Race Highlights | 2026 INDYCAR at Nashville

We should be good to race here in Nashville for the Borchetta Urban Music City Grand Prix. McLaughlin, what a start, already past Newgarden and having a look at Kirkwood. And how about Pelot looking at all the way up top. He's drafting Newgarden now up into third place. He's going to have a great run off of two. The guy going big is the yellow and black car, Will Powers. Joseph Newgarden up front challenges his fellow American. It's Kirkwood and Newgarden side by side off turn four. Kirkwood twitchy on the low side. Newgarden tries to hang it around the top. And as we saw one year ago, that high line as they get incredibly close on that is Kyle Collette. He's loose early. He's already yawed about 20 degrees. That's in turn four before the bump. Joseph Newgarden is going to get one of his out of the way here as well from the middle of pit lane. Alex Pillow also going to the softs and the races one off pit road by Scott McLaughlin. That is huge for Team Penske. He goes now should be very easy for Scott McLaughlin and Kyle Kirkwood on new tires to clear the top three cars. The sweepers have been at work and Kirkwood taking advantage of going to the high side early and McLaughlin trying to get to the high side of their pillow on the inside. They go three wide. Newgarden looks to go with them. Both past Christian Lundgaard. Three wide at the back. Is that V. K. K. V. K. Going high. Dixon in the middle as Armstrong takes it to the E. C. R. Of Alexander Rossi. Malukas on used tires goes right to the front around Louis Foster. And now McLaughlin second team Penske car is Kirkwood clears Foster. Here comes below. Now this is interesting as we ride on board with Christian Rasmussen firing off after Alex Pillow runs wide, runs wide onto the marbles and nearly into the wall. You can't get any closer to crashing than that. Newgarden has a run, but Kirkwood shows him no favors and you are not allowed to cross that yellow line and gain any sort of position. Boy, these are the marbles. He's high. You heard how long he had to get out of the throttle. That was not right. Go by Rasmussen got into the wall. We understand Rasmussen has been flirting with it, and you can see the car crapping as he makes his way down onto pit lane on board. The 21 Splendid Car Rasmussen up high in the marbles and just not respecting that dirty racetrack. He went over 60 laps this time, and he also said the soft are the preferred tire. He needed to run it one more time. They still have another set. They could run in the final stints if they want. If it stays green, David Malukas has a chance to become the first in Simon Pagino to win from last in 2020. If is the big question. Exactly what we said David Malukas didn't need is exactly what he has got on board with Scott Dixon right into the back of Alexander Rossi. Looked like Rossi just slowed down out of absolutely nowhere. Sudden deceleration. I wonder if there was an issue for the ECR driver. The leaders come into their boxes. Yeah, your race leader on pit lane and McLaughlin to his crew. They have already done their two tire designation of the softs are going to go to those hard tires. Jack Green is VK is also putting on the soft tire G. It's his second set. They did have some blistering on the previous one. That's something he's going to have to manage. Kevin Newgarden is one two sets of sauce. He goes to the heart. McLaughlin, Kirkwood, VK, the first three uphill. It's a very, very slow stop for Joseph Newgarden. Pillow chooses now off he runs Kirkwood right with McLaughlin tucked up under his rear wing, looking to the high side on the restart. VK runs with them as Ericsson and Newgarden go wheel to wheel. Ericsson looking for a way through the two time Indy 500 winner. And Newgarden takes some advantage, takes some momentum and gets up apart VK as Kirkwood goes to the inside of McLaughlin. That was a huge move from Newgarden to into one and two, and then another one into three, making big moves. And now these top three are all going at it because we get a replay on board with willpower, taking a look at the McLaren of Pato award ahead of us. And that had a little knock into the wall. We ride on board Marcus Ericsson. Thanks to Delaware Life. Looking out the back, David Maloukas about to make a move. He goes to the high side danger zone right here. He knows it. He tucks back in to keep his car on the clean part of the racetrack. But you could hear how much she had to come off of the throttle because and look at how Maloukas is able to capitalize on that loss of momentum. And up to eight goes David Maloukas. Take another look at this crazy tight gap that David Maloukas was able to find on both Ericsson and Ray Hall. We have just gone to caution. Dennis Hauga. Hello, lucked out on the first one. Unbelievable. When you pick, you wanted to stay green. I think Pillow is actually in the Capra here. You're absolutely right. Pit lane open driver's pit below from the lead. Newgarden Rosenquist, Maloukas and award pillow leads them away. Newgarden up to second. Rosenquist will leave in third. Maloukas will lead in fourth. Pillow will lead us back to green. Newgarden Rosenquist behind him. Then Maloukas and Ericsson and Mick Schumacher, the rookie is six. We go back to racing. Pillow leads Newgarden away. Maloukas already looking around the outside of Rosenquist. Here comes Ericsson. Here comes Schumacher. Ericsson to third. How about Pato Award with a big move on Kiffin Simpson as Ericsson goes to the inside. Ericsson to second. Maloukas to fourth. A couple of Indy 500 champions side by side racing for second place. Joseph being down just a little bit doesn't want him to have that inside line. Did you see Scott McLaughlin? There he is just behind Schumacher. What a restart. And he's going to get Schumacher to the high side. McLaughlin up about five spots on that restart. He is now in the hunt with 29 to go. Wow. What a restart from McLaughlin. Now Maloukas goes with Ericsson. Gets alongside him. Does he have the pace advantage to be able to hang it around the outside? It's so tough to pass around the outside, but he does it. To the cars in front now. McLaughlin trying to work. Oh, he's getting forced down. I like this move though. He's got an advantage now to the inside. It'll be Ericsson that has to drop back. That was gutsy from Scotty Mack. But we had to wait for it. But what a race we've been treated to here at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. Alex Pelot returns to the top step of the podium and victory lane with his fifth win of 2026. Great win, everybody. Great drive, Alex.