Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing look to move closer to championship in Nashville

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) will attempt to continue its dominance this weekend in downtown Nashville – and in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – during the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix street race. And among CGR’s drivers in the field will be INDYCAR points leader Alex Palou, again behind the wheel in the No. 10 American Legion Honda featuring the Legion’s Be the One message.

Both Nashville street races have been won by CGR drivers – Marcus Ericsson in 2021 and Scott Dixon in 2022. Palou had a third-place finish last year and will look to extend his remarkable consistency he’s exhibited this season in building an 80-point series lead over second-place Josef Newgarden.

In 2023, Palou has finished in the top 10 in all 12 races, with 10 top fives, seven top threes and four wins. A fifth win will make him the first CGR driver to win five races in one season since 2009. Palou leads INDYCAR in average finishing position (3.5), average starting position (5.5) and podium appearances. Palou struggled during qualifying in the most recent Iowa Speedway doubleheader July 22-23 but still managed a third-place finish in the Sunday race.

“Iowa wasn’t the best of weekends, but we got a podium in the No. 10 American Legion Honda,” Palou said via CGR media. “We kept improving every session throughout the weekend and now I am very excited for Nashville. We know it is going to be tough, but Chip Ganassi Racing has managed to get wins in both years, so hopefully we can make it three in a row. We’ve had a ton of speed there and it will be about surviving to get to victory lane on Sunday. It is exciting to get to this stretch of the championship run.”  

Ericsson and CGR teammate Marcus Armstrong also will both carry American Legion branding this weekend. Driving the No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda, Ericsson currently sits in fourth place in the INDYCAR points standings, just 27 points out of third place behind Dixon. Ericsson has won three street course races since coming to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020; no other driver has won more street races during that span.

“I’m excited for Nashville, where I have good memories having won the race two years ago in the first-ever Music City Grand Prix,” Ericsson said. “It is one of the highlights of my career so far. For us, going back to a street course is exciting. We know we have a very strong package on street courses, and I feel very comfortable in those races myself. We’re very much in a good position for the championship, and we need to have another strong weekend for the No. 8 team and for Chip Ganassi Racing.”

Armstrong looks to continue his strong rookie season in his debut in the Music City Grand Prix driving the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda. Armstrong leads the INDYCAR rookie standings despite only racing on the road and street courses, recording an average finish of 8.5 on the latter – fourth-best in INDYCAR this season. He’s coming off a personal-best seventh-place finish in the Honda Indy Toronto race July 16.

"Nashville is a fantastic city, and it will be quite the vibe racing downtown,” Armstrong said. “It will be tough, but I think this layout will serve our team well and we've been consistently fast on street circuits. Nashville has been one of the races that has been circled on the calendar for me. It's going to be a good one and I can't wait to show what we've learned in previous street tracks and attack it head-on. It will be bumpy and difficult, just like Toronto and Detroit, which are two circuits we've done well on. There's no reason why we can't go out there and do a great job in Nashville.”

Also this weekend, CGR developmental driver Kyffin Simpson will compete in the INDY NXT by Firestone Motor City Grand Prix while carrying American Legion branding. Simpson currently sits in ninth place in the series points race, with four top-10 finishes and two podium appearances.

The 80-lap, 168-mile Big Machine Music City Grand Prix runs through downtown Nashville, running past Nissan Stadium and crossing the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Cumberland River.

Events this weekend will kick off Thursday night during the free FanFest on Broadway and will include the Pit Stop Challenge featuring six NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and teams as the highlight. The challenge starts at 6 p.m. local time and is co-sponsored by The American Legion, Pennzoil and Hy-Vee.

And through its partnership with INDYCAR as an official charity of the racing series, The American Legion will select veterans to serve as honorary pit crew members for the six participating INDYCAR teams. The honorary pit crew member from the winning team will be rewarded with four three-day reserved grandstand tickets and an exclusive invitation to the Champions Party. Alongside the honorary pit crew roles, a Legionnaire will take on the role of Honorary Starter for the event.

This weekend’s broadcast schedule (all times ET):

·         Friday, Aug. 4 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, 4-5:15 p.m. (Peacock).

·         Saturday, Aug. 5 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2, 11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.; NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifications, 2:45-4:15 p.m. (both Peacock).

·         Sunday, Aug. 6 – INDY NXT race, 10:05-11:15 a.m. (Peacock); NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, noon-3 p.m. (NBC and Peacock).