Preview: Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix

(INDIANAPOLIS, IN.) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES makes its annual trip to Music City for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. Can points leader Alex Palou get back on track or will one of the contenders emerge?

Race weekend: Saturday, July 18-Sunday, July 19

Track: Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval in Lebanon, Tennessee

Race distance: 300 laps/399 miles

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List 

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 140 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.

Firestone tire allotment: Seven sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and two sets of alternate tires during the race. One additional set is available for use during the high-line group practice session on Saturday.

2025 race winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner:  Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), 47.5178 seconds, 201.520 mph (two laps)

Qualifying lap record: Scott Dixon, 22.6952 seconds, 206.211 mph, July 18, 2003

At-track schedule (all times local):

SATURDAY, JULY 18

9 A.M. – Practice #1

2 P.M. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award

5 P.M. – High Line Session

6 P.M. – Final Practice

4:40 P.M. – Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

• The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls will be the 12th race of the 2026 season. There have been six winners in the first 11 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Detroit), Josef Newgarden (Phoenix Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway), Christian Lundgaard (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Road America), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Arlington), Felix Rosenqvist (Indianapolis 500) and Pato O’Ward (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course).

• The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls will be the fourth oval race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Two of the first three oval races were won by Josef Newgarden of Team Penske (Phoenix Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway). Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian won the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May.

• The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls will be the 11th INDYCAR SERIES event at Nashville Superspeedway. Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden are the only former Nashville Superspeedway winners entered in the event. Dixon won three consecutive races in 2006-08. Newgarden, a native of Hendersonville, Tenn., has won 13 of the last 30 oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule (2021-present), including last year’s race. Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood won the three editions of the Music City Grand Prix held on the streets of downtown Nashville.

• Twenty-two drivers have previous starts at Nashville Superspeedway. Scott Dixon has the most starts, with eight. Eleven drivers have led laps at the track: Dixon 248, Pato O’Ward 137, Josef Newgarden 114, Kyle Kirkwood 67, Alexander Rossi 48, Alex Palou 11, David Malukas 9, Scott McLaughlin 7, Will Power 5, Rinus VeeKay 2 and Marcus Armstrong 1.

• Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 368th consecutive start, extending his record streak.
  
  Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 268th consecutive start, the third-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
  
  Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 231st consecutive start, the sixth-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.