IndyCar Series at Nashville Superspeedway

History

The 2001 event marked the first American open-wheel event in the Nashville area. During some years events were held on Saturday nights. The 2007 event was postponed until Sunday after a series of rain showers at the track.

Following the 2008 event, Indy Racing League officials decided to end their association with Nashville Superspeedway. The event was removed from the 2009 schedule, and afterwards the facility shuttered for several years. Subsequently renamed as the IndyCar Series, the series returned to the Nashville area in 2021 with the Music City Grand Prix on a downtown street circuit. Due to construction downtown, beginning in 2024 the race was moved to the Nashville Superspeedway. The race is currently the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. In 2026, the event will become a 400-mile race, as well as move to late July, following the FIFA World Cup final.

As a Nashville-area racing tradition, from 2001 through 2008 the winner received a hand-made and painted Gibson Les Paul guitar. When the current event moved to the Superspeedway in 2024, the guitar tradition continued with agreement by Gibson, promoter Scott Borchetta, and circuit owner Marcus Smith.

Race summaries

• 2024: For 2024 the Music City Grand Prix was moved to Nashville Superspeedway and scheduled as the season finale. The race would be a championship deciding showdown between Álex Palou and Will Power. Palou only needed to finish ninth or better to secure the championship, while Power had to win the race and hope Palou finished no better than tenth to win the championship. A glimmer of hope was given to Power during qualifying when he managed to qualify fourth while Palou had to take a nine position grid penalty for an unscheduled engine change, leaving him to start 24th on the grid. Kyle Kirkwood meanwhile qualified on pole, earning his first oval pole position. Power's championship hopes faded early in the race when he had to make an unusual early green flag pit stop on lap 13 for a seatbelt that had come undone in his car. Josef Newgarden took the lead before a yellow on lap 56 came out when Felix Rosenqvist blew a tire. Through two more caution periods the race turned to a head to head battle between Newgarden and Colton Herta, with Herta finally getting the best of Newgarden on lap 147. After clearing David Malukas and Scott Dixon, Herta battled with lapped traffic and eventually Pato O'Ward to retake the lead for good, taking his first victory on an oval. With Power multiple laps down, Palou secured his third IndyCar championship. Pato O'Ward finished second while Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium in third.

Past winners

• 2007: Race postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon due to rain.
• 2008: Race shortened due to rain.

Support winners

Indy NXT

References

References

1. (14 February 2024). "IndyCar moves season finale to Nashville Speedway".
2. "Tickets On Sale Now for Season Finale in Nashville".
3. "INDYCAR Announces 17-Race 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule". IndyCar.com.
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