2023 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix

Race Notes

• The 2023 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix was 80 laps on the 2.1-mile temporary street circuit around Nissan Stadium totaling 168 miles. The race would have become a two-hour timed race if there were wet conditions.
• The pit road speed limit was 40 mph and the pit window was approximately 25–32 laps under green-flag conditions. Pole sitter Scott McLaughlin gridded drivers' left and the green flag to start the race was shown the fourth time by the start line on the backstretch.
• At 11:20 a.m. CDT, 10 minutes before the scheduled green-flag time, the ambient temperature was 86 degrees with 69% relative humidity and partly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 110 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• At 11:23 a.m., Scott Borchetta gave the command, "Drivers, start your engines." All 27 cars started, however Will Power did not have his radio earplugs and the team had to retrieve a backup set. Power was able to join the field in his original position.
• On Lap 1, the race lap count and clock began at the finish line. However, the initial start was waved off due to the field being too spread out. The first lap was run under caution.
• On Lap 2, McLaughlin led the field past the start line into Turn 9 and continued to lead until his first pit stop on Lap 25.
• On Lap 13, the race's second full-course yellow flag came out when the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda of David Malukas stopped off course in Turn 9 with rear wing damage. The race resumed with a restart on Lap 15.
• Due to an early pit stop on Lap 14, Alex Palou inherited the race lead on Lap 33 and held it until his second pit stop on Lap 45. At that time, the No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda of Kyle Kirkwood assumed the race lead.
• Kirkwood pitted from the lead on Lap 51. After green-flag stops were completed, Kirkwood reassumed the lead on Lap 54.
• Kirkwood's lead over the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet of Scott McLaughlin ranged from 2.3666 seconds on Lap 55 to 3.4703 seconds on Lap 70.
• On Lap 71, the race's third full-course yellow flag flew for the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Linus Lundqvist which made contact with the barrier in Turn 11. Leaders at the start of the caution were Kirkwood, McLaughlin, Palou, Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon. After the caution came out, the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda of Jack Harvey made contact in Turn 8 and continued on track with a damaged front wing.
• Pits opened on Lap 73 but no cars elected to stop.
• The race restarted on Lap 74 with Kirkwood leading the field through the restart zone in Turn 10. Behind, a multi-car incident in Turn 11 brought out the race's fourth full-course yellow flag. Involved in the incident were Felix Rosenqvist, Agustin Canapino and Benjamin Pedersen.
• Due to the need for track cleanup, INDYCAR issued a red flag. The red condition lasted for 11 minutes.
• The race restarted on Lap 77 with Kirkwood leading the field.
• Kirkwood went on to take the white flag with an advantage of 0.9833 seconds over McLaughlin.
• Kirkwood crossed the finish line 0.7633 seconds ahead of McLaughlin to claim his second win of 2023 and the second victory of his NTT IndyCar Series career.
• Unofficial points after the 2023 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix:
  1. Palou 513
  2. Newgarden 429 (-84)
  3. Dixon 387 (-126)
  4. McLaughlin 371 (-142)
  5. Ericsson 357 (-156)
  6. O'Ward 353 (-160)
  7. Power 337 (-176)
  8. Lundgaard 297 (-216)
     

Qualifying Notes

• Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award consists of three segments. In the first round, each group receives 10 minutes of track time with the clock starting when the first car hits the alternate start-finish line. The fastest six cars from each group advance to Round 2 while the remaining cars are assigned positions 13 to 27. Group 1 drivers will occupy the odd-numbered positions while Group 2 drivers will occupy the even-numbered positions based on their fastest lap times. During Round 2, the 12 advancing cars receive 10 minutes of track time with the fastest six cars advancing to the Firestone Fast Six while the remaining cars are ranked in positions seven through 12 based on their fastest laps. During the Firestone Fast Six, the six cars receive six minutes of guaranteed green-flag time. At the end of session, cars are ranked one through six based on their fastest laps.
• Due to inclement weather around Nissan Stadium in Nashville, qualifying was pushed back from 1:45 p.m. CDT to 5:15 p.m. In addition to the qualifying change, final practice was also canceled.
• The start of Group 1 qualifying was delayed by nine minutes due to track preparations following the previous session. During Group 1, Benjamin Pedersen caused a red flag when his No. 55 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet stopped in the Turn 11 runoff and required assistance. Pedersen's two fastest laps were deleted and he was unable to advance to Round 2.
• While multiple incidents during Group 2 qualifying were under review by the race stewards, only Jack Harvey was penalized for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor. Harvey was stripped of his best lap to the point of the infraction.
• Round 2 featured three penalties and one red flag:
  • Will Power's first lap was invalidated for shortcutting the course.
  • David Malukas caused a local yellow that affected another competitor and was stripped of his fastest lap up to the point of the infraction.
  • Scott Dixon lost his two fastest laps and the ability to advance when he brought out a red flag with less than a minute left on the clock. Dixon made contact with the barrier in Turn 11. He was later seen and released from the IU Health INDYCAR Medical Unit.
• Pato O'Ward, Colton Herta, Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin, Romain Grosjean and David Malukas were the six fastest Round 2 drivers and advanced to the Firestone Fast Six.
• At the conclusion of Round 3, McLaughlin's 1:14.6099 earned him the NTT P1 Award in Nashville, his fourth career NTT IndyCar Series pole. O'Ward will start on the front row alongside McLaughlin with the second-fastest Firestone Fast Six lap, a 1:14.9395.
  

Session Notes

• Rain delayed the start of Practice 2 by 50 minutes and reduced the session's duration from 45 minutes to 30 minutes.
• At 11:30 a.m. CDT, the green flag was displayed. Cars were allowed to use rain tires.
• Practice 2 was free of red flags until 11:57 a.m., when the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Linus Lundqvist stopped off course in the Turn 4 runoff. Lundqvist was assessed a five-minute time penalty for causing a red flag.
• The session concluded at noon with Marcus Ericsson fastest. He turned a lap time of 1:31.7999 in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
  

Session Notes

• Practice 1 for the 2023 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix started three minutes late at 3:03 p.m. CDT. The session was 75 minutes in duration.
• Practice was green until 4:12 p.m., when the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet of Callum Ilott went off course in Turn 11. Ilott was penalized five minutes of practice time for causing a red flag.
• Three minutes after the 4:14 p.m. green flag, the No. 55 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet of Benjamin Pedersen went off course at the same turn as Ilott. Pedersen was penalized five minutes of practice time for causing a red flag.
• The session did not resume after the second red flag.
• Will Power had the fastest lap, a 1:16.4042 in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet.