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INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

INDYCAR SERIES

 

www.indycar.com

photos courtesy INDYCAR SERIES

The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, IndyCar, LLC, which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series, unifying the history and statistics of both series (as well as those from their predecessors).

Palou Drives Closer to Fourth Straight Title With Nashville Victory

LEBANON, Tenn. (Monday, July 20, 2026) – One day after his native Spain won the FIFA World Cup, Alex Palou’s path to another championship cup – the Astor Challenge Cup – became considerably shorter after his victory Monday in the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls at Nashville Superspeedway.

Reigning and four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou took an 83-point lead – a gap of well more than a race’s worth of points – over David Malukas in the series standings with his fifth victory of the season and 24th career victory in this race that was delayed a day by rain. There are just six races remaining this season as Palou attempts to earn a record-tying fourth consecutive Astor Challenge Cup as season champion and fifth overall title.

SEE: Race Results

“That’s a pretty cool weekend for Spain,” Palou said. “It’s impressive what they did yesterday in the World Cup, and I’m happy to top it off today on Monday. My first-ever win on Monday – I’ve never raced on a Monday. So, pretty cool.”

Palou, who started fourth, led the last 95 laps of the 225-lap race to beat the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet of reigning Nashville winner and recent series oval master Josef Newgarden by .8731 of a second. Malukas drove from 25th on the starting grid to finish third in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Scott McLaughlin put three Team Penske drivers in the top four in the No. 2 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet, while 2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda.

Palou used a mix of speed and good fortune to climb to the lead shortly past the halfway point of the race. He wasn’t happy with the handling of his car during his first two fuel stints, but adjustments during his pit stops on Lap 123 and Lap 185 turned his yellow car into a rocket.

He also got some good fortune before the stop on Lap 123. Palou had just entered the pits three-tenths of a second before they closed when the second of three caution flags in the race unfurled for a collision between six-time series champion Scott Dixon in the No. 9 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet.

Other members of the lead pack at the time, including Newgarden, McLaughlin, pole sitter Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global and Rinus VeeKay in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, did not pit before the caution and were forced to wait until the pits opened.

Palou cycled to the lead on Lap 131 when those drivers made their stops and never trailed thereafter. But this was far from a stroll to the checkered flag in the remaining laps on the 1.33-mile concrete oval.

On their final stops ranging between 40 and 47 laps to go, Newgarden, Rosenqvist and Malukas each took the softer, grippier but less-durable Firestone Firehawk alternate tires for the dash to the checkered flag. Palou and strategist Barry Wanser bucked that trend and chose Firestone’s primary Firehawk tire.

That figured to play a role in the final restart on Lap 194 after rookie Dennis Hauger made contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3 on Lap 181 to trigger the final caution. Palou appeared vulnerable on the harder primary tires compared to his pursuers on the grip-laden, softer alternate tires.

But Palou masterfully made minute adjustments to his racing line to keep Newgarden, Rosenqvist and Malukas at bay, maintaining a gap of two- to six-tenths of a second from Newgarden in the next 15 laps.

Then Palou’s more durable primary tires kept their speed as he navigated lapped traffic in the last five laps, and he eased away to the victory, the third of his career on an oval.

“Saturday, I was not that comfortable in the car,” Palou said. “But Julian (Robertson, engineer) and everybody on the 10 and CGR prepared a really, really good car for today. The beginning of the race we were not that comfortable in traffic, but the last two stints I was just super comfortable.

“It was a close battle there with Newgarden. It just seemed like he had so much speed there, and I was flat-out for the last 30, 35 laps. Just awesome to win here.”

Malukas was one of the stars of the show in sunny, steamy conditions, with air temperatures reaching the low 90s and track temperatures approaching 140 degrees. He climbed from 25th to the lead by Lap 33, using an alternate pit strategy, and led McLaughlin by nearly two seconds when he was caught out by pitting just before the caution involving Dixon and Rossi.

That dropped Malukas – who spent time Saturday afternoon in an area hospital after a hard crash in practice – to 14th on the restart on Lap 139. But he threaded his way back into contention and was up to fourth by Lap 194.

“That was a team effort,” Malukas said. “I’ve never driven so hard in my life.”

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Portland International Raceway. It’s the first of six races on five consecutive weekends in a feverish sprint to finish the 2026 season and settle the title race.

Rain Forces Postponement of Nashville Race Until 3 P.M. ET Monday
LEBANON, Tenn. (Sunday, July 19, 2026) – A downpour swept through Middle Tennessee on Sunday evening, ending track drying at Nashville Superspeedway from earlier storms and forcing the postponement of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls to 3 p.m. ET Monday, July 20.

FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will broadcast the 300-lap race NTT INDYCAR SERIES race live.

Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global will lead the 25-car field to the green flag from the pole in the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda.

 

Kirkwood Snatches Nashville Pole From Oval King Josef Newgarden

 

LEBANON, Tenn. (Saturday, July 18, 2026) – Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti Global delivered a mighty qualifying effort Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, edging oval master Josef Newgarden to win the NTT P1 Award for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls.

Kirkwood earned his first pole of the season and fourth of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with a two-lap average speed of 196.852 mph in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda. That dramatic run, the second-to-last in the qualifying order, validated the speed Kirkwood showed by leading practice Saturday morning on the 1.33-mile concrete oval.

SEE: Qualifying Results

“Quite honestly, it’s the car that Andretti gives me here,” Kirkwood said. “We were quick in practice. We’ve been good here the past couple of years.

“I did the same as everybody else is doing, right? You just hold it flat, and you hope your car goes fast. They built a really good car around me, did everything right. I managed the tools a little bit, got aggressive with some trim. It worked out well.”

This is the second career oval pole for Florida native Kirkwood. He also won the top spot for this event in 2024, with Newgarden also qualifying second.

Newgarden took the top spot today on a steamy afternoon with his two-lap average of 196.642 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, looking to remind everyone why he is the dominant oval racer of recent years in the series. He has won 13 of the last 30 circle-track events, including this race last year.

But four drivers later, Kirkwood blasted out of the gates with an opening lap of 197.382 – the only lap in the entire session faster than 197 mph – and hung on to seize the pole from Nashville-area native Newgarden, still recovering from a foot injury suffered in a crash in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

“We have a great car here,” Newgarden said. “We started earlier this morning really well. The team did everything they could today, and we have a good viewpoint for tomorrow now.”

Team Penske took two of the top three spots on the starting grid as Scott McLaughlin qualified third at 196.087 in the No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet. Reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou will join McLaughlin on the second row after qualifying fourth at 196.050 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon continued a strong performance for Chip Ganassi Racing, as he qualified fifth at 195.802 in the No. 9 PNC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi rounded out Row 3 at 195.664 in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet.

All drivers coped with tricky, stifling conditions during qualifying. The air temperature was 94 degrees, with track temperatures reaching 130.

David Malukas, who has scored more oval points than any driver this season, did not attempt to qualify in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet after a heavy crash in practice this morning.

Malukas climbed from the car with assistance from the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, but he was transported to a local hospital via private vehicle for further testing. His status for the 300-lap race Sunday remains undecided, and the No. 12 car will start last in the 25-car field.

The race is scheduled to start at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, subject to the end time of the FIFA World Cup Final. FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will provide live coverage.

 

O’Ward Outduels Lundgaard as Arrow McLaren Scores First 1-2 Finish

 

 
LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sunday, July 5, 2026) – Same papaya, different day. Different driver, too.

That was Arrow McLaren’s swap at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where Pato O’Ward – and not polesitter Christian Lundgaard – won The Honda Indy 200 Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid, the 11th race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

SEE: Race Results

Lundgaard and O’Ward had started the 90-lap race together on the front row, and they effectively held their positions throughout a caution-free race except when they pitted. But on Lap 42, O’Ward capitalized on the polesitter’s wide exit off Turn 2, swiping the lead and holding it the rest of the way.

The win was the first for O’Ward in nearly a year since he won last season’s Toronto street race. That was 15 races ago, a drought he couldn’t accept, especially as Lundgaard has won two races this year, including the most recent race at Road America.

The win also gave Arrow McLaren its first 1-2 finish in this series.

O’Ward hadn’t even scored a top-three finish this season despite being fifth in the standings. His best runs had been three fourth-place finishes and three fifth-place finishes.

“It’s been a year, it’s been a tough one for sure,” the Mexican driver said. “I think today is just a perfect example of execution. I waited for the perfect time pounce and from there we just controlled it.”

O’Ward’s pass of Lundgaard was noteworthy for a couple reasons, not the least of which stemming from what happens at year’s end. They are in their second season as teammates, but all signs point to Lundgaard driving elsewhere next year as Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist join O’Ward on the team.

That situation made O’Ward’s pouncing opportunity all the more interesting.

Lundgaard drifted a bit wide on the exit of Turn 2, allowing O’Ward to size him up and get a better run down the long straightaway that serves as the race’s starting point. By the time they arrived at the tricky, right-turning fourth corner, the cars were side by side, O’Ward on the outside. They touched at least twice at corner exit, and O’Ward had the preferred line into Turn 5 – and he used it.

By the time the Arrow McLaren twosome charged into Thunder Valley, O’Ward had the lead. Later, he used a key pass of series rookie Dennis Hauger to create additional separation leading into the final pit stop. O’Ward stayed out as Lundgaard, along with two other challengers pitted, and he then ran two laps longer to pad his lead.

O’Ward’s winning margin was .9877 of a second, earning his second Mid-Ohio victory in the past three years. This win was the 10th of his career, almost divided equally by circuit (four on ovals, three on street circuits, three on road courses).

Lundgaard’s second-place finish continued his strong season on road courses. In addition to winning races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road America, he also finished second at Barber Motorsports Park. With Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou finishing fifth, Lundgaard drew within 65 points of the series leader.

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood finished third, getting a few points closer to Palou. Their separation is now 56 points, and Kirkwood overtook Team Penske’s David Malukas, who finished eighth, for second place in the standings. Lundgaard also jumped Malukas with O’Ward fifth. The top four drivers are separated by 66 points with seven races remaining, led by the July 19 Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls at Nashville Superspeedway.

VeeKay scored his second fourth-place finish in the past three races following another such finish last month at World Wide Technology Raceway.

 

Christian Lundgaard made another statement about his worthiness as a top driver in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Saturday, July 4, 2026) – Christian Lundgaard made another statement about his worthiness as a top driver in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Two weeks ago, the driver, expected to soon be a free agent, won at Road America despite being in last place after the first lap. Now, he is the No. 1 qualifier for Sunday’s race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, leading an Arrow McLaren sweep of the front row.

Lundgaard edged teammate Pato O’Ward for the fourth NTT P1 Award of his career, the most recent coming in 2023 when he won the Toronto street race. Last year at Portland International Raceway, Lundgaard grabbed the top spot in qualifying, but he had to serve a six-grid starting position penalty for an unapproved engine change.

SEE: Qualifying Results

The combination of the above has the still-young Dane, who turns 25 on July 23, brimming with optimism as his future remains unsettled.

“I think everybody knows the abilities,” he told FOX after posting the pace-setting lap of 1 minute, 4.8396 seconds in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. “I don’t need to say anymore than that.”

Lundgaard will be aiming for his third road course victory of the season in Sunday’s The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). He also won the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in May and finished second in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by AMR at Barber Motorsports Park in March.

Lundgaard is one of three drivers still with a reasonable chance of catching four-time series champion Alex Palou in the standings. Palou leads Team Penske’s David Malukas by 60 points, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood by 61 points and Lundgaard by 77. No other driver is within 100 points of the Chip Ganassi Racing driver.

Lundgaard said the goal now is to capitalize on the opportunity.

“We’ve got two wins now and we’re going to carry that momentum,” he said. “It’s just awesome to have a 1-2 (for the team in qualifying). We’ve got to go finish the job tomorrow and that’s the most important.”

O’Ward’s lap of 1:04.8649 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet earned him a front-row start for the second time this season. He also held that position for the Detroit street race.

The performances of Lundgaard and O'Ward weren't the only noteworthy developments in a qualifying session delayed nearly three hours by thunderstorms. Palou's streak of five consecutive NTT P1 Awards ended when he qualified eighth in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Palou's best lap of 1:04.865 was the fourth-fastest of the qualifying session, but it came in the opening round. He was unable to improve in the second round, leaving him eighth on the starting grid. His streak of five consecutive poles is tied for the fourth longest in series history with Mario Andretti (1984) and Danny Sullivan (1988).
 

Still, Palou can build on his hefty series points lead in the season’s 11th race. He has finished in the top two each of the past four years – a win in 2023 and three second-place finishes.

Joining the Arrow McLaren drivers as Firestone Fast Six qualifiers were Andretti Global’s Will Power (No. 26 TWG AI Honda), Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), ECR’s Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet) and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet). Rasmussen reached the final round of knockout qualifying for the first time this season. VeeKay earned JHR its fourth career top-six starting position.

Chevrolet placed five drivers in the top six. Power was the lone Honda driver in that group.

Scott Dixon has won a record seven INDYCAR SERIES races at this track, one of them in 2014 when he drove from the 22nd and last starting position. If he is to win Sunday in his final Mid-Ohio race with Chip Ganassi Racing, he must do it after starting 23rd. The driver of the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was penalized for interference on Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean (No. 18 BMax Honda) approaching Turn 5 in the first round of qualifying.

Warmup will be held Sunday at 9 a.m. ET on FS1.

 

Andretti Global Drivers Turn Up the Heat on Day 1 at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Friday, July 3, 2026) – On a hot day in the heartland, Andretti Global had cars that were the hottest.

Specifically, teammates Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood were 1-2 on the speed chart as the Fourth of July holiday weekend began with a 95-degree afternoon at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Power turned a lap of 1 minute, 5.5540 seconds in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda as the 25-car field opened preparations for Sunday’s The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). Kirkwood’s best lap in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda was 1:05.6674.

SEE: Practice Results

If this practice was an indication, the 90-lap main event will tax the drivers. Temperatures are expected to remain in the low 90s at least through Saturday’s qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (2:30 p.m. on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Power is always one to watch in NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying sessions. His mark of 71 career poles is handily the sport’s all-time best, and he will be seeking his first pole of the season. Kirkwood also has yet to start a race in the No. 1 position this season; he has won three poles in his career.

Rounding out the top five on Day 1 were series points leader Alex Palou in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (1:05.7557) followed by Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard (1:05.8924) and Pato O’Ward (1:06.0340). Lundgaard has won two of the three road course races this season; Palou won the other.

Power (2020), Palou (2023) and O’Ward (2024) are former Mid-Ohio race winners.

Through 10 of 18 races, Palou holds a 60-point lead over Team Penske’s David Malukas, whose best lap on this day (1:06.2534) ranked 10th. Kirkwood sits third in the standings (61 points out of the lead) with Lundgaard fourth (77 points in arrears).

This practice followed Meyer Shank Racing’s announcement that Marcus Armstrong had signed a multiyear extension beginning in 2027. Armstrong is in his second season with the Ohio-based organization, and he will move from the team’s No. 66 entry to its No. 60 driven by Felix Rosenqvist each of the past three seasons.

Rosenqvist, this year’s winner of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, recently was confirmed to be leaving MSR for 2027. Armstrong finished fifth in that race after leading with one lap remaining.

But Armstrong’s Mid-Ohio weekend did not get off to a good start, as what appeared to be a mechanical failure in the rear of the Honda-powered car sent him into the Turn 2 barrier.

“What I felt was when I was braking there was one half of the car was just sliding across the ground,” Armstrong said. “From my (seat), one of the corners was hanging off on the rear, and I was just trying to decelerate quick enough. From what I was hearing, it was making a scraping sound so the floor was dragging.

“It’s a shame. I think we only did one push lap and the car felt really good. Fingers crossed that the tub’s all good and we can repair it without any major concerns for (the second practice).”

Armstrong’s best lap in the abbreviated session (1:07.3433) left him 24th. Rosenqvist, who was runner-up in 2019 at this 13-turn, 2.258-mile permanent road course, had the seventh-quickest lap.

Seven-time Mid-Ohio winner Scott Dixon is also having an interesting weekend. He and Chip Ganassi Racing are working together for the first time since it was announced that he would be leaving the organization after 25 seasons, the longest partnership in the sport.

Dixon, who won last year’s race when Palou drifted wide in Turn 9 with six laps to go, posted the 15th-fastest lap (1:06.5372).

Turn 9 was problematic for Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean in this session. He lost control of the back end of the No. 18 BMax Honda late in the session, sliding off track and hitting the tire barrier with the rear. He, like Armstrong, was not injured.

Saturday’s action begins with the weekend’s second practice at 10 a.m. ET on FS1.

 

 

NXT SERIES

 

www.indynxt.com

photos courtesy INDYCAR SERIES

Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.

Nannini Pulls Away To Lead Cape 1-2 Finish at Nashville
LEBANON, Tenn. (Sunday, July 19, 2026) – Matteo Nannini earned his second victory of the INDY NXT by Firestone season in the Music City Grand Prix on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, and this one meant much more than his first.

Pole sitter Nannini led a 1-2 finish for Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR, driving his No. 20 Enve Motorsports car to a 5.6449-second victory over teammate Nikita Johnson in the No. 21 machine. It was his third career victory in the INDYCAR development series and the first 1-2 finish ever for the longtime junior formula standout Cape team in INDY NXT competition.

SEE: Race Results

This was the first win this year in which Nannini took the checkered flag first. He placed second on track in the second race of the Road America doubleheader last month but was awarded the victory after a procedural violation in post-race inspection with the car of Alessandro de Tullio of AJ Foyt Racing, which crossed the finish line first.

“I’m happy to get P1 on track, actually get it here and not with some penalties and stuff,” Nannini said. “I think it’s great for the team, for me, the sponsors, everybody for confidence. Again, the first of many more.”

Myles Rowe, who had won three of the last four oval races in the series, finished third in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine.

Rookie Max Garcia tied his career-best finish by placing fourth in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car, with Max Taylor rounding out the top five in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car of Andretti Global.

The fierce championship race also took on a new look with this race, as Johnson returned to the lead by one point, 451-450, over previous leader Enzo Fittipaldi, who finished 11th in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. There are just four races left this season as drivers compete for the INDYCAR career enhancement package awarded to the series champion.

Nannini led 64 of the 65 laps from pole, eventually pulling away to victory by more than five seconds. But those are perhaps two of the most deceiving statistics from the race on the 1.33-mile concrete oval, which featured plenty of action throughout the 23-car field.

The only time Nannini lost the lead came on Lap 17, when Rowe dove under him and Johnson in Turn 1 as they dueled for the lead, jumping from third to first in one move. But the last of two caution flags flew on the next lap for debris as Nannini had just nosed past Rowe to regain the lead.

On the Lap 20 restart, Nannini stayed out front. But the gap to his rivals never exceeded a second over nearly the next 30 laps, as Johnson, Rowe and Lochie Hughes in the No. 26 Andretti Global car all took turns at hounding Nannini’s gearbox and trying to find a way around the Italian.

The complexion of the race changed on Lap 49 when Rowe and Hughes began a wheel-to-wheel duel for second, with Johnson right behind. That joust stirred the crowd, but it also added wear to their Firestone Firehawk tires and let Nannini pull away.

“We had the car to stay out front,” Nannini said. “I was not sure if we were going to get passed, but I wanted to get clean air, so I was driving some different lines depending on how close the guys behind were to me.”

Nannini padded his lead to 1.5 seconds by Lap 50 ahead of the dicing and slicing behind him. By Lap 58, that edge had mushroomed to 4.2 seconds, and Nannini continued to drive away.

Meanwhile, Johnson was able to pass Rowe and Hughes to regain second and grab the points lead. His climb to second comprised some of the track-record 184 on-track passes in this race, including another record 140 for position.

“I tried passing Matteo early on and burned my tires a little bit,” Johnson said. “I just settled in, kind of cleared my mind and made sure the tires got back to normal, pushed again and then at the very end I held off Myles. He was really fast, as well.”

The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Portland International Raceway.

 

Waiting Game Ends With Pole for Nannini in Nashville

LEBANON, Tenn. (Saturday, July 18, 2026) – The wait was worth it for Matteo Nannini, in more ways than one.

Nannini earned his first pole of this season and the second of his INDY NXT by Firestone career Saturday by taking the top spot for the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. He turned a two-lap average speed of 177.427 mph in the No. 20 Enve Motorsports car fielded by Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR.

SEE: Qualifying Results

The Italian was forced to wait to celebrate Saturday at the 1.33-mile concrete oval, as he stared at the timing screen in his pit while 10 drivers that followed him in the qualifying line unsuccessfully tried to topple him from the pole. The performance surprised Nannini, who was a disappointing 20th out of 23 drivers in practice this morning.

“I was kind of mad with what was going on,” Nannini said about his mood after practice. “I didn’t think we were going to be able to turn it as good. A top 10 would have been good, but P1 is kind of surprising. Obviously, we’ll take it.

“The race is a totally different deal – 65 laps. We’ll do our best, and we’re starting from the best spot in the house.”

Nannini’s pole came more than three years after his first, earned in May 2023 for the opening race of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He won that race with Juncos Hollinger Racing in his sole season in the INDYCAR development series before returning this year with the Cape team.

Rookie Alessandro de Tullio qualified second at 177.114 in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry. It’s his 11th front-row start in 13 races this season, including a series-leading seven poles.

Fellow rookie Nikita Johnson will start third in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car after his run of 177.072, capping a strong session for the team. Myles Rowe, winner of three of the last four oval races in the series, will join Johnson on the second row after his run of 176.873 in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine.

Niels Koolen continued his strong weekend by qualifying a career-best fifth at 176.816 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Rookie Max Garcia also will start in Row 3 after his qualifying run of 176.276 in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car.

Series leader Enzo Fittipaldi qualified 14th at 175.398 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car.

Nannini will aim for his second career victory in the 65-lap race, which starts at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

“I’m just looking forward to doing my best,” Nannini said. “It’s a long race. I’ll try not to use the tires too much at the beginning and then go from there.”

 

 

Fittipaldi Again Sweeps Mid-Ohio, Takes Series Points Lead
LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sunday, July 5, 2026) – Enzo Fittipaldi completed a flawless weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, leading every lap for the second straight race to sweep the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader.

Fittipaldi crossed the finish line 12.7469 seconds ahead of HMD Motorsports teammate Jack Beeton to earn his fourth career series victory and second in as many days. Fittipaldi’s victory margin was the second largest in INDY NXT history at Mid-Ohio, trailing only Jack Harvey’s 17.3403-second victory in Race 1 of the 2014 doubleheader.
 

Driving the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry, Fittipaldi was untouchable all weekend. The grandson of two-time Formula One World Champion, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1989 INDYCAR SERIES champion Emerson Fittipaldi topped Friday's practice, earned both poles, including a track-record lap Saturday, led all 65 laps across the two races and also posted the fastest lap in each event.

"I'm just so happy," Fittipaldi said. "What a weekend, absolute domination from all of HMD. It's crazy. First practice, double pole and double victories, so it can't get any better than this."

SEE: Race 2 Results

Beeton finished a career-best second in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports entry, improving on Saturday’s third-place finish. Nikita Johnson finished third in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry, preventing HMD Motorsports from sweeping the podium for a second consecutive day.

After HMD Motorsports claimed the top four finishing positions Saturday, Johnson charged from fifth on the grid to third after finishing seventh in Race 1.

JM Correa climbed from ninth to finish fourth in the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports entry, while Tymek Kucharczyk completed the top five in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car in the caution-free race. Correa now has three top-seven finishes in the last four races, with the lone exception coming after contact with the Turn 12 tire barrier on Lap 21 of Saturday's race.

Beeton moved into second on Lap 2 after Alessandro de Tullio attempted to pass Fittipaldi around the outside of Turn 4. De Tullio ran off course at corner exit, rejoined in eighth and recovered to sixth before slipping back to eighth at the finish.

Fittipaldi became the sixth driver to sweep an INDY NXT weekend at Mid-Ohio, joining Jack Harvey (2014), Santiago Urrutia (2016), Pato O'Ward (2018), Oliver Askew (2019) and Kyle Kirkwood (2021).

The dominant performance also vaulted Fittipaldi from third in the championship standings, 27 points behind entering the weekend, to a 17-point lead over Kucharczyk. Johnson sits third, 20 points behind.

"Just all race managing the tires," Fittipaldi said. "I'm always good at long-distance races and managing tires. It's kind of my specialty. I use my tools to my advantage, so a lot of work with the brake bias and the bars every lap, every corner, just keeping the car where I wanted it to be.

"Obviously the car was very fast today. I think it was a combination of many things, and our pace was rapid. I did a 1:09.9 (lap), which was only about five-tenths off my qualifying lap yesterday. I don't know how many miles were on the tires, so I was quite happy with that."

The series returns Sunday, July 19 at Nashville Superspeedway. Coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.


 

 

Fittipaldi Rolls from Pole, Leads HMD’s 1-2-3-4 Sweep

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Saturday, July 4, 2026) – Enzo Fittipaldi completed a dominant Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, leading all 35 laps from the pole to earn his third career INDY NXT by Firestone victory and cap a historic day for HMD Motorsports.

Driving the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry, Fittipaldi controlled three restarts before pulling away to victory while helping HMD Motorsports record the first 1-2-3-4 finish in series history. Tymek Kucharczyk finished second, 1.9003 seconds behind, followed by Jack Beeton and Salvador de Alba.

SEE: Race 1 Results

The last team to sweep a podium was Andretti Global at the Milwaukee Mile last season. HMD Motorsports last finished 1-2-3 in 2024 at Barber Motorsports Park, with Christian Rasmussen leading Nolan Siegel and Toby Sowery.

Lochie Hughes completed the top five on a hot and humid Ohio afternoon in the No. 26 Andretti Global entry.

The race featured 133 on-track passes, 124 for position. Both were the most for this series at this track.

Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Formula One World Champion, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1989 INDYCAR SERIES champion Emerson Fittipaldi, added another family milestone at Mid-Ohio. Emerson won three INDYCAR SERIES races at the 2.258-mile road course.

“This was absolutely amazing,” Fittipaldi said. “We had a great drive out there. Just super happy. The car was really quick, and it's a 1-2-3-4 for HMD, that's absolutely amazing. So happy for them; they deserve it. They’re honestly an amazing team to work with and just super happy about the race today.”

Fittipaldi's biggest test came after the final restart on Lap 25 following JM Correa's trip into the Turn 12 tire barriers four laps earlier. He quickly opened a comfortable advantage, remaining unbeaten this weekend after leading Friday's practice and earning both poles in track-record fashion.

The first caution flew on Lap 5 when Nicolas Stati stalled exiting Turn 2. On the Lap 8 restart, Kucharczyk charged from fourth to second, where he remained to earn his seventh podium in 11 starts this season and his second consecutive runner-up finish.

Beeton earned his career-best finish with third after previously placing fourth in Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park. De Alba recorded his best finish of the season in fourth.

The race's only other caution came on Lap 12 when Nolan Allaer stalled the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing entry in Turn 6.

Championship leader Nikita Johnson entered the race with a 26-point lead over Fittipaldi but finished seventh in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry. Combined with Kucharczyk's runner-up finish, the result reshuffled the championship standings.

Kucharczyk now leads the standings by seven points over Fittipaldi and eight over Johnson entering Sunday's 30-lap Race 2. It marks the first time this season Kucharczyk has led the championship and the first time since after the May 31 race at Detroit that Johnson has not occupied the top spot. Fittipaldi was the championship leader after Detroit.

Fittipaldi will have an opportunity to complete the weekend sweep in Race 2 at 10 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

 

 

Fittipaldi Strikes Late, Opens Mid-Ohio Weekend with Quickest Lap
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 3, 2026) – Enzo Fittipaldi waited until the closing minutes of INDY NXT by Firestone practice Friday to top the speed chart, turning the fastest lap to kick off this weekend’s doubleheader at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The HMD Motorsports rookie posted a lap of 1 minute, 10.7286 seconds in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry with less than two minutes remaining in the 45-minute session. Temperatures reached 94 degrees during the afternoon practice, the hottest session of the season.

“It's very hot out there -- super hot,” Fittipaldi said. “I think it was a good practice. We had a good session there. We made some good changes throughout the session, and we made very good progress throughout the whole session. Very happy about it.”

SEE: Practice Results

Fittipaldi edged HMD Motorsports teammate Tymek Kucharczyk, who led much of the session before settling for second at 1:10.7736.

Andretti Global’s Lochie Hughes was third at 1:10.8710, followed by AJ Foyt Racing’s Alessandro de Tullio (1:10.9097) and championship leader Nikita Johnson of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR (1:11.0264). Four teams were represented in the top five.

Johnson entered the weekend with a six-point lead over Kucharczyk in the championship standings, while Fittipaldi sits 27 points behind in third.

Qualifying for both races is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by Race 1 at 1 p.m. Both sessions will air live on FS1 and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

“The track's going to be quite a lot colder in the morning,” Fittipaldi said. “It’s quite early in the morning, so it could change a bit the balance of the cars. It's just making sure we get the car in in the right window and where we want it to be for tomorrow morning, in which is the day that counts, which is qualifying.”

De Tullio will aim to continue his remarkable qualifying form. The AJ Foyt Racing driver enters the weekend with seven poles in 10 races, including three of the last four and has claimed five of the six available poles during road course doubleheader weekends this season at Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Road America.

The INDY NXT by Firestone single-season record is nine poles, set by Pato O'Ward in 2018. Ed Jones (2016) and Thiago Medeiros (2004) each earned eight.

The No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing driver has started from the front row in every race this season except the opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, where he qualified eighth.

  

 

INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

 

2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

DateVenue
Sunday, March 1Streets of St. Petersburg
Saturday, March 7Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, March 15Streets of Arlington
Sunday, March 29Barber Motorsports Park
Sunday, April 19Streets of Long Beach
Saturday, May 9Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Sunday, May 24The 110th Indianapolis 500
Sunday, May 31Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7World Wide Technology Raceway
Sunday, June 21Road America
Sunday, July 5Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sunday, July 19Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 16Streets of Markham
Saturday, Aug. 29Milwaukee Mile Race 1
Sunday, Aug. 30Milwaukee Mile Race 2
Sunday, Sept. 6WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
 

2026 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE

DateVenue
Sunday, March 1Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, March 15Streets of Arlington
Saturday, March 28Barber Motorsports Park Race 1
Sunday, March 29Barber Motorsports Park Race 2
Friday, May 8Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7World Wide Technology Raceway
Saturday, June 20Road America Race 1
Sunday, June 21Road America Race 2
Saturday, July 4Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1
Sunday, July 5Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2
Sunday, July 19Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, Sept. 5WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2

 

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