News

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix presented by Gainbridge 

Lebanon, Tennessee

September 14, 2024

After 16 rounds of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, it all comes down to Sunday's Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway to decide the champion. Two-time winner of the Astor Cup, Will Power, trails points leader Alex Palou by 33 markers as the series returns to the 1.33-mile oval in the Nashville suburbs for the first time since 2008. 

Driving for Team Penske, Power has the resources of the organization that has won five of the six oval races on the season at his disposal. If he can complete the comeback that began three races ago at Portland, Power and reigning champion Palou will have alternated titles over the last four seasons. 

Following a 90-minute practice session to start the Saturday activities, it was hometown superstar Josef Newgarden who led Team Penske in qualifying by placing his No. 2 Astemo Chevrolet on the outside of the first row. Only .04 seconds separated Newgarden from pole winner Kyle Kirkwood over the course of their two-lap qualifying runs. Power, who can place no lower than third at the end of Sunday's 206-lap to have any shot at the title, qualified his No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet in the fourth position with Palou qualifying 15th before he receives a nine-position grid penalty tomorrow for an engine change. This puts 20 positions between the two contenders at the drop of the green flag. Scott McLaughlin, owner of his first two oval wins this season, qualified his No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet in the ninth position. 

The rain that dominated the forecast for much of the week finally interrupted the activities as the teams were preparing for the final practice of the season. After a delay of slightly over three hours the teams were able to take to the track to try and work in a second groove with Firestone rubber in preparation for tomorrow's championship finale.  

Coverage of tomorrow's Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will begin at 3:00 pm ET on NBC and Peacock. 

Josef Newgarden

First Practice - 15th
Qualifying - 2nd
Final Practice - 9th

Scott McLaughlin 

First Practice - 7th
Qualifying - 9th
Final Practice - 8th

Will Power

First Practice - 6th
Qualifying - 4th
Final Practice - 15th

WHERE THERE'S A WILL...: Will Power enters the Nashville race weekend with a strong shot to win his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. He is one of only three drivers in the field to have competed at Nashville Superspeedway the last time the series visited in 2008. While much has changed since then there is no substitute for experience, which showed in qualifying with Power securing a fourth place starting position. 

TEAM PENSKE AT NASHVILLE: Team Penske has competed at Nashville Superspeedway in three different series in the team's 58-year history, notching one win in each of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Gil de Ferran scored the team's INDYCAR SERIES win in the 2003 Firestone Indy 200 for the 116th win in Team Penske history. 
 

THEY SAID IT: "Wish we could have been more aggressive there at the end, but you're taking a guess at it. We all are. So, it was a good run. Our car was really solid. Just probably could have been more aggressive after doing it. The bump in turn three is going to be  part of the challenge, but I think we'll have a good car underneath us. Team Chevy's done a great job, and I love driving the Astemo car. I think it's good looking on the track. The race is hard to 100% say just now. I'm hoping we get a lot of drop off with the tires. That's going to make the show good. Excited to be home so for me, just for qualifying, is like some of the most people I've seen. Milwaukee was similar, so I think Big Machine has done a great job I think we're going to have a good crowd here, so thanks to them. I'm excited to see what tomorrow looks like."
- Josef Newgarden