Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix Summary
Nashville, TN – Josef Newgarden clinched a hard-fought victory in the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, marking his first triumph of the season during the finale. The Team Penske driver navigated the challenging race with skill, fending off reigning champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing to win by a narrow 0.5 seconds. This victory highlighted Team Penske’s resurgence, securing two wins in the last three races of the season.
Newgarden expertly commanded the No. 2 Team Penske Chevy amidst a race rife with incidents. “I’m just glad we got one without anything going wrong… Just happy to celebrate with this team,” he expressed post-race. Teammate Scott McLaughlin reclaimed third place on the final lap, while Kyffin Simpson, racing for Ganassi, secured fourth.
The race was marked by numerous high-profile challenges, including driver Pato O’Ward, who led for over half the race before a tire failure sent him crashing into the wall. Palou, who had been running steadily in second, also succumbed to tire issues. Newgarden capitalized on these misfortunes, taking the lead decisively late in the race.
Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly surged from 24th to finish fifth, achieving his best result of the season. Kyle Kirkwood finished sixth, landing him fourth in the final drivers’ standings.
Rookie of the Year honors went to Louis Foster, who, despite a tumultuous race that included a drive-through penalty, outperformed Robert Shwartzman by two points. Shwartzman’s late-race penalty for blocking Santino Ferrucci sealed his fate in the Rookie standings.
Team Ganassi dominated the season, with Palou winning eight of the 17 races, while Scott Dixon added one to their tally. In contrast, Andretti scored three wins, courtesy of Kirkwood, and Arrow McLaren had two victories with O’Ward. Ed Carpenter Racing also secured a win through Christian Rasmussen.
As the season concludes with Newgarden’s pivotal win, teams and drivers now look to regroup during the offseason, with hopes of challenging the formidable Palou and Chip Ganassi in 2026.
Race Results:
- Josef Newgarden (Team Penske, Chevy)
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda)
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske, Chevy)
- Kyffin Simpson (Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda)
- Conor Daly (Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevy)
- Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global, Honda)
The next green flag will wave on March 1, 2026, at the season opener in St. Petersburg.
