The 2024 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix was the seventeenth and final round of the 2024 IndyCar season. The race was held on September 15, 2024, in Lebanon, Tennessee at the Nashville Superspeedway. Due to the construction of New Nissan Stadium, the race was moved from Nashville Street Circuit to Nashville Superspeedway.[1] This was the last IndyCar race aired on NBC. From 2025 onwards, the IndyCar series will be televised by Fox.
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| 17th round of the 2024 IndyCar season | |
 Layout of the Nashville Superspeedway circuit | |
| Date | September 15, 2024 |
| Official name | Big Machine Music City Grand Prix |
| Location | Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tennessee |
| Course | Superspeedway 1.330 mi / 2.140 km |
| Distance | 206 laps 273.98 mi / 440.8 km |
| Pole position | |
| Driver |  Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Autosport) |
| Time | 23.7702 |
| Fastest lap | |
| Driver |  Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren) |
| Time | 24.2869 (on lap 165 of 206) |
| Podium | |
| First | Colton Herta (Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian) |
| Second | Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren) |
| Third | Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) |
Following the race, Álex Palou would win the 2024 season championship.
Entry list
edit| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Rookie |
| W | Past winner |
Practice
editPractice 1
edit| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |  Alex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 00:23.9565 |
| 2 | 9 |  Scott Dixon W
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 00:23.9583 |
| 3 | 26 | Colton Herta
|
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 00:23.9776 |
| Source:[3] | |||||
Qualifying
editQualifying Classification
editRace
editComing into the race, 3 drivers were mathematically eligible to win the championship, Alex Palou, Will Power, and Scott McLaughlin. However, McLaughlin was eliminated from contention upon race start since Palou started the race. Early in the race, Will Power came to pit road after his seatbelts came loose, in essence eliminating him from the title fight. On lap 55, Felix Rosenqvist ran high out of Turn 2, hitting the wall and bringing out the first caution. He was eliminated from the race. On lap 85, Katherine Legge hit the wall coming out of Turn 4, bringing out the second caution and eliminating her from the race. On lap 137, the third and final caution of the race came out after Marcus Ericsson hit the wall in Turn 4, taking him out of the race.
At the end of the race, Colton Herta fought off a hard-charging Pato O'Ward, who was on a different strategy, to take the win. This was his first win on an oval track.
Points leader Alex Palou finished 11th, securing his 3rd IndyCar championship. Colton Herta would finish 2nd in the standings (–31), and Scott McLaughlin came 3rd (–39).
Race results
editReferences
edit- ^ Pruett, Marshall (14 February 2024). "IndyCar moves season finale to Nashville Speedway". racer.com. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Big Machine Music City Grand Prix entry list" (PDF). September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ "Practice - Results" (PDF). indycar.com. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifications". indycar.com. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ "Race - Results - Final". indycar.com. September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.