Alex Palou beats three Penske drivers to win IndyCar race at Nashville

Reigning and four-time IndyCar Sequence champion Alex Palou continued his assault on the 2026 season by successful the Borchetta Bourbon Music Metropolis Grand Prix at Nashville Speedway.

After beginning fourth within the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, the Spaniard took management simply previous midway and went on to win by 0.8731s over Group Penske’s Josef Newgarden on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. It marks Palou’s fifth win of the season.

Group Penske’s David Malukas, who began twenty fifth (final), went off-strategy early within the shortened 225-lap race to complete third.

And finishing a Group Penske 2-3-4 was Scott McLaughlin, who charged on a late restart to complete simply off the rostrum in fourth. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist took fifth.

With the win Palou extends his championship lead, exiting Nashville with an 83-point hole over Malukas (457-374), who retook second after his third-place end. Andretti International’s Kyle Kirkwood, who completed tenth on the day after beginning on pole, fell to 3rd within the general standings and 87 factors behind Palou.

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The Race

The preliminary begin was waved off as a result of subject being too strung out, however Kirkwood led the sphere to the inexperienced flag from pole on Lap 2.

Newgarden fell again briefly however surged again to run side-by-side with Kirkwood, with Palou in third just a few automotive lengths again.

Via the opening 14 laps, Kirkwood continued to steer Newgarden and Palou, however it was Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong dropping dramatically; falling from sixth all the way down to ninth. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon dropped probably the most spots (5) from fifth all the way down to tenth.

The warning got here out on Lap 19 after AJ Foyt Racing rookie Caio Collet bought free in Flip 4 and pounded the surface wall.

The likes of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s (RLL) Louis Foster, together with Group Penske’s David Malukas and Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard opted to not pit and elevated as much as run first-third. In the meantime, McLaughlin received the race off pit street, narrowly beating Kirkwood, Palou, after which Newgarden.

Foster led the sphere to the restart on Lap 32, with McLaughlin, Kirkwood and Palou in a position to shortly get round Lundgaard, who finally light out of the highest 10. Malukas climbed to the lead over Foster a lap later, with Foster dropping all the way down to seventh.

Regardless of being on used tires, Malukas started to widen the hole over teammate McLaughlin to 2s by Lap 44.

By Lap 50, Malukas held a 3.7s lead as he caught the rear of the sphere in RLL’s Graham Rahal. Nevertheless, Malukas continued to wrestle to get round Rahal, which allowed McLaughlin to shut to inside 1.5s over the subsequent seven laps.

Malukas dove to pit lane on Lap 61, handing the result in McLaughlin. Malukas cycled out to twenty third, a lap down and searching for the race to remain underneath inexperienced flag circumstances till the remainder of the sphere made their subsequent spherical of pit stops.

McLaughlin additionally struggled to get by Rahal, as an alternative hanging behind however holding a 0.7s lead over Kirkwood. McLaughlin was lastly in a position to get by Rahal on Lap 72.

The largest mover for the reason that restart was Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay, who was up 10 spots and working fifth by Lap 78. He dove to pit lane the next lap.

McLaughlin pitted on Lap 82 from the lead, and cycled out well-behind Malukas because the cycle continued. Malukas sat 2.5s forward,

The highest 5 by 100 laps, Malukas held a 1.4s lead over McLaughlin, with Kirkwood in third, VeeKay in fourth, and Palou in fifth.

By Lap 107, Armstrong was on pit lane after encountering a mechanical subject.

The lead for Malukas was 2.1s by Lap 110 laps.

ECR’s Christian Rasmussen was following teammate Alexander Rossi for ninth however discovered the wall that resulted in a damaged rear toe hyperlink, forcing him to pit lane after 115 laps. With Rasmussen’s subject, RLL rookie Mick Schumacher moved as much as tenth.

Malukas dove to pit lane on Lap 119, handing off the highest spot to teammate McLaughlin as soon as extra.

Moments later, nevertheless, the warning got here out on Lap 122 after Dixon rear-ended an abruptly sluggish Rossi as the 2 got here collectively in Flip 3.

Regardless of the numerous harm, Dixon was in a position to get transient repairs and was despatched again out. Palou stayed out when the pits opened on Lap 130, with McLaughlin and everybody else coming to pit lane.

Palou led the sphere to the inexperienced flag restart on Lap 140, with McLaughlin underneath hearth by Kirkwood for second. Regardless of the warning, Malukas restarted thirteenth and on the lead lap.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist was up from seventeenth to seventh on Lap 147 for the reason that restart, whereas Andretti International’s Will Energy was on pit lane for repairs after making contact with the Flip 2 wall on the restart.

With 60 laps to go, Palou held a 1.4s lead over McLaughlin, with Kirkwood in third, Newgarden in fourth, and VeeKay in fifth.

Malukas climbed as much as eighth by Lap 167, straight forward of Andretti International’s Marcus Ericsson and Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel.

The primary among the many prime 5 to make a pit cease was VeeKay, who got here in on Lap 175, with McLaughlin coming in two laps later.

Whereas Kirkwood was on pit lane, the warning got here out on Lap 180 as Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger made contact with the Flip 2 SAFER Barrier and ended up stopped on the backstretch.

Following the cycle, Palou was in a position to stay within the lead, forward of Newgarden, Rosenqvist, Malukas, and Ericsson. Kirkwood and McLaughlin have been in a position to get again on the lead lap, however lined up eleventh and twelfth, respectively.

Palou led the sphere to the restart with 31 laps to go, with Newgarden behind. Nevertheless, the person on the transfer was McLaughlin, who was up 5 spots for the reason that restart and working seventh.

Malukas bought round Ericsson for third with 27 laps to go; Ericsson then fell to fifth as Rosenqvist bought by as a result of lack of momentum.

On Lap 200, Palou led Newgarden by 0.207s.

With 20 laps to go, the lead for Palou stood at 0.4s. On the identical time, McLaughlin moved by Ericsson to take fifth. McLaughlin moved as much as fourth just a few laps later.

The working order remained unchanged with 10 laps to go, with Newgarden unable to make up floor.

Palou’s lead widened to 0.7s with 5 laps to go, with solely Newgarden and Malukas inside vary for the win.

Palou labored across the lapped automotive of Foster and set off to a cushty win, his fifth of the season.

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225

2

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12

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3

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60

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28

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5

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47

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8

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27

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N. SiegelArrow McLaren

6

225

76

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14

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R. Robb StingJuncos Hollinger Racing

77

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7

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L. FosterRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

45

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9

218

15

209

26

209

19

178

C. RasmussenEd Carpenter Racing

21

127

20

121

66

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4

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Photographs from Nashville – Sunday