four fresh tires late in the race and chased down Gibbs, who was running on two. Yet despite having the apparent advantage, Bell could not complete the pass.
The result also keeps Bell as the only JGR driver without a win this season. There is at least one positive. His consistency has helped him move up in the championship standings, keeping him firmly in contention as the regular season progresses.
Still, a victory would be the perfect reward for a driver who has repeatedly put himself in position to win. With the regular season winding down, Bell will hope the next time he reaches the final laps at the front, he can finally complete the job.