Race Report: 2021 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix

Session Notes:

• Prior to the start of the 80-lap race, the ambient temperature at the Nashville street circuit was 91 degrees with 50% relative humidity and partly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 118 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti gave the command to start engines, and all cars except for the No. 48 Honda of Jimmie Johnson started and were rolling on the grid. Johnson eventually joined the field, but had to start from the rear.
• The first lap began at the finish line on the front straight, but the green flag didn't fly until pole sitter Colton Herta led the field to the start-line flag stand between Turns 8 and 9.
• The race was messy, with nine caution periods, two red flags and nine in-race penalties. There were a total of 33 caution laps representing 41% of the race distance.
  • Lap 2: Dalton Kellett stopped on the frontstretch in the No. 4 Chevrolet. The leaders during the first caution were Herta, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon, Romain Grosjean and Felix Rosenqvist.
  • Lap 4: Herta led the field on the restart from the first caution, but contact between Marcus Ericsson and Sebastien Bourdais in the middle of the pack brought out the second full-course caution. The incident, which involved Ericsson's No. 8 Honda climbing up and and partially over Bourdais' No. 14 Chevrolet before slamming back to the ground, occurred between Turns 10 and 11 heading to the restart. Both cars continued on course and returned to the pits with damage. Ericsson was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact.
  • Lap 16: Scott McLaughlin spun in the No. 3 Chevrolet after contact with the No. 18 Honda of Ed Jones in Turn 4. Leaders under the third caution were Herta, Rossi, Dixon, Grosjean and Rosenqvist. Jones was later assessed a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.
  • Lap 19: On the restart following the third caution, multiple cars came together in Turn 11 bringing out the fourth caution which led to the first red flag. Involved in the incident were the cars of Alex Palou, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Rinus VeeKay, Takuma Sato, Santino Ferrucci, Johnson and Grosjean. Johnson was later disqualified for unapproved work under a red flag.
  • Lap 31: The No. 21 Chevrolet of VeeKay made contact with the tire barrier in Turn 1, bringing about the fifth full-course caution period. The lead group including Herta used the opportunity to pit.
  • Lap 40: McLaughlin spun the No. 3 Chevrolet in Turn 9 after contact with the No. 12 Chevrolet of Will Power. While stopped on course, the No. 4 Chevrolet of Kellett made contact with McLaughlin's car necessitating the race's sixth full-course caution. Power was later assessed a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact. Both McLaughlin and Kellett were checked and released from the care center and were cleared to drive.
  • Lap 51: Contact between the No. 5 Chevrolet of Pato O'Ward and the No. 27 Honda of Alexander Rossi in Turn 4 led to the seventh full-course caution. O'Ward was later issued a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.
  • Lap 55: The race's eighth full-course caution was for the No. 52 Honda of Cody Ware stopped on course in Turn 3. Ware was later disqualified for failure to participate at a competitive speed.
  • Lap 75: While chasing leader Ericsson, Herta made contact with the barrier in Turn 9. The top five under the ninth caution consisted of Ericsson, Dixon, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal. Due to being close to the end of the race, INDYCAR elected to display the second red flag to allow for track cleanup and a green-flag finish.
• The shootout for the race win following the ninth caution began at the conclusion of Lap 78 with two laps to go. Ericsson managed to hold off teammate Dixon,and took the white flag with a 1.2838-second lead.
• Ericsson crossed the finish line with a 1.5596-second margin of victory, earning his second win of 2021 and the second win of is NTT IndyCar Series career.
• Official points after Nashville:
  • Palou: 410
  • Dixon: 368 (-42)
  • O'Ward: 362 (-48)
  • Newgarden: 335 (-75)
  • Ericsson: 331 (-79)
  • Rahal: 286 (-124)
  • Pagenaud: 280 (-130)
  • Herta: 275 (-135)
  • VeeKay: 263 (-147)
  • Sato: 231 (-179)
    

Session Notes:

• At the start of the 30-minute warm-up session, the ambient temperature was 86 degrees with 63% relative humidity. The track temperature was 109 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• Near the halfway point of warm-up, the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet of Rinus VeeKay spun and made light contact into the tires at Turn 4. VeeKay was penalized five minutes of practice time for causing a red flag.
• The session resumed with 15 minutes to go, but paused again six minutes later when the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet of Felix Rosenqvist stopped on track in Turn 1. Rosenqvist received a five-minute time penalty for causing a red flag.
• After resuming with seven minutes remaining, warm-up ended a minute early when the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Jimmie Johnson spun and made wall contact in Turn 4.
• Having been involved in the most severe of the three incidents, Johnson was checked and released from the care center and is cleared to drive according to INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows.
• Graham Rahal's 1:15.8489 ended the session as the fastest lap, although it was only 0.0305 seconds quicker than Scott Dixon's best lap. Dixon will start alongside Colton Herta on the front row while Rahal will take the green flag from middle of the grid.

Session Notes:

• Qualifying on the streets of Nashville was held in three segments. Round 1 was split into two groups with the fastest six drivers in each group advancing to Round 2. The third segment consisted of the fastest six drivers from Round 2. Each of the first two segments featured 10 minutes of track time with no guaranteed green-flag time while Round 3 had six minutes of guaranteed green-flag time.
• At the start of qualifying, the ambient temperature was 90 degrees with 48% relative humidity and mostly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 123 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• Round 1 Group 1 had limited green-flag time due to a red flag caused by Jimmie Johnson two minutes into the session. The No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was penalized its two fastest laps and the ability to advance, relegating Johnson to a starting position of 25th.
• Round 1 Group 2 had on-track incidents under review but no red flags. The only penalty was issued to Cody Ware and the No. 52 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda for qualifying interference.
• On his final lap of Round 2 qualifying, Josef Newgarden made hard contact with the wall in Turn 2. Race Control judged Newgarden to have caused a local yellow that impeded another competitor, stripping the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet of its fastest lap. While he was not disallowed from advancing to the third round, his second-fastest qualifying lap dropped Newgarden out of the top six.
• Colton Herta's 1:13.6835 in Round 3 secured the NTT P1 Award for the Andretti Autosport driver and established the qualifying track record for the Nashville street circuit.

Session Notes:

• Practice 2 was 45 minutes and duration and featured all 27 entries.
• Green at noon local time, the session fell under a red flag three minutes later when Scott Dixon stopped on course in Turn 4 after a spin for the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
• Green-flag practice resumed for 21 minutes until Scott McLaughlin made light contact with the Turn 6 wall in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet.
• After resuming following McLaughlin's incident, the red flag returned with five minutes remaining on the clock when Alexander Rossi made Turn 10 contact in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda.
• With one minute of the session's scheduled duration remaining, INDYCAR allowed all eligible drivers — which excluded McLaughlin and Rossi, who were both assessed five-minute time penalties that had yet to be served — one final timed lap.
• The last lap was a messy one, with multiple cars off course in Turn 10 including another spin and minor wall hit for Dixon.
• As with Practice 1, Colton Herta was again fastest overall in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda.

Session Notes:

• At the start of the 75-minute session, the ambient temperature was 82 degrees with 66% relative humidity and overcast skies. The track temperature was 98 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• Twenty-two minutes after the green flag, Pato O'Ward brought the session to a halt when he made front-end contact in Turn 3, damaging the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and causing an eight-minute red flag period. O'Ward was penalized five minutes of practice time for causing a red flag. He was later checked and released from the care center and is cleared to drive.
• Four minutes before the scheduled end of practice, Conor Daly brought out the second red flag when he made right-side contact with the tire barrer in Turn 9. With limited time remaining, INDYCAR elected to show the checkered three minutes later.
• At the conclusion of the session, Colton Herta's 1:16.5875 was the fastest lap and represents the time to beat as the series embarks on its first Nashville street race.