RACE PREVIEW – Streets of Nashville

Source: Team PR

MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

  • FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
  • TRACK: Streets of Downtown Nashville
  • LOCATION: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
  • TRACK LAYOUT: 2.15-mile, 11-turn street circuit
  • RACE LENGTH: 80 laps/173.6 miles
  • PRACTICE: 
  • Friday – 3:15-4:30 p.m. CT (Peacock Premium), 
  • Saturday – 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CT (Peacock Premium), 
  • Sunday – 9:15-9:45 a.m. CT (Peacock Premium), 
  • QUALIFYING: Saturday – 3:30-4:45 p.m. CT (Peacock Premium)
  • RACE: Sunday – 2:30 p.m. CT (NBC, 2 p.m. CT)

A busy summer stretch for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES culminates this weekend with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. The highly-anticipated event returns to the downtown streets of Nashville, Tennessee for a second year and marks the 5th race for Ed Carpenter Racing in four weeks. The tricky street circuit presented many challenges for Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay in 2021 and both are ready to build on their performances from the inaugural event. Nashville is also part of a three-race technical partnership between ECR and Paretta Autosport. ECR provides support and personnel for Paretta Autosport’s No. 16, driven by Simona De Silvestro.

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet: “I think everyone in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is excited to go back to Nashville! Last year’s event was fantastic, it was great to see so many people out there. I look forward to seeing how the track has changed over the past year and the improvements that have been made. We hope to get our best street course result of the season, we know that race can be chaotic so we will be ready to take advantage of the chaos. There was a man that flew through the air last year and still won the race, so anything is possible!”

OF NOTE:

  • Conor Daly’s first season as full-time driver of ECR’s No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet has featured a stretch of solid results. Just two weeks ago, Daly qualified 3rd for both races of the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. Earlier this season, Daly advanced through all rounds of qualifying and started 4th in the first race of May, the GMR Grand Prix. Battling both wet and dry conditions during the race, he earned a Top 5 finish. Two weeks later, he paced the Indianapolis 500 field for several laps before finishing 6th. Additional strong results followed the next three rounds at Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • Daly’s first experience with the Music City Grand Prix was eventful. Prior to qualifying, Daly had not been able to turn any laps on the red tires and had to learn their characteristics on the fly. He qualified 20th and dropped back several positions in the opening laps as he tried to avoid on-track issues around him. An early pit stop, combined with numerous yellow laps and red flags, moved him as high as 3rd and allowed him to stay out until Lap 52. The late race stop ensured he was able to finish with plenty of fuel. As other competitors stopped again and had problems, Daly moved up to a 12th-place finish. 
  • BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.’

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered By BitNile Chevrolet: “I am very excited to go back to Nashville! Last year was a little ‘crashville’ for me, but we will be better this year! Improvements have been made to the track and it’s going to be a little wider, so that will be good. We feel confident about our set up and should be fast! I’m looking forward to getting my cowboy hat out and putting it on my head!”

OF NOTE:

  • Rinus VeeKay has filled his third season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver with many accomplishments, including recent 4th place finishes at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Race 1 of the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago. In early May, he won his second career pole position and earned his first podium of 2022 with a third place at Barber Motorsports Park. A few weeks later, he qualified on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row and started third. With his qualifying performance, he was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver in the 33-car field for the third consecutive year. Last Saturday on the IMS Road Course, he started 8th, fell to 16th on the first lap, and battled back to a 6th-place finish. 
  • VeeKay is looking for redemption in Nashville as his experience with the inaugural Music City Grand Prix was a difficult one. In qualifying, he brushed the wall and was left 22nd on the starting grid. He was up ten positions when he came across a completely blocked track only 20 laps in. With nowhere to go, the VeeKay made contact with the stopped cars and was then hit from behind. Repairs to the suspension were made and VeeKay re-entered the race, but the car was too damaged and he was forced to retire from the event. 
  • Through the generosity of BitNile Holdings, Inc. (BitNile), ECR’s Bitcoin Racing Team will continue to grow in 2022. VeeKay is back in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet, the same design he campaigned in this year’s Indy 500. Any individual who scans the unique QR code on the side of the No. 21 car and completes the registration will receive free Bitcoin from Earnity, a community-based crypto platform of which BitNile is a significant investor.