IndyCar: Nashville Music City GP Preview

After a 4-week long break, the NTT IndyCar Series returns with a brand new race on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee this weekend.

Ganassi drivers dominate the point standings with 3 of the top-5.

Alex Palou leads the championship by a thirty-nine point margin over Patricio O’Ward, with Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon not far behind in third place. IndyCar’s most recent winner Josef Newgarden enters his home race in fourth place in the championship, while Marcus Ericsson rounds out the top five in a third Ganassi Honda.

With only six races remaining in the championship, every point is crucial.

This new 3.49 km, 11 turn circuit is uniquely highlighted by the straightaways across the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge.

This weekend will also mark the returns to the grid of Santino Ferrucci for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, reigning Indianapolis 500 Champion Helio Castroneves for Meyer Shank Racing, and NASCAR Cup Series regular Cody Ware for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing (announced yesterday).

New Circuit levels playing field

Since no one has run on this circuit yet, the team that hits on the best setup will likely win the race.

Usually, cars would be set up with the most downforce possible for a street circuit, but the long straights will likely see some teams going with a low downforce setup to maximize straightaway speed, but sacrifice some speed in the twisty sections.

We would be remiss not to make mention of the track’s pit lane, which spans two straightaways. The 90-degree left-hand (Turn 10) in the pitlane will make pit box entry and exit diabolical for the drivers pitting on the curve. Trying to look in your right mirror for a car coming around from the blind spot could lead to some real carnage.

Similar to Mid-Ohio, the start line will be after the second bridge straightaway, with a run through turn eight and into turn nine, where most of the overtaking action will take place. The track designers gave this corner a 75-foot wide corner entry, one of the largest on the calendar, so expect some audacious overtaking attempts here. The finish line is located two corners later in front of Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Music City Grand Prix Street Course from Drone POV

Get a glimpse of the Nashville Street Circuit from the air, IndyCar’s newest venue.

Fast Facts

Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 6 – Sunday, Aug. 8

Track: Streets of Nashville, an 11-turn, a 2.17-mile temporary street course in Nashville, Tennessee

Race distance: 80 laps / 173.6 miles

Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.

Firestone tire allotment: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.

Twitter: @MusicCityGP, @IndyCar, #MusicCityGP, #INDYCAR

Event website: www.musiccitygp.com/

INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2020 race winner: Inaugural event

2020 NTT P1 Award winner: Inaugural event

Qualifying record: Inaugural event

NBCSN telecast: 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, NBCSN (live). Kevin Lee is the lead announcer for NBC Sports telecasts this weekend alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy. Marty Snider and Dave Burns will report from the pit lane.

Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analysts Davey Hamilton and Rob Blackman. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers with Ryan Myrehn and Michael Young in the pit lane. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 205, Sirius 119, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Friday, Aug. 6

3:10-4:25 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Premium (live)

Saturday, Aug. 7

Noon-12:45 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2, Peacock Premium (live)

3:30–4:45 p.m.: Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live)

Sunday, Aug. 8

Noon-12:30 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium (live)

4:30 p.m.: NBCSN on air

4:38 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”

4:45 p.m.: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (80 laps/173.6  miles), NBCSN (Live)

Race notes:

• There have been eight different winners in 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1) and Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
• There have been eight different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Alex Palou, Colton Herta, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden) The only repeat winners in that stretch are O’Ward (Texas-2, 2021 and Belle Isle-2, 2021) and Palou (Barber 2021 and Road America 2021)
• The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will compete on the streets of Nashville for the first time using a new street circuit that incorporates some of the city’s most iconic sites. Among the landmarks incorporated into the 2.17-mile, 11-turn track is the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge and the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. The race’s start of the race will take place over the bridge’s eastbound lanes between Turns 8 and 9.
• Middle Tennessee hosted INDYCAR SERIES racing from 2001-2008 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. Scott Dixon, who won three consecutive races at the 1.33-mile oval from 2006-2008, is one of five drivers entered who raced in the most recent Nashville event along with Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power and Graham Rahal.
• The last driver to win an inaugural event was Will Power, who won the Grand Prix of Baltimore in 2011. The last driver to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship after winning an inaugural event at a track was Dario Franchitti in 2007. Franchitti is grand marshal for this weekend’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.

The 27 cars entered in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is the most in a non-Indianapolis 500 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race since Long Beach in 2013 when 27 cars started that race

Entry List

	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CAR NAME	TEAM	ENGINE
1	2	Josef Newgarden	Nashville, Tennessee	Hitachi Team Penske	Team Penske	Chevrolet
2	3	Scott McLaughlin (R)	Christchurch, New Zealand	DEX Imaging Team Penske	Team Penske	Chevrolet
3	4	Dalton Kellett	Stouffville, Canada	K-Line Insulators / A J Foyt Racing	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	Chevrolet
4	5	Pato O’Ward	Monterrey, Mexico	Arrow McLaren SP	Arrow McLaren SP	Chevrolet
5	06	Helio Castroneves	Sao Paulo, Brazil	Transcard	Meyer Shank Racing	Honda
6	7	Felix Rosenqvist	Värnamo, Sweden	Arrow McLaren SP	Arrow McLaren SP	Chevrolet
7	8	Marcus Ericsson	Kumla, Sweden	Bryant	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda
8	9	Scott Dixon	Auckland, New Zealand	PNC Bank Grow Up Great	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda
9	10	Alex Palou	Barcelona, Spain	NTT Data	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda
10	12	Will Power	Toowoomba, Australia	Verizon 5G Team Penske	Team Penske	Chevrolet
11	14	Sebastien Bourdais	Le Mans, France	ROKiT / A J Foyt Racing	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	Chevrolet
12	15	Graham Rahal	New Albany, Ohio	United Rentals	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	Honda
13	18	Ed Jones	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	SealMaster	Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan	Honda
14	20	Conor Daly	Noblesville, Indiana	U.S. Air Force	Ed Carpenter Racing	Chevrolet
15	21	Rinus VeeKay	Hoofddorp, Netherlands	Sonax / Autogeek	Ed Carpenter Racing	Chevrolet
16	22	Simon Pagenaud	Montmorillon, France	Menards Team Penske	Team Penske	Chevrolet
17	26	Colton Herta	Valencia, California	Gainbridge	Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian	Honda
18	27	Alexander Rossi	Nevada City, California	AutoNation / NAPA AUTO PARTS	Andretti Autosport	Honda
19	28	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	DHL	Andretti Autosport	Honda
20	29	James Hinchcliffe	Toronto, Canada	#ShiftToGreen	Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport	Honda
21	30	Takuma Sato	Tokyo, Japan	Panasonic / Shield Cleansers	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	Honda
22	45	Santino Ferrucci	Woodbury, Connecticut	Hy-Vee	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	Honda
23	48	Jimmie Johnson (R)	El Cajon, California	Carvana	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda
24	51	Romain Grosjean (R)	Geneva, Switzerland	Nurtec ODT	Dale Coyne Racing with RWR	Honda
25	52	Cody Ware (R)	Greensboro, North Carolina	Nurtec ODT	Dale Coyne Racing with RWR	Honda
26	59	Max Chilton	Reigate, England	Carlin	Carlin	Chevrolet
27	60	Jack Harvey	Bassingham, England	AutoNation/SiriusXM	Meyer Shank Racing	Honda

All cars use fourth-generation NTT INDYCAR SERIES chassis (Dallara IR12) with universal IR-18 aerodynamic bodywork, Chevrolet or Honda engines and Firestone tires.

(R) – Denotes Rookie of the Year candidate Issued: 8/2/2021

Fan Events

Here’s a comprehensive list of INDYCAR-related events and industry happenings to watch out for this week, with all times listed as local (Central Time):

Thursday, Aug. 5

INDYCAR Fan Fest:

From 5:30-7:30 p.m., NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes will participate in INDYCAR Fan Fest on Lower Broadway between 1st and 3rd streets.

Don’t miss Music City MINI Grand Prix pedal car races for kids, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car display, an autograph session with NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes, as well as an exciting pit stop competition. This free fan festival will offer Nashville race fans exclusive access to drivers participating in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, as well as an up-close look at what makes the NTT INDYCAR SERIES America’s premier open-wheel series. 2004 INDYCAR SERIES champion Tony Kanaan is an emcee for the pit stop competition.

Drivers to expect at INDYCAR Fan Fest include: Sebastien Bourdais, Max Chilton, Conor Daly, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, James Hinchcliffe, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Rinus VeeKay and Cody Ware.

Josef Newgarden Celebrity Ping Pong Competition:

For the third time, two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden will host a ping pong tournament for the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as for celebrities from the NFL, NASCAR and more.

But for the first time, this event is open to the public.

Fans can head to Pins Mechanical Co. from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday to see an impressive lineup of world-class athletes bring their fierce competitiveness to this doubles ping-pong tournament. All of the ticket proceeds from the event will be donated to SeriousFun Children’s Network.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes you can expect at the Josef Newgarden Celebrity Ping Pong Competition include: Helio Castroneves, Max Chilton, Conor Daly, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, Jack Harvey, Colton Herta, James Hinchcliffe, Dalton Kellett, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou, Will Power, Alexander Rossi and Rinus VeeKay.

SiriusXM ‘Brick-by-Brick’ with Jack Arute and Tony Kanaan, ‘Off Track with Hinch and Rossi:’

Be there as veteran motorsports reporter Jack Arute and 2013 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Kanaan host their radio show “Brick by Brick” on SiriusXM Channel 205 from 7-8 p.m. Thursday at Margaritaville Restaurant at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way South in Nashville.

Each episode, Arute and Kanaan give race fans the latest news, details and analysis from NTT INDYCAR SERIES races and from within the paddock.

After Arute and Kanaan, stay at Margaritaville Restaurant from 8-9 p.m. to see a taping of “Off Track with Hinch and Rossi,” a podcast hosted by NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe, which airs on SiriusXM.

Women with Drive Reception:

From 5-7 p.m. Thursday at AJ’s Good Time Bar on 421 Broadway in Nashville, owned by country music legend Alan Jackson, Women with Drive will host a reception to honor the many successful women in the motorsports industry.

The sold-out event will include networking opportunities and inspiring presentations from women in the automotive industry. Guests include Allison Melangton, senior vice president of Penske Entertainment, and Cindy Lucchese, chief strategic officer of Penske Entertainment.

Friday, Aug. 6

Women with Drive Summit and Play Like a Girl:

Women with Drive will continue to kick the weekend into high gear with an all-day summit at The George Jones on Friday.

This summit benefits Play Like a Girl, a 501(c)3 charitable organization inspiring girls through sport and active play with a mission to ensure that every girl reaches her full potential by providing girls ages 9-13 an opportunity – and in many cases, their only chance – to participate in sport and physical activity.

Panelists at the summit include former NTT INDYCAR SERIES athlete and team owner Sarah Fisher, INDYCAR Vice President of Marketing SJ Luedtke, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Corporate Counsel of Penske Entertainment Jimmie McMillian, Lucchese and Melangton.

Additionally, INDYCAR and Play Like a Girl will bring a group of young women front and center to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES action in Nashville with an at-track experience from 1:30-4:30 p.m. The group will get a jam-packed tour all over the venue that showcases the variety of opportunities and future career paths for women in motorsports, the automotive industry and within the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

This free event at the track for middle school-aged girls and one parent still has spots available. Interested individuals can learn more here.

Drew Green Concert:

Nashville’s prominent country music scene kicks into gear at 5:15 p.m. Friday with Drew Green at the Main Stage. The Main Stage is located on the corner of 1st Street and where the pedestrian bridge across the Cumberland River begins, just next to the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Green, a Nashville-area native, is a singer and songwriter known for songs such as “She Got That” and his debut single “Little More Be Alright.”

Single-day event tickets to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix are valid for entry to the concert.

Saturday, Aug. 7

Concerts:

At the Main Stage at 5 p.m. Saturday, another evening of music will kick off, starting with country music singer and race fan Tim Dugger, known for singles including “You’re Gonna Love Me” and “Beer On A Boat.”

Following Dugger on the Main Stage Saturday night will be Jon Pardi at 8:30 p.m. The Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artist will headline an epic concert the night before the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Known for his critically acclaimed album “Heartache Medication,” Pardi will bring the energy to downtown Nashville before a fireworks show ends the evening.

Single-day event tickets to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix are valid for entry to the concert.

Sunday, Aug. 8

Concert: Grand Ole Opry at the Track

The exhilarating INDYCAR takeover of Nashville concludes Sunday night as one of Nashville’s most iconic venues merges with America’s most iconic open-wheel series with a Grand Ole Opry-style concert at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage, featuring some of country music’s biggest artists.

Don’t miss The Oak Ridge Boys, Justin Moore, Riley Green, Danielle Bradbery and Callista Clark rock downtown Nashville and NTT INDYCAR SERIES race fans during Grand Ole Opry at the Track with a compilation of their greatest hits to date.

Single-day event tickets to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix are valid for entry to the concert.

For more information on the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, visit musiccitygp.com.