Track:                  Streets of Nashville

Race:                   Big Machine Music City Grand Prix

Date:                   August 7, 2021

No. 2 Hitachi Dallara/Chevrolet – Josef Newgarden

Practice 2           

Position:                            18th

Time / Speed:                   1:17.0482 seconds / 98.120 mph

Qualifying

Position:                            12th

Time / Speed:                   1:15.5062 seconds (Round 2) / 100.124 mph

­­­________________________________________________________________

No. 3 DEX Imaging Dallara/Chevrolet – Scott McLaughlin

Practice 2           

Position:                            10th

Time / Speed:                   1:16.4877 4 seconds / 98.839 mph

Qualifying

Position:                            23rd

Time/ Speed:                    1:18.1899 seconds (Round 1) / 96.688 mph

_________________________________________________________________

No. 12 Verizon 5G Dallara/Chevrolet – Will Power

Practice 2           

Position:                            14th

Time / Speed:                   1:16.7023 seconds / 98.563 mph

Qualifying

Position:                            11th

Time / Speed:                   1:15.5016 seconds (Round 2) / 100.130 mph

________________________________________________________________

No. 22 Menards Dallara/Chevrolet – Simon Pagenaud

Practice 2           

Position:                            11th

Time / Speed:                   1:16.5904 seconds / 98.707 mph

Qualifying

Position:                            8th

Time / Speed:                   1:15.1354 seconds (Round 2) / 100.618 mph

________________________________________________________________

Best Practice 2 Time:     1:15.3529 seconds (No. 26 – Colton Herta)

Best Qualifying Time:     1:13.6835 seconds (No. 26 – Herta)

Recap:

• Tennessee humidity greeted the teams of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Saturday morning at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix for a full day of practice and qualifying in advance of Sunday’s inaugural event on the streets of Nashville.
• Drivers were given a second practice session at noon to continue to familiarize themselves with the new Nashville circuit with Scott McLaughlin leading the way for Team Penske with the 10th-fastest lap of 1:16.4877 seconds in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet.
• Unfortunately, the usually adept qualifiers at Team Penske struggled on the new surface during the late afternoon time trials. McLaughlin made slight contact with the wall in first round of qualifying, resulting in a 23rd-place starting position for Sunday.
• Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud all were able to transfer to the second round of qualifying, but no further. Newgarden, in particular, continued his unusual start to the weekend by bringing out a red-flag period to finish last in the second round after making contact with a tire barrier.
• Pagenaud will lead the Team Penske quartet to the green flag tomorrow with his eighth-place starting position. The Frenchman is a five-time series winner on temporary street courses.

Coverage: The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will air on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network beginning at 5:30 pm ET on Sunday, August 8.