INDYCAR RACE REPORT: Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix
Race Results
| Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix |
| Will Power | P20 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | P10 |
| Marcus Ericsson | P6 |
Race Notes
- The Andretti Global INDYCAR team competed at Nashville Superspeedway on Monday afternoon after inclement weather postponed Sunday’s race. Due to extreme heat forecasts, the oval event was shortened from 300 to 225 laps.
- The team secured two top-10 finishes, with Marcus Ericsson taking sixth and Kyle Kirkwood finishing 10th. Will Power finished 20th after contact with the wall.
- The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix had three caution periods totaling 41 laps.
- The NTT INDYCAR SERIES now enters a two-week break before returning to action at Portland International Raceway, which kicks off a six-race stretch over five weeks.
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
P20
| Started | P14 |
| Standings | P11 (220 points) |
- Starting mid-pack in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda, Power advanced early after the green flag before getting loose exiting Turn 4, dropping to 16th within the first five laps.
- He made his first pit stop on Lap 23 under caution, then continued to drop through the field while struggling with balance and low grip. After settling in, he worked his way back to 16th before making his second stop on Lap 88.
- On the Lap 139 restart, Power took the high line out of Turn 2 and made contact with the wall. The incident damaged his right-front tire and right-rear toe link, forcing him to pit for repairs on Lap 145.
- Power returned to the track after repairs and took the checkered flag in 20th place, 16 laps down.
“It was a tough day. We struggled with grip from the start, and the balance wasn’t where it needed to be. We were making some progress, but after the contact on the restart, our race was pretty much over. We’ll take what we learned and move on to Portland.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda
P10
| Started | P1 |
| Standings | P3 (370 points) |
- After securing pole position in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda during Saturday’s qualifying, Kirkwood led the field to green on Monday.
- He maintained the lead early, utilizing strategic lines to build a gap over the field.
- Kirkwood pit on Lap 23 under caution along with most of the field, dropping to second after being beaten out of pit lane by the No. 3 car.
- Shuffling throughout the top three, Kirkwood was running in second when he was passed during pit stops on Lap 131 and cycled back to third.
- During his final stop on Lap 180, an untimely yellow flag caught Kirkwood in pit lane, dropping him out of the top three and rejoining just outside the top 10.
- Kirkwood recovered in the closing laps to finish 10th, securing his 42nd career INDYCAR top-10 finish.
“We started on the pole, led a lot of laps and did everything right; we just got a little unlucky with a couple of things. This one, we can actually say it was unlucky. When other people do the exact same thing, they get super lucky, and we get the other end of it. It’s just one of those days. Nonetheless, the Sam’s Club Honda was super fast all weekend long. We put it up front and could have won the race, but unfortunately, strategy kind of took over.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
P6
| Started | P10 |
| Standings | P9 (250 points) |
- Making his third career Nashville Superspeedway race start this afternoon, Ericsson dropped one position at the start but maintained strong pace to climb back into the top 10 following his first pit stop on Lap 23.
- After his second stop on Lap 85, he continued gaining positions within the top 10.
- Clean pit stops and effective passes allowed Ericsson to move the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda into the top five before the Lap 181 caution.
- On the Lap 194 restart, he briefly vaulted into third before settling into fifth shortly after.
- Ericsson battled through the final laps to take the checkered flag in sixth, marking his best finish on the Nashville oval.
“I think it was a good race. You know, very tough conditions in the heat and it’s an oval. It requires a lot from the whole team. But I think we really executed well. We had good strategy, pit stops and driving. We went for it there in the end, trying to get the win, and I was almost up there fighting for it. But then I got up in the gray and lost a couple of positions. So, dropped back to sixth where we finished. But yeah, overall, we’re happy with our performance. Of course, it would have been nice to be on that podium. But it was still a great day for the Delaware Life Honda and good points there.”
Ron Ruzewski
INDYCAR Team Principal
“This was not the day we were hoping for. We came to Nashville with pretty good cars, but unfortunately, I don’t think sixth, 10th and 20th place was representative of the kind of pace we had in our cars. It turned into a bit of a track position race. Good job for No. 28 car running up front there and making a go at it. The No. 27, unfortunately, got caught out, and the No. 26 just had a struggle today, especially on restarts. It just kind of dictated our day. So, we’ll move away from this one and move on to Portland to try and finish out the season strong.”
