Josef Newgarden snapped a 20-race drought with victory at Nashville Superspeedway. His first win since August 2024. His 32nd in INDYCAR. He beat Alex Palou by 0.5021s at the flag.
“Glad we got one without anything going wrong,” Newgarden said. “Happy to celebrate this team. They deserve it. Tough, tough year, but good to get a win at the end.”
How It Was Won
Pato O’Ward started from pole and controlled the first half. He led 116 laps. Then it unraveled. A right-front puncture put him in the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier on Lap 127.
That handed the race to the Penske and Ganassi trains. Scott McLaughlin, Alex Palou and Newgarden cycled to the front through stops and cautions. Palou had his own drama earlier with a flat right-front. He still clawed back into the fight.
The key moment came on Lap 205. McLaughlin drifted high, brushed the Turn 2 wall and triggered the fourth and final caution. Restart on Lap 214. Eleven laps to settle it.
Newgarden launched. Clean air. Clean exits. Palou dived past McLaughlin into Turn 1 for second, but admitted he didn’t trust the high groove that others used to pass. The gap steadied. The No. 2 Astemo Chevrolet was gone.
Newgarden took the flag and went straight to the fans. Fence climb. Grandstand celebration. Nashville got its home win.
“I think we should be racing in Nashville to end the championship all the time,” he said. “It’s great to be home. Pumped, just pumped.”
Palou’s Triple Crown
Second place was a victory lap. Palou had clinched the championship a week earlier in Milwaukee. Nashville was the coronation. Another podium. Another season of control in the No. 10 DHL Ganassi Honda.
“It’s been an amazing season for us,” Palou said. “I just had the pleasure to be the driver of that car, to get so many wins and so many podiums this year.”
Podium Fight
McLaughlin recovered from that wall kiss to finish third. He spent the closing laps holding off Kyffin Simpson, who banked a career-best oval result in fourth. Conor Daly charged from 24th to fifth. Biggest climber in the field. Only the second Penske double-podium of the season.
Rookie Battle
Louis Foster sealed Rookie of the Year by two points over Robert Shwartzman. Foster finished 20th in the No. 45 Rahal Honda. Shwartzman took 14th for PREMA. Not the finishes they wanted. The trophy still mattered.
Records and Retirements
This finale was busy.
284 passes for position. Track record.
130 of those inside the top 10.
74 inside the top five.
Twenty lead changes. Twelve leaders from the 27 starters. Nashville rewrote its own book.
The walls wrote the rest. O’Ward’s puncture ended a dominant stint. David Malukas hit hard in Turn 2 on Lap 83 after side-by-side contact with Foster. Foster was penalised for blocking. Malukas was released from hospital after precautionary checks. Christian Rasmussen’s day ended on Lap 1 with a Turn 2 hit after a wiggle in traffic, one week after his Milwaukee breakthrough.
Nashville Results (Top Five)
- Josef Newgarden — Team Penske — Chevrolet
- Alex Palou — Chip Ganassi Racing — Honda
- Scott McLaughlin — Team Penske — Chevrolet
- Kyffin Simpson — Chip Ganassi Racing — Honda
- Conor Daly — Juncos Hollinger Racing — Chevrolet
Winner’s margin: 0.5021s
Cautions: 4
Final restart: Lap 214
Leaders: 12 of 27 starters
Lead changes: 20
Passes for position: 284 (track record)
Season’s End
Newgarden got his win. At home. At last.
Palou had the title in hand from Milwaukee. Nashville was the curtain call.
A finale with numbers, noise and nerves. INDYCAR 2025 signed off the right way. It’s been great covering my first INDYCAR season. A huge thank you to the series for giving me access, and also to all of you for visiting the website. Next Season the aim is to get to see a race and bring you the action from the track direct.