By: Spencer Neff
July 17, 2026
This weekend, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to its fourth oval of 2026, the 1.33-mile Nashville Sueprspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. Sunday’s race is the lone fully-concrete venue of the season and the single oval race contested on a track between 1.25 and 2.5 miles in length: longer than Worldwide Technology Raceway but shorter than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sunday’s 300-lap Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix is the 11th race at the Nashville SuperSpeedway since its 2001 opening but just the sixth run with the current “Music City Grand Prix” name attached (2021-2023 was run on the streets of Nashville). In 2024 and 2025, the race was the season finale.
This year’s race will also be longer than any other held at Nashville Superspeedway. 300 laps is 75 more than 2025, 94 more than 2024 and 100 more than what had been run in 2001-2008.
It will be the longest race of 2026 outside the Indianapolis 500 and the highest number of laps run in a race since Iowa Speedway (Race 2) in 2022, also 300 laps.
399 miles is also the longest race distance outside the Indianapolis 500 since the 375-mile race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023.
Here’s a look at some of the weekend’s major stories to watch.
Headlines
After their dominant weekend that culminated with 1-2 finishes in both qualifying and the race at Mid-Ohio two weekends ago, Arrow McLaren confirmed the first major signing for 2026-2027 “silly season”.
On July 6, the organization announced that 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist will return to Arrow McLaren next year while six-time INDYCAR Champion Scott Dixon will move on after 25 years at Chip Ganassi Racing and join former teammate Rosenqvist in 2027.
Arrow McLaren’s current drivers Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, do not have confirmed plans for the upcoming season while CGR and Meyer Shank Racing have not announced the 2027 drivers for the No. 9 and No. b66 car respectively. Marcus Armstrong has signed a contract extension with MSR and will move to the No. 60 (Rosenqvist’s current entry) after two seasons driving the No. 66.
O’Ward, the Mid-Ohio winner, led 119 laps in the 2025 race at Nashville before a flat tire led to a race-ending crash. He is currently fifth, 94 points behind CGR’s Alex Palou in the championship standings.
Palou leads by 56 over 2024 Nashville pole sitter Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global.
2025 winner Josef Newgarden and Dixon (2006-2008) are the only former Nashville Superspeedway winners entered in this weekend’s field.
The Music City Grand Prix presents an additional challenge for the 25-car field. It will be the only race that features multiple tire compound options for the race (more on that in Fast Facts).
Fast Facts
Seven sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use
one set of primary and two sets of alternate tires during the race. One additional set is available
for use during the high-line group practice session on Saturday.
X: @musiccitygp, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR, #MusicCityGP
Instagram: @musiccitygp, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR, #MusicCityGP
Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Facebook: @MusicCityGP, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR, #MusicCityGP
TikTok: @MusicCityGP, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR, #MusicCityGP
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.musiccitygp.com
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2025 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet)
2025 NTT P1 Award winner:
Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), 47.5178 seconds, 201.520 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Scott Dixon, 22.6952 seconds, 206.211 mph, July 18, 2003
Note: Qualifying records based on time, not speed.
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 10 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live);
Qualifying, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, FOX (live); High Line Session/Final practice, 6 p.m. ET Saturday,
FS2; Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls, Approx 5:35 p.m. ET,
Sunday, FOX, FOX One (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside
analyst Davey Hamilton. Michael Young is the turn announcer. Jake Query, Ryan Myrehn and DJ
Clark are the pit reporters. The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls
race (5 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, NTT P1 Award qualifying (3 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM INDYCARNation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times Central):
SATURDAY, JULY 18
9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, FS1
2 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps, FOX
5 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES High Line Session (Two groups, four alternating 10-minute
sessions), FS2
6-7 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, FS2
SUNDAY, JULY 19
4:35 p.m. – FOX on air (all times approximate, based on World Cup Final)
4:35 p.m. – Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls “Drivers, start your
engines”
4:40 p.m. – Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls (300 laps/399
miles), FOX (Live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR, Fast Facts by INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 