Kyle Kirkwood Tops Shortened Nashville Practice After Malukas Crash

What Happened in Practice?

On Saturday, the first practice session for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls took place at Nashville Superspeedway. Here’s the simple version:

• A driver named Kyle Kirkwood was the fastest in the session.
• The practice was supposed to last 1 hour but got cut short to about 52 minutes.
• Why? Because another driver, David Malukas, had a big crash about 19 minutes in.

How Fast Were They Going?

The track is a 1.33-mile concrete oval (a big oval-shaped racetrack made of concrete). Driving on it was tricky because of bumps and low grip (meaning cars slipped around easily).

• Kyle Kirkwood drove the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda for Andretti Global.
• His top speed was 197.097 mph (miles per hour), and it stayed the fastest.
• All 25 drivers found it hard to keep control. Kirkwood said: “It’s not easy for anyone out there. Track is going to be pretty green right now, so we’ll just work through it and try to keep it clean. Loose (handling), definitely.”

Important Point: “Green track” means the racing surface hasn’t been worn in by lots of laps yet, so it’s extra slippery. “Loose” means the car slides around more than the driver wants.

Who Was Fast Behind Kirkwood?

Here are the next fastest drivers in order:

1. Alex Palou (reigning champion and points leader) – 196.966 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
2. David Malukas – 196.340 mph before his crash, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
3. Felix Rosenqvist (2026 Indy 500 winner) – 196.249 mph in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda.
4. Santino Ferrucci – 195.977 mph in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of AJ Foyt Racing.

Also, all three Team Penske cars made the top seven:

• Josef Newgarden (last year’s Nashville winner) was 6th at 195.940 mph.
• Scott McLaughlin was 7th at 195.907 mph.

What Happened to Malukas?

Malukas’ car did a half-spin in Turn 2 and hit the back wall (called the SAFER Barrier) hard with its rear end.

• The rear of the car was heavily damaged.
• He got out with help from the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team.
• Dr. Angi Fiege (INDYCAR deputy medical director) said he was taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle for more tests.

What’s Next?

The schedule moving forward:

1. Qualifying for the P1 Award (pole position) at 3 p.m. ET today.
2. The 300-lap race starts at about 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
3. You can watch both on FOX, FOX One, and listen on INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

See the full speed chart here: Practice Results

Summary

Kyle Kirkwood was the fastest in a rainy, bumpy, and slippery first practice at Nashville, but the session was cut short when David Malukas crashed hard and was sent to the hospital. Palou, Malukas (before crash), Rosenqvist, and Ferrucci followed in speed. Qualifying is later today and the big race is Sunday evening.

FAQ

Q: Why was the practice session shorter than planned?
A: Because David Malukas crashed about 19 minutes in, and officials reduced the session from 60 to about 52 minutes.

Q: What does “green track” mean?
A: It means the track hasn’t been used much yet, so it’s clean and slippery, making cars harder to control.

Q: Is David Malukas okay after the crash?
A: He was awake, climbed out with help, and was taken to a hospital by private vehicle for more tests, according to INDYCAR’s medical director.

Q: Where can I watch the qualifying and race?
A: On FOX, FOX One, or listen via INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.