Winners and Losers of the IndyCar Nashville season finale

With the title race wrapped up and even second within the bag, there was little to race for however satisfaction Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. However that didn’t cease the NTT IndyCar Collection subject from placing collectively one other hectic, unpredictable oval race to cap off the 2025 season.

There have been a couple of key prizes up for grabs – particularly third in factors and the Rookie of the Yr award. However for many within the subject, Nashville was all about bringing residence one closing outcome to construct on for 2026.

Some had been simpler at that than others, leaving a gaggle heading into the offseason completely happy whereas a couple of key drivers had been left pondering a season finale that went awry.

Listed below are the winners and losers from the Borchetta Bourbon Music Metropolis Grand Prix.

Winner: Josef Newgarden lastly catches a break (or three)

Josef Newgarden, Crew Penske

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

Did he have the very best automobile in Nashville? In all probability not. Did it take a slew of others to get him to victory lane? Completely. Does he care? After the yr he’s had, I doubt it.

Newgarden and the No. 2 crew endured a depressing 2025 season, with shakeups at Crew Penske, a number of potential victories that slipped away and a normal lack of causes for pleasure. However the group ended 2025 on a excessive be aware within the Tennessean’s residence state.

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Josef Newgarden, Crew Penske

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

It took some success to make it occur. The early frontrunners crashed out and his Crew Penske teammates had a nightmare on pit street (Will Energy) and scrubbed the wall (Scott McLaughlin) whereas operating forward of him.

However Newgarden prolonged his streak of consecutive successful seasons to 11 years and at last regarded just like the Newgarden of previous, celebrating together with his residence state followers within the stands afterward. A shiny second to flee from a darkish yr.

Loser: Arrow McLaren’s weekend comes undone

Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

After qualifying first and third, Sunday regarded optimistic for Arrow McLaren’s star drivers. Certain, Nolan Siegel had crashed in closing follow – he’s completed loads of crashing on ovals this yr – however Pato O’Ward was able to dominate from pole and Christian Lundgaard was positioned to problem Scott Dixon for third within the collection standings.

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

That’s, till they each discovered themselves out of the race simply previous the midway mark. Lundgaard pulled off-track with an undiagnosed electrical difficulty simply earlier than the race hit 100 laps remaining. Three laps later, a dominant O’Ward suffered a tire failure and pounded the surface wall.

Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

Within the span of a pair minutes, Arrow McLaren noticed the finale of a stable season take a depressing swing. Siegel survived to the top, however may handle solely seventeenth. O’Ward and Lundgaard ended up Twenty fourth and twenty fifth, with Lundgaard’s setback dropping him to fifth within the standings. A bummer throughout.

Winner: A stable closing 2025 race for Alex Palou
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

By his personal requirements, Sunday was a letdown for Alex Palou. The Spaniard pale again over the race’s center phases and wanted some fortune and a stable late undercut to rise into rivalry.

However Palou made probably the most of his difficult afternoon in Tennessee to notch one other second-place end, giving the four-time champion a dozen top-two outcomes and 13 podiums in 17 races this yr.

Alex Palou celebrating in the infield after the race in Nashville, Chip Ganassi Racing

Alex Palou celebrating within the infield after the race in Nashville, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

Palou had nothing of significance to race for on Sunday. He’d locked up the championship two races early in Portland and was now not within the operating to tie IndyCar’s single-season win report.

However the 28-year-old and his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing crew put collectively one other stable race to finish a memorable 2025 marketing campaign on a excessive be aware. Generally you simply have to understand greatness.

David Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises

Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

Trying to make one closing sturdy impression for Crew Penske forward of rumors of an increase into Will Energy’s No. 12 Chevrolet, David Malukas certified second and sat in the identical spot early by the second stint of Sunday’s race.

That’s when issues rapidly fell aside. Malukas was attempting to lap Louis Foster on the surface lane when the rookie swiped up at him going into flip 1. The pair then collided, sending Malukas slamming into the flip 1 wall.

The second served as the principle takeaway from a disappointing race for the pair. Malukas’ crash saved him from rising right into a top-10 factors end. Foster was issued a drive-through penalty for blocking. Fortunately for him, an even bigger mistake elsewhere saved the second from inflicting a huge impact to his season…

Loser: Robert Shwartzman throws away high rookie honors
Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing

Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

With Foster trapped two laps down within the closing phases, Prema Racing’s star rookie was in rivalry for a top-10 and poised to grab Rookie of the Yr honors away from the Briton within the season finale.

However simply when Shwartzman had his fingertips on the prize, the Indianapolis 500 polesitter made a vital mistake. Shwartzman was caught throwing a block within the closing run to the checkered and issued a penalty simply minutes earlier than the checkered flag, handing the rookie prize again to Foster within the closing moments of the season.

Shwartzman ended up being labeled 14th and developing one spot behind Foster in factors. Foster ended the yr twenty third, with Shwartzman following in Twenty fourth.

Winner: Conor Daly does it once more
Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Photograph by: Penske Leisure

When IndyCar is racing on a brief oval, you realize Daly might be within the combine. Regardless of a disappointing Twenty fourth-place qualifying effort, the Hoosier made his option to the entrance in Nashville with a bunch of flashy strikes.

In his typical daredevil type, Daly surged previous a number of opponents on numerous restarts over the course of the afternoon. He didn’t fairly have the tempo to problem the leaders within the closing phases, however the Juncos Hollinger Racing begin made probably the most of an eventful day to salvage a fifth-place end and finish the yr with momentum.

It was Daly’s finest end of the yr and the No. 76 crew’s fourth top-10, with the quartet all approaching ovals.

Few issues can humble you as rapidly as motorsports. Seven days previous to the season finale, Christian Rasmussen was the hero of the IndyCar paddock, having marched his option to the entrance late for a memorable maiden victory in Milwaukee.

One week later, he was out of the season finale simply seconds after the inexperienced flag.

“Simply appeared like I misplaced the rear finish,” Rasmussen stated. “Not fairly positive why. I assume it was simply very low grip.”

Winner: One fortunate couple takes the following step

In the event you wished to suggest to the love of your life, the place would you’re taking them?

For one couple of IndyCar followers, the reply was Nashville Superspeedway. Early in Saturday’s qualifying session, FOX Sports activities’ Georgia Henneberry kicked off a normal pit lane interview with Conor Daly by sharing some stunning information: a pair of followers had simply been engaged in entrance of his automobile.

“Like to see some love celebrated right here on the Nashville Superspeedway,” Daly stated.

Loser: Dave Portnoy struggles with velocity

Barstool Sports activities founder Dave Portnoy is a determine that mixes opinion within the sporting world, so his arrival within the IndyCar paddock was all the time going to be memorable and probably controversial.

However it didn’t need to be this laughable. Because it seems, a couple of laps close to tempo in an IndyCar proved a lot worse than rolling into Ohio State as a diehard Michigan fan for the 48-year-old. Buckeye followers most likely loved watching this one.

Winner: FOX Sports activities makes it by yr one

One down, many to go.

There have been tough patches and studying moments alongside the best way, however FOX Sports activities made it by its first season as IndyCar’s unique tv supplier. Occasional technical difficulties – shedding service on the Thermal Membership, for instance – popped up, however the IndyCar on FOX crew largely survived the 2025 marketing campaign with none main controversies or critical setbacks.

With an added stake in Penske Leisure, partnerships to construct on and a prolonged offseason to brainstorm, this partnership has potential to continue to grow and are available out firing in yr two It’s time to get to work.

Loser: Will Energy goes out with a whimper
Will Power, Team Penske

Will Energy, Crew Penske

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

If that is the ultimate Crew Penske begin for Will Energy, it’ll have been a bittersweet one. Energy had inherited the lead after O’Ward’s crash, however the Aussie noticed his day undone moments later when hassle on pit street trapped him a lap down.

Energy finally took the checkered flag twenty first, the black sheep in an in any other case sturdy finale for Penske together with his teammates each on the rostrum. The 44-year-old remains to be Penske’s winningest driver and ends the yr as its high factors finisher in ninth. But when that is actually it, the two-time champ didn’t get the send-off he deserved.

Photographs from Nashville – Race

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing