Kyle Kirkwood earned his second career pole and first on an oval track after a dominant qualifying session for the IndyCar race at Nashville Superspeedway. The Andretti Autosport driver completed two fast laps in 47.5189 seconds, averaging 201.520 MPH, cementing his place at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race.
Kirkwood beat out several IndyCar heavyweights, including Josef Newgarden, who came close but ultimately settled for the second spot on the front row. Felix Rosenqvist secured third place with a strong run, also breaking the 200 MPH barrier. Will Power qualified fourth, but fell short of earning the pole position, which would have given him a crucial bonus point in his pursuit to close the 33-point gap to championship leader Alex Palou.
Palou, meanwhile, struggled during the session, managing only 15th fastest. He faces further difficulties as a grid penalty for excessive engine changes will drop him to 24th, leaving him with significant ground to make up in Sunday’s race. The battle for the championship between Palou and Power will likely unfold in the middle of the pack, adding to the drama.
Turn 4’s notorious bump once again proved to be a challenge, causing multiple drivers to lift off the throttle to avoid wrecking. Alexander Rossi came closest to disaster, nearly losing control, but his quick reflexes saved his car from a significant crash, although he could only manage 20th on the grid.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing continued their oval struggles, with Christian Fittipaldi being the fastest of their drivers but still qualifying far down the order. Teammates Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard also posted disappointing results.
Nolan Siegel, unfortunately, couldn’t participate in qualifying following a heavy crash in practice that left his car unable to return to the track in time. He will start at the back of the grid alongside a fresh engine.
The drivers will have one final practice session later in the day, weather permitting, ahead of Sunday’s race, which is scheduled to begin at 2:15 PM Central Time.
