It’s time for the final IndyCar race weekend of the 2025 season in Nashville, wit drivers set to go out on track for Practice 1. Which surprises the final oval arce of the season will reserve? A new first time winner, just like last time out in Milwaukee, Palou’s ninth seasonal win or a return on the top spot for a oval specialist?
Latest race winner Christian Rasmussen and Prema’s Callum Ilott will take up a nine places grid penalty for unapproved engine change.
Let’s do this!
Among the first drivers to com out on track there were Defrancesco, Rahal, Ericsson, Ilott, Simpson, Foster, Shwartzmann and the Dale Coyne Racing duo. Palou records the first top speed in the 200 mphs, with Rossi going slighly faster moments after in 200.101mph.
Drivers are getting to know the asphalted oval track, especially familiarizing with the bumpier section of the Nashville layout. Daly return to the pits for a setup change in order to be more performant on the peculiar surface.
Malukas, recovering from heartbreak in Milwaukee as he missed out on a great podium finish because of pit issues, is the first driver to sign a lap in the 201.585 mphs. Twenty minutes into the session, Malukas leads from Dixon, Kirkwood, Palou, O’Ward, Rossi, Herta, Defrancesco, Rosenqvist and Lundgaard.
Daly ran wide high after running over the bump in an unsual way. All the drivers have to familiarize pretty quickly with what they can or can’t get away with at that spot as this is the only IndyCar Nashville Practice session ahead of Qualifying.
A calm afternoon…
Many top drivers are yet to win a race in 2025 because of Palou’s dominance, and Nashville will definitely see big names such as Newgarden, McLaughlin, Herta and Lundgaard try and secure a great finish to their 2025 season.
However, so far the three Penske drivers appear to be struggling once again, with best placed McLaughlin in P16 ahead of Newgarden in P18 and Power in the bottom five.
The Kiwi driver manages to get into the top 10 at the halfway point of the session, settling in P8. The complete top 10 includes Malukas, Dixon, Kirkwood, Rossi, O’Ward, Palou, Simpson, Herta, McLaughlin and Defrancesco.
Latest driver to improve is Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong, who takes over P9 after rcently being confirmed for the 2026 season as well. On the outside of the top ten looking in are Ilott in P11 and Newgarden in P12.
…until it wasn’t.
The first caution of the weekend was issued with 20 minutes left on the clock as Defrancesco’s car no.30 wiggled out and made slight contact with the wall.
Two times race winner in 2025 Kirkwood takes the top spot from the AJ Foyt driver in 201.668mph. Many are the drivers who improved towards the end of the session. In fact, 2024 IndyCar Nashville race winner Herta becomes the third driver to sign a lap in the 201 mphs in Practice , with Ferrucci and Daly moving up to the top 5.
With 10 minutes to go, this was the top 10 for IndyCar Nashville Practice Kirkwood, Lundgaard, Malukas, Herta, Power, Dixon, Ferrucci, Daly, Rossi and O’Ward.
Champion Alex Palou causes the second Caution of the day as he spins while exiting the pit lane, with replays showing him losing the rear and staying on the lower part of the track before stopping on the grass in a cloud of smoke.
Defrancesco confirmed that he will be able to take part in Qualifying later today, as he had only broken, once again, the right rear toe link.
In the final moments of the session Arrow McLaren improves strongly as O’Ward takes P1 with the first 202.357mph of the day, whereas Lundgaard retakes P3 behind Kirkwood, with even Nola Siegel going from P24 he had occupied for the majority of his session to P7.
It’s papaya on top in America too as Pato O’Ward leads the way in Practice for the IndyCar Nashville race. Among the top contenders there definitly will be the Andretti driver as well, with Kirkwood and Herta displaying a great feeling with the track and a lot of speed.
Tune in later for Qualifying!
Complete IndyCar Nashville Practice Results
