By David Morgan, Associate Editor
LEBANON, Tenn. – Since rolling into the Music City in 2021, the NTT IndyCar Series has raced in the throes of the city, with both downtown Nashville and the Tennessee Titans stadium as a backdrop.
However, the grand plans of moving the race to a new street layout that would include a stretch of Broadway fell through, forcing the season finale outside the city to Nashville Superspeedway to contest the championship race at a track that the series has not raced at since 2008.
The 1.333-mile D-shaped concrete oval closes out the 2024 season in which Alex Palou is on the cusp of winning his third championship in the past four years.
The driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda currently holds a 33-point lead over Team Penske’s Will Power and Scott McLaughlin. Should Power come away with max points and the victory, Palou only needs to finish ninth or better to claim the Astor Cup once again.
Palou has had a stranglehold on the IndyCar points lead since the series raced in Monterrey back in June, with the rest of the paddock playing catch up ever since.
In addition, IndyCar has announced that teams and drivers will have both primary and alternate Firestone tires available to them this weekend, with teams mandated to have to run at least two of the alternate reds during Sunday’s race.
Teams will have a Saturday full of activity to get their bearings around the facility, kicking off with morning practice, leading into qualifying in the early afternoon and a final practice to get things dialed in later this evening before turning around for race day on Sunday.
The track time on Saturday will be highly beneficial to the majority of the paddock that has never turned a lap at this track. A few teams have been able to test at the track, but Saturday will definitely have a learning curve for almost everyone.
By the Numbers
What: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, NTT IndyCar Series Race No. 17 of 17
Where: Nashville Superspeedway – Lebanon Tennessee (Opened: 2001)
When: Sunday, September 15
TV/Radio: NBC & Peacock 12:00 p.m. ET / INDYCAR Radio Network (SiriusXM Channels 85 & 160)
Track Size: 1.333-mile D-shaped concrete oval
Banking: 14 degrees in Turns, 9 degrees on front straightaway, 6 degrees on back straightaway
Race Length: 206 laps/273.98 miles
2023 Race Winner (Street Course): Kyle Kirkwood – No. 27 Andretti Global Honda (Started eighth, 34 laps…
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