In a thrilling conclusion to the IndyCar race in Nashville, Kyle Kirkwood emerged victorious, finishing with a 0.7633s lead over Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, the race’s initial leader, and series front-runner Alex Palou from Chip Ganassi Racing. A late red flag triggered by a multi-car accident didn’t deter Kirkwood, who confidently secured his second win of the season.
After a false start, McLaughlin spearheaded the race with Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) and Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport) following close behind. David Malukas (Dale Coyne Racing) made an assertive move to take the fourth spot from a cautious Palou. Romain Grosjean (Andretti) led the pack that chose to start on the tougher primary tire, settling in the sixth position.
Kirkwood, beginning the race at eighth, bravely outpaced fellow primary starter Will Power (Penske) for the seventh position, while Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who also started on primary, slipped to 10th behind Toronto victor Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing).
Lap seven saw Palou regain his spot from Malukas, an achievement replicated by Grosjean and Kirkwood shortly thereafter.
O’Ward fell prey to Grosjean and Kirkwood after running wide at Turn 9, as McLaughlin relinquished his lead to pit on lap 25, letting Grosjean ascend to the top. Misfortunes also beset O’Ward as he overstayed on his first set of tires, losing more positions to Newgarden, Dixon, VeeKay, and Power.
With only ten laps left, Lundqvist’s notable debut ended in the Turn 11 wall, resulting in a yellow flag. A pile-up involving Felix Rosenqvist (McLaren), Agustin Canapino (Juncos Hollinger Racing), and Benjamin Pedersen (AJ Foyt Racing) at Turn 11, compounded by Herta hitting the wall, led IndyCar to declare a red flag to clean the track.
Grosjean moved past Ericsson just before the final restart – a decision spurred by a blocking penalty on Ericsson.
The final four laps saw Kirkwood leading McLaughlin, Palou, Newgarden, Dixon, and Grosjean. Despite fuel worries, Palou managed to maintain pressure on McLaughlin, but the race ended with no changes in positioning, seeing Kirkwood beat McLaughlin by 0.7633s. Palou managed to outdo title competitor Newgarden for the third position, with Dixon securing fifth place ahead of Grosjean, Ericsson, O’Ward, Lundgaard, and Power.
The final race results are as follows:
- Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Autosport) 1:58’02.3028
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) +0.7633
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) +1.7221
- Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) +3.1416
- Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) +4.1655
- Romain Grosjean (Andretti Autosport) +5.9518
- Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing) +6.4148
- Patricio O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) +6.6966
- Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) +8.0168
- Will Power (Team Penske) +9.0456
The rest of the results can be seen by viewing the full results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about IndyCar Nashville Victory
Who won the IndyCar race in Nashville?
Kyle Kirkwood secured victory at the IndyCar race in Nashville.
How close was the race in Nashville?
The race was closely contested with Kirkwood finishing only 0.7633 seconds ahead of Scott McLaughlin.
How many wins does Kyle Kirkwood have this season?
As of the Nashville race, Kyle Kirkwood has secured two wins in the season.
Who was the pole winner in the IndyCar Nashville race?
Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske was the pole winner in the Nashville IndyCar race.
What caused the red flag in the IndyCar Nashville race?
The red flag in the closing stages of the IndyCar Nashville race was due to a multi-car pileup.
More about IndyCar Nashville Victory
- IndyCar Official Website
- Kyle Kirkwood’s Official Profile
- Scott McLaughlin’s Official Profile
- Race Recap on Motorsport.com
- IndyCar Nashville Race Highlights
