Kyle Kirkwood Beats Josef Newgarden to Win Pole at Nashville!

What Happened in Qualifying?

On Saturday at the Nashville Superspeedway, something super exciting happened! Kyle Kirkwood and his team, Andretti Global, did an amazing job in qualifying (the event where drivers race alone to decide who starts the race in front). They barely beat Josef Newgarden—who is like a king of oval tracks (tracks shaped like a circle)—to win the special "NTT P1 Award" for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls.

Important Point: Winning the pole (P1) means you get to start the race in the very first position—right at the front of everyone!

Kyle Kirkwood’s Big Win

Kirkwood earned his first pole of the season and his fourth career pole in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES (the top level of Indy car racing). Here is how he did it:

• He drove the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda.
• His average speed over two laps was 196.852 mph (that’s miles per hour—super fast!).
• His run was the second-to-last try in qualifying, which made it extra dramatic.
• He was also the fastest in practice (a free practice session before qualifying) on Saturday morning on the 1.33-mile concrete oval (a 1.33-mile track made of concrete shaped like an oval).

Kirkwood said:

“Quite honestly, it’s the car that Andretti gives me here. We were quick in practice. We’ve been good here the past couple of years. I did the same as everybody else is doing, right? You just hold it flat, and you hope your car goes fast. They built a really good car around me, did everything right. I managed the tools a little bit, got aggressive with some trim. It worked out well.”

This is Kirkwood’s second career oval pole. He is from Florida. He also won the pole for this same race in 2024, and guess what? Newgarden was second then too!

Josef Newgarden’s Strong Try

Newgarden is from the Nashville area and is known as the best oval racer lately. He tried hard to get the pole:

• He drove the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet.
• His two-lap average was 196.642 mph.
• He was the fastest earlier in the day on a super hot afternoon.
• He has won 13 of the last 30 oval races, including this race last year.
• He is still healing from a foot injury he got in a crash at the Indianapolis 500 (a famous race).

But after Newgarden, four more drivers went. Then Kirkwood zoomed out and did his first lap at 197.382 mph—the only lap all day faster than 197 mph! He stayed in front and took the pole.

Newgarden said:

“We have a great car here. We started earlier this morning really well. The team did everything they could today, and we have a good viewpoint for tomorrow now.”

How the Rest of the Starting Grid Looked

The starting order (who starts where) after the front two:

1. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet) – 3rd at 196.087 mph. His team (Team Penske) got two of the top three spots!
2. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) – 4th at 196.050 mph. He is the reigning (current) and four-time series champion.
3. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) – 5th at 195.802 mph. He is a six-time series champion.
4. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet) – 6th at 195.664 mph. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2016.

Tough Weather and a Scary Crash

All drivers had to deal with really hot and sticky conditions:

• Air temperature: 94 degrees
• Track temperature: 130 degrees

Also, driver David Malukas did not try to qualify because he crashed hard in practice in the morning in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

• He got out of the car with help from the safety team.
• He went to a hospital by private car to get checked.
• He was later cleared to drive in the final practice and the race.
• He will start last (25th) in the 25-car field.

When and Where to Watch the Race

The big race is on Sunday:

• Start time: About 5:30 p.m. ET (Eastern Time)
• This may change depending on when the FIFA World Cup Final ends.
• You can watch live on FOX, FOX One, and listen on INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.
• The race is 300 laps long.

Important Point: A lap means going around the track one full time. 300 laps is a long, long race!

Summary

Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti Global won the pole for the Nashville race with a super fast two-lap run, beating local hero Josef Newgarden. Newgarden was fast but just missed out. The rest of the front row includes McLaughlin, Palou, Dixon, and Rossi. It was super hot, Malukas crashed but is okay and starts last, and the race is Sunday evening on FOX.

FAQ

Q: What does "pole" or "P1" mean?
A: It means the driver was the fastest in qualifying and gets to start the race in the very first spot at the front.

Q: Why is Josef Newgarden called an oval master?
A: Because he has won 13 of the last 30 oval-track races and is known as the best on circle tracks in recent years.

Q: What happened to David Malukas?
A: He crashed in practice, went to the hospital to get checked, was cleared, and will start the race in last place.

Q: How hot was it during qualifying?
A: The air was 94 degrees and the track was 130 degrees—very hot and tough for drivers!