Andretti Global – Syndication Server

Andretti’s Dennis ready to apply lessons learned from thwarted title defense

Season 9 Formula E champion Jake Dennis is coming into this campaign rejuvenated after losing his crown last season, according to Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths, and his driver agrees he’s coming in with a better mindset. While Dennis was a …

While Dennis was a race winner and further three-time podium finisher in 2023-24, his form fell away towards the second half of the year as he finished seventh in the standings. Ahead of Season 11, the Briton admits there were things he could have done better, but that he didn’t feel like competing as the reigning champion put him under any particular pressure.

“I personally felt like my motivation last year was high,” Dennis told RACER. “I was not particularly lazy, but I also didn’t quite look into driving techniques to my absolute best. The motivation was there to succeed, we had an incredible first half of the year, and it also died off towards the end.

“Last year, I literally felt no pressure in terms of having the No. 1 on my car. And actually, (I was) maybe probably more relaxed, just purely because I felt like I’d achieved — I’d shown everyone what I can do. And I still have that to my name now, I’m still a world champion, so from my side, it doesn’t change all that much. It is just a sticker, right? At the end of the day, I’m driving the race car as fast as I possibly can.

“From my side, I just want to win races, podiums, and that’s generally enough to wrap up the championship. It’s good to be back in the car. It’s been a long time since London, where we didn’t do too well, and it’s good to show I can still drive.”

Jake Dennis and his team were eager to turn the page during pre-season testing at Jarama. Malcolm Griffiths/Motorsport Images

At the four-day pre-season test in Jarama this week, Griffiths says that he’s already seen Dennis in “a much better place.”

“I don’t think Jake personally had his best year last year, and I think he’d be the first to admit to that,” Griffiths said. “He seems to have come here with a much more focused mindset. Last year, when he had No. 1 on the car, he had the target on his back immediately. I think now that he’s back to No. 27 the pressure is off a little bit. From that perspective, you can just stay focused on what it is he does well, which is driving fast.

“I think there were a lot of distractions last year, and I think he’s in a much better place — we’re already seeing that. The focus is there, the detail is there, the preciseness is there.”

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Porsche customer Andretti ultimately didn’t feature in the championship equation towards the end of last season — which ended up being a straight fight between the factory Porsche team and Jaguar TCS Racing — but rather than a slump in the team’s own performance, Griffiths feels that it was more indicative of the Formula E field as a whole improving in what was the second season of the GEN3 formula.

“I don’t think we did anything fundamentally wrong last year,” he said. “I think what we saw was an increased level of competitiveness, particularly from the manufacturer teams. Maybe that was some of the challenges for the manufacturers in developing a car, working with a customer, whereas we had the luxury of just focusing on performance. They were having to do all of the stuff, plus trying to focus on performance.

“At the end of the day, if you look at where the championship standings ended up, we were the best of the non-manufacturer teams. We were the only non-manufacturer team to get a race win.

“There are things that we could have done better, I should say. I think there was a few procedural things that we really tightened up on and you’ve seen that coming already. Formula E now is so competitive, it is not that magic silver bullet to fix everything. It’s just the attention to detail, and it only takes a little bit.”

How Andretti Global is preparing for an IndyCar future without Michael

Michael Andretti’s departure from Andretti Global shook the world of racing in September. In the wake of the move that saw team partner and investor Dan Towriss take control of the business that spans multiple domestic and international …

Michael Andretti’s departure from Andretti Global shook the world of racing in September.

In the wake of the move that saw team partner and investor Dan Towriss take control of the business that spans multiple domestic and international championships, questions regarding the team’s future and whether more changes are on the way have arisen.

Nearly one month after the change took place, longstanding Andretti COO Rob Edwards shared an array of insights about the business, its core NTT IndyCar Series program, and what’s in the works for 2025.

Will the team undergo a name change?

“No, you will continue to see Andretti Global,” Edwards told RACER.

How might the team behind the three-car squad featuring Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Marcus Ericsson look different when it returns next season?

“I think it will look very, very similar to how it was at Nashville,” Edwards said of the season finale won by Herta. “On the engineering side, we haven’t necessarily added staff, but with the Meyer Shank technical relationship not continuing, we were keen to keep some really good people in the fold, and so we have found other projects, IndyCar-related, or non-IndyCar-related, for those folks. And then we are adding targeted crew.”

Andretti allocated Dave Seyfert to engineer Felix Rosenqvist’s Meyer Shank Racing entry and assigned Ron Barhorst to engineer the second MSR car. The pair did an exceptional job, which made finding new in-house roles a worthy effort.

IndyCar’s upcoming calendar, which packs 17 races into five months and 29 days — from March 2 at St. Petersburg through August 29 at Nashville Speedway — has inspired Edwards to seek more mechanics and team personnel to help deal with the busy schedule. Whether it’s using additional staff to expedite car preparations or to spell those in need of a break, the move is one that will likely be implemented by a number of teams in the IndyCar paddock.

AutoNation is thought to be closing down its motorsport sponsorships, which would leave Andretti Global needing to find a new partner for its No.27 Honda. Motorsport Images

“When you look at the schedule next year, obviously the good news is that we’re on FOX,” he said. “The challenging part is that from the time we start racing to the time which we stop racing is very compressed, and so I suspect that all of the top teams are looking at what that means in terms of turnaround, being prepared, making sure that we have the ability to recover from things that we don’t like to happen, but we all know do happen sometimes, and so on.

“So there’s some restructuring and some additions to the crew on the cars and adding some more depth to that area. And as I say, on the engineering side, it is really reallocating some of the resource that was at Meyer Shank.”

The team has also added one or more people to its marketing and sales department, which is another important development for Andretti Global’s IndyCar effort. Among its three entries, two are sponsored by companies controlled by Towriss in Gainbridge and Delaware Life, and car retailer AutoNation has been primary sponsor on the No. 27 car driven by Kyle Kirkwood in recent years.

Although it remains unconfirmed, RACER understands AutoNation, which has supported cars in Formula 1, NASCAR, IMSA, and IndyCar with Andretti’s No. 27 and Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 Honda, is ending its motor racing sponsorships. The exit would leave Andretti and MSR with significant funding voids to fill, and to that end, Edwards did not delve into the matter.

“That’s a question best for Dan, to be honest, because that’s not the part of the business that I spend most of my time on,” he said. “But yes, there is a plan and some goals for next year on the on the business and commercial side.”

Of the other questions related to Andretti Global’s immediate future, rumors about fielding a part-time IndyCar program for Jamie Chadwick, who spent two seasons in the Andretti Indy NXT camp and won a race last season, have made the rounds in recent months.

“She will not be coming back to do Indy NXT again,” Edwards said. “She and her team decided that having done two years of Indy NXT, and with the majority of her funding is from the UK, doing more NXT is a bit of a challenge. I know there was some conversations about doing selected races in IndyCar. Candidly, for us, we feel we made gains this year with three cars and a more focused approach. So we would not be rushing to do anything outside of that. Directly from Jamie and her management team, we do not know exactly what she’s planning to do.”

Edwards closed the conversation by confirming the team would continue its practice of fielding an extra car at the Indianapolis 500 but declined to answer whether the car’s traditional driver — Marco Andretti — will be making his 20th attempt to win ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing.’

“We will run an extra entry at Indy; that’s in the plan,” Edwards said. “And I will probably not say anything else beyond that.”

Andretti completes Indy NXT roster with F2 veteran Hauger

Dennis Hauger’s next move in open-wheel racing will take place in America with Andretti Global in the Indy NXT series. The 21-year-old Norwegian comes to Andretti after winning the 2021 FIA Formula 3 championship and placing inside the top 10 in …

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to race with Andretti Global,” Hauger said. “I’m looking forward to starting things up with the team and getting to know everyone. We’re already getting down to work before the season starts with testing, and I’m excited to go out there in an Indy NXT car and get that experience. I can’t wait for the 2025 season — I hope it’s a great one.”

Hauger joins the previously announced Lochie Hughes, Salvador de Alba, and James Roe at Andretti.

“Dennis is a driver who has been on our radar for some time, and we’re excited to see him make the jump into American open-wheel racing,” said team president J-F Thormann. “He’s no stranger to performing in highly competitive development series, so I can’t think of a better next step for him than to join the Indy NXT grid. We think he’s going to be the perfect addition to round out our 2025 Indy NXT driver lineup, and we’re proud to be a part of his Indy NXT debut.”

Roe returning to NXT with Andretti Global

James Roe will pursue the Indy NXT title one more time with Andretti Global. The Irishman placed sixth in the championship last season, his third in NXT. “James has been a key part of the success our Indy NXT team has had over the past few seasons, …

James Roe will pursue the Indy NXT title one more time with Andretti Global. The Irishman placed sixth in the championship last season, his third in NXT.

“James has been a key part of the success our Indy NXT team has had over the past few seasons, and we’re thankful that he’ll call Andretti Indy NXT his home for the 2025 season,” said team president J-F Thormann. “The step up into Indy NXT can be a difficult one, and James is proving that committing to the development process and being patient does pay off. His consistency and tenacity were on full display in 2024, and we’re all looking forward to watching him continue to progress and succeed as a driver in the upcoming season.”

Roe also hopes to complement his NXT program with outings in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to further prepare for a desired move up to the NTT IndyCar Series in 2026.

“My partners and I are thrilled to return to Andretti Indy NXT in the No. 29 Topcon Andretti Dallara to race for the 2025 Indy NXT by Firestone championship,” Roe said. “We enjoyed great moments of success together this past season and our 2025 goal is to make Andretti back-to-back Indy NXT champions.”

USF Pro 2000 champ Hughes joins Andretti’s Indy NXT team

Louis Foster won the USF Pro 2000 championship, took the sizable advancement prize from Andersen Promotions to Andretti Global, and left the team as the reigning Indy NXT champion (and was announced today as an IndyCar driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan). Australia’s Lochie Hughes recently won the USF Pro 2000 title, had the graduation funds in hand from Andersen, and has taken it to Andretti Global where he hopes to emulate the Briton and lead the team to consecutive NXT crowns.

“I’m so excited to be joining the Andretti INDY NXT team in 2025,” said Hughes, who captured the USF Pro 2000 championship with Turn 3 Motorsports. “It’s a dream to be a part of this historic team, and one that I’ve wanted to race for since moving to the U.S.

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“This year was great for me winning the USF Pro 2000 Championship and for Andretti winning the Indy NXT Championship, so, I hope that I can help be a part of adding another championship title to Andretti’s record. Right now, it’s all eyes on the 2025 season, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be for next year. I just want to thank my parents for supporting me through my career, my sponsor The McGinley Clinic and the USF Pro 2000 Championship Scholarship for making this happen.”

Andretti president J-F Thormann, its longstanding leader among the team’s junior open-wheel programs, welcomes the spirited 22-year-old to the storied program which launched the likes of Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Oliver Askew upward to IndyCar in recent years.

“After an exceptional season for our Indy NXT program, we’re excited to kick off next year’s campaign with the first addition to our 2025 Andretti Indy NXT lineup,” Thormann said of the four-car outfit. “Although it’s still early in his career, Lochie has already compiled an impressive resume of success.

“He’s worked his way up the development series ladder, showing his potential at every step, and we’re looking forward to helping him continue to refine his skills and progress in his racing career. Our focus remains on bringing home wins and our seventh Indy NXT Championship, and we feel that Lochie will be an integral part of making those things happen in 2025.”

Andretti pens open letter “to our fans”

Former Andretti Global team leader Michael Andretti penned an open letter to the team’s followers. The communication comes in the wake of his recent standing down as team principal and the transition of power to investor Daniel Towriss. “To Our …

“To Our Fans,

“I was born a racer. From an early age, I didn’t know anything different than life in the fast lane. Being a “son of” – be it a proud one – came with a high bar and, once I pressed the gas, I never looked back. I stopped at nothing to find success. I drove for the passion and love of the sport, but I won for the fear of losing. My father’s childhood dream became my destiny and together, we built a legacy and a family business.

“When my driving days slowed, I set my sights on creating a space that would inspire future drivers to go faster than I had. I believe that, together with the help of many very qualified and passionate team members, I have been able to do just that. For the past two decades, our team has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We’ve grown on a global level that I believe is still untouched in motorsport and we’ve seen some of the best talent in racing proudly wear the Andretti badge.

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“Many of my best memories have come at the wheel of this organization, and I am so proud of what we have built. But decades of running flat out doesn’t come without sacrifice and, after much thought and reflection over the past several months, I came to the decision to take a step back. I’ve had a day-to-day operational role since even before I stepped out of the race car, and it’s time now to pass the baton to my partner and friend, Dan Towriss.

“As I make this decision for myself, my family and this team, I know this is somewhat of a shock to many, especially you, the fans, my extended family. For many of you, you’ve watched me grow up, or you’ve grown up right alongside of me, and no matter what moves we’ve made as a team, you’ve stuck by our side at every turn. It is not lost on me that the generations of Andretti fans are the best in the business. I’m honored to be considered a fan favorite, a role model and a friend. And I thank you for a lifetime of support and, in some cases, your brutal honesty.

“But I am not going away – I will be serving as an advisor for the team and will be available to help wherever I can. While you might see me less at the racetrack, know that my passion for the sport and my support for our team, and its people, will remain unwavering.

“My hope is that you, as Andretti fans, will keep supporting our team with the same enthusiasm and loyalty that you’ve so graciously shown myself and my family over the years.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to spend more time with my beautiful family, including my 10-year-old twins, embrace my new Nonno title and explore new things on a personal level and with my other businesses. So, this isn’t a goodbye. It is just the turning of the page.”

Michael Andretti steps back from Andretti Global ownership role

Daniel Towriss, CEO of the Group 1001 insurance and financial services company based in Zionsville, Indiana, and primary investor of Andretti Global, has taken control of the business. Team co-founder Michael Andretti, the 1991 CART IndyCar Series …

Daniel Towriss, CEO of the Group 1001 insurance and financial services company based in Zionsville, Indiana, and primary investor of Andretti Global, has taken control of the business.

Team co-founder Michael Andretti, the 1991 CART IndyCar Series champion, will remain attached to the organization in an advisory and ambassadorial role. News of the sizable change in leadership structure was first reported by Sportico.

The reason for the change was not cited by the sports business site owned by Jay Penske, son of NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske. A growing division between Andretti and Towriss has been alleged by numerous paddock sources in recent months, but no proof of the matter has been established.

In a statement provided by the team, Andretti Global suggests Andretti — a lifelong racer — is willingly handing over the reins of the team and company that bears his name.

“Michael’s goal has been to transition to a more strategic role with Andretti Global and focus less on the operational side of the race team,” Andretti Global said. “Michael and Dan Towriss have been working closely on developing this new structure, one which Michael is excited to see take shape under Dan’s guidance.

“Michael remains engaged and will continue to serve as a strategic advisor and key ambassador. We will have more to share in the coming weeks, after Michael and Dan have had an opportunity to speak to the team.”

Towriss entered IndyCar in 2018 as the sponsor of driver Zach Veach with Group 1001 and its Gainbridge property represented on the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda. The three-year deal ended prematurely for Veach, but Andretti retained Group 1001/Gainbridge relationship and funding, and by 2021, Andretti and Towriss were actively searching for a Formula 1 team to purchase.

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Unable to buy their way into F1 with Towriss’s financial backing, the duo established a new business, Andretti Global, in an effort to gain entry to F1 as a constructor. In 2022, Andretti Acquisitions Corporation was formed and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission with a stated goal of raising $250,000,000 for business-related investments and purchases.

With Towriss’s rumored and separate investment into Andretti Global said to match or exceed that figure, Andretti’s new partner is understood to have taken a directorial role within the expansive racing organization, and within the IndyCar paddock, is often characterized as Andretti’s new boss.

Drawing from the alleged nine-figure infusion from Towriss and Group 1001, Andretti’s footprint in the sport expanded at a rapid rate.

Along with its three-car IndyCar team that features primary sponsorship with Gainbridge on Colton Herta’s No. 26 Honda and Delaware Life, another Group 1001 property, on Marcus Ericsson’s No. 28 Honda, Andretti/Towriss also purchased Wayne Taylor Racing’s two-car IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team in 2023, maintains a four-car Indy NXT program that won the championship in 2024, has an ongoing effort to launch a two-car F1 effort with General Motors through its Cadillac brand, and is building a vast new base in Indiana as a result of Towriss’s investment.

Andretti Global is also allegedly at the center of another storm with last week’s raid of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing IndyCar and IMSA team by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in relation to a former Andretti Global employee, who is alleged to have taken intellectual property from Andretti to RLL.

RACER understands more operational changes with Andretti Global personnel are being considered, which could extend to personnel shifts in its IndyCar program and its F1 initiative.

Herta-Edwards pairing reaping the benefits at Nashville

The knock on the Andretti Global team was that it kept robbing Colton Herta of quality results due to errors in race strategy. Team COO Rob Edwards was duly installed as Herta’s new strategist in the summer of 2023, and since then, the kid from …

Herta charged into the new season with a renewed focus and his results reflected the shift in Herta’s approach as he took 14 finishes inside the top eight along with two victories and two poles, which vaulted the 24-year-old to second in the championship, his best in six seasons of NTT IndyCar Series racing.

With the victory at Nashville Speedway, he’s earned nine career victories and his first on an oval, adding to the numerous road and street race victories on his resume.

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“On ovals, the last few races, Colton’s been great,” Edwards told RACER. “But moreover, in 2024, he’s done so many things, right? I’m super happy for him, super happy for the whole No. 26-car team, and happy for everyone at Andretti. Had his first oval podium at Milwaukee, first oval win today. Pretty good way to finish the year up.”

Herta was the only driver to win for Andretti this season, taking two IndyCar victories along with his charge to first place at Toronto. Teammate Kyle Kirkwood, a double winner in 2023, sat on pole and finished fourth at Nashville to give Edwards and the entire Andretti team a reason to be encouraged about where the IndyCar program is headed in 2025.

“When you look at both Kyle in the No. 27 and Marcus [Ericsson] in the No. 28 car at different times, they haven’t necessarily had the best luck this year, but when I look at the way that the three drivers work together and the three teams work together, it’s just a phenomenal effort from everyone,” he said.
“I’m excited to get going again next year.”

Herta blows by the field to win IndyCar finale in Nashville

Nobody knew what to expect with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at the Nashville Superspeedway and after 206 laps of action, it was clear the 1.33-mile concrete oval had some fun to offer as six drivers led, and when it mattered in the final …

Herta — a California transplant who lives in Nashville — got by Pato O’Ward on the 203rd lap to clinch his first oval victory and rocket to second in the championship for Andretti Global behind the newly-crowned Alex Palou from Chip Ganassi Racing. Herta drove the No. 26 Honda to a 1.8s margin of victory over the Arrow McLaren driver and 1.9s over Tennessee native Josef Newgarden from Team Penske.

“The whole race, I was getting all my passing done off of the corners, really able to drive middle to exit of the corner, get the power down really nicely,” Herta said of the dive to the left he made coming off of Turn 2 as he and O’Ward split the lapped car of Sting Ray Robb.

That’s some good #INDYCAR 🍿

📺: #MusicCityGP on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/hzljyOLsw4

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) September 15, 2024

“And that was just what that was; you’re showing it off. Luckily we had just enough room between me and Sting Ray. There might have been a small nudge there, but I had to use every bit of them to accelerate onto the straight. Thanks to everybody involved this year. It’s been an amazing year. You know, I just saw on the screen there that I’m second in the championship, which is awesome, but yeah, hoping to do a little bit better next year.”

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Newgarden’s teammate Will Power, the only championship contender with a shot at beating Palou, had his hopes dashed on the 12th lap when his racing harness — the lap belts — detached and forced him to pit lane where five laps were lost while they were re-attached.

From there, Palou continued to race hard and improved from the 24th-place starting position to 11th to clinch back-to-back titles and his third since 2021. Power, who pushed when he could but also drove with class — never hindering the leaders or Palou — ended up 24th, eight laps down to Herta. Power also visited Palou in victory lane as the championship celebrations were beginning to congratulate Palou and the Ganassi team.

In the race for the final Leaders Circle spot, Ed Carpenter Racing and Christian Rasmussen vanquished AJ Foyt Racing and Robb to secure 22nd in the Entrants’ championship to earn a $1 million prize money payout in 2025. Robb was leading Rasmussen for a decent portion of the race, but having woken up with food poisoning, the Idahoan was dealing with adversity throughout.

Now it’s time to head into a long offseason where driver changes aplenty, sponsor changes, and team evolutions will take place. Buckle in — it’s five months and 17 days until the next IndyCar race.

AS IT HAPPENED

Kyle Kirkwood led from pole as Josef Newgarden tried to take the lead on the high line in the opening laps.

Palou was up from P24 to P20 within three laps while Power was up to P3 from P4. He dropped back to P5 two laps later as Palou shot up to P17 on alternates. One more lap and Power, on alternates, sunk down to P6.

Lap 10 and Kirkwood settled into the lead with 1.4s over Newgarden. Felix Rosenqvist ran P3, 1.7s back. Power again slid down to P8 on lap 11 and Palou went by Scott McLaughlin for P14.

Power pitted on lap 12. His lap belt was undone. Lap 17 and he finally returned to the race, five laps down.

Lap 22 and Palou was up to P12.

Newgarden was closing on P1 by lap 33, 0.4s behind Kirkwood. Rosenqvist ran 1.7s back.

Lap 35 and Palou remained P12 while Power was P27 and last, six laps down.

Kirkwood stretched his lead to 0.9s ahead of Newgarden on lap 43. Palou was up to P9 before pitting for primaries on lap 49.

On lap 52 Kirkwood still led with 0.5s on Newgarden and 1.0s over Rosenqvist. The leading Andretti car pitted for alternates on lap 54.

Lap 56 and Rosenqvist got into the wall. Caution. He says the right-front tire blew. The yellow could pin some who pitted down at least one lap.

The leaders pit on lap 60. Newgarden ran P1 ahead of Herta, David Malukas, Marcus Ericsson, Linus Lundqvist and Santino Ferrucci.
Only the top 13 were on the lead lap by lap 63, with O’Ward in P13. Palou was a lap down in P15. Herta moved to second in the championship with McLaughlin in third, Power down to fourth.

Green flew again on lap 68. Herta was trying to take P1 on the high lane as they came back around to complete the lap.

Lap 73 and Palou fell back to P17. Power was now P26.

Newgarden was managing the pressure from Herta who was 0.3s behind on lap 85. Malukas was dropping fast, down 2.7s in P3.

Lap 89 and caution flew for Katherine Legge who hit the wall off of Turn 4. The leaders pit on lap 92. Newgarden was out first with Malukas behind him. Ericsson shot up to P3 and Herta sunk back to P4. Alexander Rossi stayed out and held the lead with Newgarden in P2.

Green flew again at lap 99.

Lap 101 and Herta was up to P3 as Newgarden sat 1.1s back from Rossi.

Ferrucci was instructed to give P7 back to Kirkwood after making the pass below the while line on lap 107.

Lap 125 and Rossi pits under green. One lap later Newgarden led and had 0.9s over Herta with Malukas 2.4s back. Palou was up to P13, the first driver a lap down. If there would be another caution, he’d get back on the lead lap. Power ran P25, five laps in arrears.

On lap 135 Ericsson slid up into the wall, causing the third caution of the day. The field pits on lap 140, except for Palou, who stayed out to get his lap back.

Green again at lap 146 and O’Ward led, having stayed out.

Lap 152 and Herta takes P2 from Malukas. Ten laps later O’Ward pitted and resumed in P12. Herta assumed the lead.

By lap 167, Herta held 6.7s over Malukas.

Kirkwood took P2 from Malukas on lap 173; he was 4.5s behind Herta.

Lap 178 and former leader Newgarden sunk to P11. By lap 192 Herta was down a lap in P6 after pitting. Kirkwood led with 7.6s over Malukas before pitting on lap 195.

Malukas pitted from the lead on lap 201. It was O’Ward vs. Herta for victory.

Lap 203 and Herta slid by O’Ward. Lap 206 and Herta took his first oval race win and Palou, his third championship.

RESULTS

Kirkwood marches to Nashville pole as Palou ends up mired deep

The grid is set for the NTT IndyCar Series’ season finale and Kyle Kirkwood is on pole for the 206-lap Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. The driver of the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda (201.520mph) will have Team Penske’s …

It’s the American’s second career IndyCar pole; his first at Long Beach in 2023 was followed by the Floridian’s first victory.

“To actually get a pole on an oval is big for me and my confidence,” Kirkwood told RACER. “Good start to this weekend, and I think my racing on ovals has been a lot better. I’ve been finding myself up front quite a bit, but I’m still not fully there, still not doing things that some of the veteran guys are doing. So I’m still figuring that out.”

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Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist was a strong third in the No. 60 Honda (200.676mph) and he’s got Penske’s Will Power, a distant second in the championship, in fourth with the No. 12 Chevy (200.628mph). AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci was fifth with the No. 14 Chevy (200.497mph), and MSR’s David Malukas completed the top six in the No. 66 Honda (200.479mph).

“It wasn’t the smoothest run,” Rosenqvist said. “But fun laps and a fun track.”

The biggest news in qualifying, other than Arrow McLaren being forced to skip the session with Nolan Siegel as crash repairs were ongoing, was the plight of championship leader Alex Palou who put in a fast 201mph lap on the first of his two tours but fell off badly on the second and ended with an average that left him 15th in the No. 10 Honda (199.532mph).

With a pre-race engine change triggering a nine-spot unapproved engine penalty, the championship leader will start buried deep in the 27-car field once all of the grid penalties are applied.

UP NEXT: Final Practice, 6 p.m. ET (weather permitting as rain is forecast)

RESULTS