Round 13: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, Nashville, Tennessee. August 04--06.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 13: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, Nashville, Tennessee. August 04--06.

This will be the third running of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville. Track activity starts on Friday with Practice 1 but the event gets underway tomorrow, with FanFest on Broadway, which features The Pit Stop Challenge that takes place in downtown Nashville.

https://www.indycar.com/News/2023/07...e-PitChallenge


History
In 2021 Nashville, the music capital of Country and Western, hosted the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. After three years of negotiations between Nashville sports and tourism officials and IndyCar series executives, which previously had resulted in three failed proposals to hold the race, it was announced on September 16, 2020, the NTT IndyCar Series would add the Music City Grand Prix to the 2021 calendar.

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix marked the return of IndyCar to Nashville since the Indy 200, which was held at Nashville Superspeedway between 2001 and 2008. It was also the first new street race for the IndyCar Series, since the Grand Prix of Houston in 2013.

The race was won by Marcus Ericsson, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, however it was marred by 9 caution periods, totaling 33 laps and 2 red flags. Last year's race wasn't much different, with 9 caution periods, totaling 36 laps and 1red flag. There was also a big delay to the start of the race, which was scheduled for 3:30 PM ET, due to lightning in the area. The race didn't start until 5:13 PM ET.

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Track Layout
The track layout was designed by former IndyCar Project Manager Tony Cotnam and is highlighted by and features the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, which is used as the main straightaway, going in both directions. It is 3,578 feet (1,091 m) long, longer than the straightaway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track also varies in width, from a minimum of 37 feet (11 m) to a maximum of 80 feet (24 m).

Like Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Nashville Street Circuit uses a different location for the start of the race and the finish line (between Turns 3 and 4). Former Formula One drivers Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson, have compared the Nashville Street Circuit to the Baku City Circuit that hosts the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.



Length: 2.17 miles (3.49 km)
Turns: 11

Lap record:
Colton Herta, 1:13.6835. 102.601 mph (165.120 km/h)
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian.
Dallara IR18-Honda HI21R Indy-V-6

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Last year's race
https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/08...ille-nics-race

Pole
Scott McLaughlin,
Team Penske
Dallara IR18-Chevrolet Indy V6.

Winner
Scott Dixon,
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dallara IR18-HI22TT Indy V6

Laps: 80
Distance: 173.6 Miles (279.38 Km)
Race Time: 2:06:24.2439
Average Speed: 79.744 Mph (128.335 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Lap 48. 75.7491 sec. 99.803 Mph (160.617 Km/h)

Cautions: 8
Laps: 8 - 10, 22 - 24, 34 - 40, 52 - 55, 64 - 69, 73 - 75, 76 - 78.
Red flags: 1
Laps: 78.

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Practice and Qualifications

Practice 1
Friday, Aug 4
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM ET

Practice 2
Saturday, Aug 5
11:40 AM - 12:40 PM ET

Qualifications - Round 1 Group 1
Saturday, Aug 5
2:45 PM - 2:55 PM ET

Qualifications - Round 1 Group 2
Saturday, Aug 5
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM ET

Qualifications - Round 2
Saturday, Aug 5
3:35 PM - 3:45 PM ET

Qualifications - Firestone Fast 6
Saturday, Aug 5
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM ET

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TV Coverage:
Sunday, Aug 6
NBC: 12:00pm ET, 4:00 PM UTC
Sky Sports F1, 5:00 PM BST