NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 14
PREVIEW Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (USA)
INDYCAR’s flat-out run of five races on four consecutive weekends will come to a close on Sunday on the streets of Nashville – and with a pole and a podium to his name across the high-paced period, Felix Rosenqvist is nurturing hopes of fusing promise, pace and potential as the field hits Tennessee.
Rosenqvist opened the five-race sweep in encouraging fashion, taking a podium finish in the latest street course event in Toronto in mid-July.
That was followed by further promising pace in the oval double-header at Iowa Speedway, and by a second pole position of the season last time out at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Technical gremlins ultimately saw the Swede slip to ninth at IMS last weekend, but as racing resumes in Nashville to round out the summer stretch, the signs of inherent potential are now all there – as Rosenqvist and Arrow McLaren SP continue to chase their first win together.
“We have had so much potential in the last nine-ten races, basically all season, and in terms of pace, we’re there,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “We’re just waiting for it all to finally come together and align over one and the same weekend – that’s the big thing for us now. We’re working hard to remedy any hurdles that have kept us from that to date.”
This weekend’s race – the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix – sees the NTT INDYCAR SERIES set camp in vibrant Nashville for a second time.
The venue made its debut on the calendar last year, with Rosenqvist enjoying a stout showing on the new street track to lead the way among the Chevrolet-powered cars in both qualifying (P6) and the race (P8).
“Nashville was one of our strongest events last year, and our street course package has remained competitive this season,” Felix Rosenqvist concludes. “I was on the podium in Toronto only a few weeks back, so it makes me optimistic in many ways. We have every reason to aim big and I think we’re definitely edging closer to that first win together.”
Practice begins in Nashville on Friday. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, with the 80-lap race set to go green on Sunday.
TIME TABLE
All times local (U.S. Central)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 14
Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
Nashville (USA)
Friday 5 August
Free Practice 1: 3:15-4:30 pm
Saturday 6 August
Free Practice 2: 11:15 am-12:15 pm
Qualifying: 3:30-4:45 pm
Sunday 7 August
Warm-up: 9:15-9:45 am
Race (80 laps): 2:15 pm
TIMING: INDYCAR App / racecontrol.indycar.com
ENTRY LIST: view here
TRACK DATA: view here