LEBANON, Tenn. (Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025) – Sweet relief finally arrived
at home, sweet home after the most frustrating of seasons for Josef
Newgarden.
Nashville-area native Newgarden broke a 20-race drought dating back to
August 2024 to earn his first victory of 2025 and 32nd of his
illustrious NTT INDYCAR SERIES career at his home track Sunday, winning
the season-ending Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by
WillScot at Nashville Superspeedway.
SEE: Race Results
“Glad we got one without anything going wrong,” Newgarden said.
“Happy to celebrate this team. They deserve it. It’s rewarding for
our team. Tough, tough year, but good to get a win at the end.”
Two-time series champion Newgarden drove his No. 2 Astemo Team Penske
Chevrolet to victory by .5021 of a second over the No. 10 DHL Chip
Ganassi Racing Honda of four-time and reigning series champion Alex
Palou, who celebrated with the Astor Challenge Cup for the third
straight year in post-race ceremonies.
“It’s been an amazing season for us,” Palou said. “I just had
the pleasure to be the driver of that No. 10 DHL Honda car, to get so
many wins and so many podiums this year.”
Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske
Chevrolet after prevailing in a stirring duel down the stretch of the
225-lap race with Kyffin Simpson in the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip
Ganassi Racing Honda. It’s just the second time this season that Team
Penske – the most winning team in INDYCAR SERIES history – put two
drivers on the podium.
Simpson capped a strong second season in the series by holding on to
fourth for his best career oval result. Conor Daly rounded out the top
five in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet after starting 24th,
gaining more spots than any driver in the race.
Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing hung on to clinch the
series Rookie of the Year honors by just two points over Robert
Shwartzman of PREMA Racing. Foster finished 20th in the No. 45 Desnuda
Tequila Honda, while Shwartzman was 14th in the No. 83 PREMA Racing
Chevrolet.
Newgarden took the lead for good on Lap 205 when he passed McLaughlin
when McLaughlin’s car drifted off the racing line and brushed the
SAFER Barrier in Turn 2, triggering the fourth and final caution period
of the frenetic race.
On the restart on Lap 214, Newgarden rocketed away while Palou – who
remarkably clawed back to the front despite a flat right front tire
early in the race – dove under McLaughlin for second place in Turn 1.
But Palou never could catch Newgarden over the final 11 laps, as the
reigning series champion admitted he lacked the confidence to put his
car in the higher groove where Newgarden, McLaughlin, Daly and others
did some of their best, most breathtaking passing of the race.
The joyous relief was palpable for Newgarden after the race when he
stopped his car on the front straightaway and climbed into the
grandstands to exult with fans, reminiscent of his celebrations at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning the Indianapolis 500 presented
by Gainbridge in 2023 and 2024.
“I think we should be racing in Nashville to end the championship all
the time,” Newgarden said. “We don’t need to need to go anywhere
else. It’s great to be home. Pumped, just pumped.”
It was a fitting ending to a race that featured so many twists, turns
and heartbreak that nearly everyone who watched it probably needed a
moment to exhale after the checkered flag. There were 284 passes for
position, including 130 in the top 10 and 74 in the top five – all
series records for Nashville Superspeedway.
McLaughlin wasn’t the only driver to lose the lead due to hitting the
SAFER Barrier. NTT P1 Award winner Pato O’Ward led a race-high 116
laps from the pole in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, but his race
ended in heartbreak when a flat right front tire pushed him into the
SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 on Lap 127.
David Malukas was running in second on Lap 83 in the No. 4 Clarience
Technologies Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises when he backed hard into
the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 after side-by-side contact from Foster, who
was penalized for blocking. Malukas was awake and alert after the
incident, according to INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer, and
was released from a local hospital following precautionary evaluation
and advanced imaging.
Christian Rasmussen, who earned his first career victory last Sunday at
the Milwaukee Mile, saw his chance for a repeat end on Lap 1 when his
No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet wiggled in traffic and hit the SAFER
Barrier in Turn 2.
The varying pit and tire strategies spawned by these accidents and
caution periods resulted in 12 of the 27 drivers leading at least one
lap and 20 lead changes, both series records at this track.