NASCAR insider rips broadcast over poorly-timed commercial during Iowa Cup race

The intense and entertaining battle for first between William Byron and Brad Keselowski during Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway was interrupted not by a caution, but by USA Network. The network, broadcasting its first Cup Series race of the season, went to a full commercial in the middle of Byron and Keselowski’s 42-lap battle.

Jeff Gluck of The Athletic was irate that USA Network cut to commercial: “Oh no, they didn’t just really go to commercial in the middle of that, did they?”

Yes, they did. Gluck tweeted a follow-up, frustrated at USA Network for “serving up a giant shit sandwich.”

“This is the true NASCAR experience: TV serving up a giant shit sandwich and knowing the viewers will just eat it anyway,” Gluck wrote. “Everyone has accepted it enough that they’ll just keep doing it and be like ‘well we did go side-by-side in stage 3’ or something. Awful.”

When the broadcast returned to the race at Iowa, the action had calmed down. Byron, who had caught up to lap traffic and was struggling to pass, had finally made his way by with Keselowski multiple car lengths behind him. Viewers, however, didn’t see it.

Brad Keselowski flashes speed in Stage 1 at Iowa

Keselowski did make the pass on Lap 68, just a couple laps before the end of Stage 1. Keselowski, who needs a win to make the Cup Series playoffs, clearly has a fast No. 6 Ford. He showed it in Stage 1, picking up his first playoff point of the season.

Keselowski has been coming on of late. Since the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he has an average finish of 12.5. If his pit crew can lock in, he should have a favorable shot of winning at Iowa.