 | |
 | |
| IndyCar Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Nashville Street Circuit |
| First race | 2021 |
| Last race | 2023 |
| Laps | 80 |
| Most wins (driver) |  Marcus Ericsson (1) Scott Dixon (1) Kyle Kirkwood (1) |
| Most wins (team) | Chip Ganassi Racing (2) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Honda (3) |
| Circuit information | |
| Length | 3.492 km (2.170 mi) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:15.7491 (Scott McLaughlin,Dallara DW12,2022,IndyCar) |
TheMusic City Grand Prix, known as theBig Machine Music City Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, was anIndyCar Series race held at theNashville Street Circuit inNashville, Tennessee. The race's most notable feature was its 3,578 ft (1,091 m) straightaway across theKorean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, which spans theCumberland River. The bridge layout made the track the only one on the IndyCar circuit and one of the few in the world to cross a significant body of water.Marcus Ericsson won theinaugural event in 2021. The Grand Prix was set to host the season finale from 2024 onwards but was instead moved to theNashville Superspeedway.
On September 16, 2020, theIndyCar Series announced the addition of the Music City Grand Prix as astreet circuit race in downtown Nashville for its2021 schedule.[1][2] This announcement came after three years of discussion between Nashville sports and tourism officials and IndyCar executives, which had previously resulted in three failed proposals for a race in Nashville.[3][4] Two of the three failed attempts, which occurred in 2010 and 2015, respectively, were led by formerPocono Raceway president Joseph Mattioli III.[5][6] The Music City Grand Prix was privately funded and had a three-year contract for IndyCar Series races.[3][4] The original event ownership group compiled by event founder Matt Crews includedScott Borchetta,Justin Timberlake,Dale Earnhardt Jr.,Justin Marks,Stanton Barrett, andGil West, among others.[7] Nashville's successful hosting of the2019 NFL draft was one of the deciding factors in the race becoming a reality, according to Penske Entertainment Corporation President and CEOMark Miles.[3][8]Nissan Stadium served as a host for the race for the first three years.[4]
Initially in negotiations, IndyCar CEO Roger Penske was dismissive about the idea of a race in Nashville, citing the permitting requirements and infrastructure costs.[9] Event Founder and CEO Matt Crews recalled, “I’ll never forget when Butch Spyridon (President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp) looked him in the eyes when Roger was saying, ‘These things are tough. The permitting is tough,’” Crews said. “Butch said, ‘Sir, you’ve just never done business in Nashville, because that’s what we do here: We’re in the event business.’”[10]
Two-time IndyCar Series champion and Nashville-area nativeJosef Newgarden called the race "the number-one destination outside of theIndy 500".[1] He further opined that "it is going to showcase the town of Nashville probably the best way possible."[4] Nashville mayorJohn Cooper called the race "a catalyst for our economic recovery".[8]
Ahead of the inaugural race, IndyCar CEO Mark Miles favorably compared the Nashville Grand Prix to theMonaco Grand Prix, saying, "Nashville is going to join Monaco at the absolute top tier of street racing in motorsport across the globe."[11]
The Music City Grand Prix became the first new street circuit race for the IndyCar Series since theGrand Prix of Houston in 2013.[1][4] It also became Nashville's first IndyCar race since theIndy 200 was held atNashville Superspeedway between 2001 and 2008.[3][12] The Music City Grand Prix was scheduled as the sixth street circuit race of the 2021 season, joining the doubleheader atDetroit along with races atLong Beach,St. Petersburg, andToronto. All of these races have been run since at least 2012, however, and more recent events on street circuits have already become defunct, including races inBaltimore,Boston (which was never held), and Houston.[3]
On August 3, 2023, IndyCar announced that the Music City Grand Prix would host the season finale from 2024 onwards.[13][14] The 2024 race would have featured a new layout that would have run through Broadway in Downtown Nashville while retaining theKorean War Memorial Bridge from the original 2021 layout.[14] In addition, the 2024 Music City Grand Prix would have been the 3rd time a street course has held the IndyCar Series season finale (St. Petersburg,2020 andLong Beach,2021). However, IndyCar management announced a change of venue toNashville Superspeedway due to the race conflicting with construction ofNew Nissan Stadium.[15]
The original Nashville Street Circuit measured 2.170 mi (3.492 km) and included 11 turns.[1][3][4] Running adjacent toNissan Stadium, the circuit's most notable feature was its 3,578 ft (1,091 m) straightaway across theKorean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, which spans theCumberland River.[1][4] The bridge layout made the track the only one on the IndyCar circuit and one of the few in the world to cross a significant body of water.[3][4] Top speeds for the IndyCar race were expected to be around 200 mph (320 km/h). The track varied in width from a minimum of 37 ft (11 m) to a maximum of 80 ft (24 m).[1] As atMid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Nashville Street Circuit used a different location for starting the race (between turns 3 and 4) than the finish line.[16]Middle Tennessee State University's School of Concrete and Construction Management created concrete mixes for the track's barriers andpit row.[17] Music City Grand Prix Founder and CEO Matt Crews noted that the event organizers planned to "limit traffic interruptions as much as possible".[4] Track designer Tony Cotman intentionally avoided Nashville's major streets so as not to adversely affect tourism.[3] Discussing the design of the circuit, he called the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge "one of those landmarks where you see that bridge on TV or in photos and you’re going to know exactly where it is. It’s like seeing theQueen Mary in the background atLong Beach."[16] Cotman also noted that he expects turns 1, 2, and 7 to be the best passing locations on the circuit.[16]
Pundits and drivers, including former Formula One driversRomain Grosjean andMarcus Ericsson, compared the Nashville Street Circuit to theBaku City Circuit that hosts theAzerbaijan Grand Prix. The Nashville Street Circuit's downtown section and long straightaways on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge were compared to the castle section and long straights at Baku.[18]
For the 2024 iteration of the race, the course would have been revised.[13] The new course would have maintained the same distance and bridge straights, but only featured seven turns. The new circuit would have gone into the heart of downtown Nashville and passed many of the famoushonky tonk bars of the city.
| Season | Date | Driver | Team | Chassis | Engine | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | Report | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||||
| 2021 | August 8 | Marcus Ericsson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara | Honda | 80 | 173.6 miles (279.4 km) | 2:18:50 | 72.607 | Report | [25] |
| 2022 | August 7 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara | Honda | 80 | 173.6 miles (279.4 km) | 2:06:24 | 79.744 | Report | [26] |
| 2023 | August 6 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Autosport | Dallara | Honda | 80 | 173.6 miles (279.4 km) | 1:58:02 | 85.396 | Report | [27] |
| Season | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | August 7 | James Sofronas |
| August 8 | Bret Curtis | |
| 2022 | August 6 | Onofrio Triarsi |
| August 7 | Justin Wetherill | |
| 2023 | August 5 | Johnny O'Connell |
| August 6 | Jason Daskalos |
| Season | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | August 7 | Mike Skeen |
| 2022 | August 6 | Brent Crews |
| 2023 | August 5 | Connor Zilisch |
| Season | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | August 7 | Robby Gordon |
| August 8 | Robert Stout | |
| 2022 | August 6 |  Matthew Brabham |
| August 7 | Gavin Harlien | |
| 2023 | August 5 | Robert Stout |
| August 6 | Robby Gordon |
| Season | Date | Winning driver | Winning team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | August 7 | Linus Lundqvist | HMD Motorsports withDale Coyne Racing |
| 2023 | August 6 |  Christian Rasmussen | HMD Motorsports withDale Coyne Racing |
| Season | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 6 | Tyler González |
As of August 2023, the fastest official race lap records at the Nashville Street Circuit are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Grand Prix Circuit: 3.492 km (2021–2023) | ||||
| IndyCar | 1:15.7491 | Scott McLaughlin | Dallara DW12 | 2022 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix |
| Indy NXT | 1:20.8265[28] | Hunter McElrea | Dallara IL-15 | 2023 Nashville Indy NXT round |
| GT3 | 1:28.883[29] | Jason Daskalos | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 2023 Nashville GT America round |
| Trans-Am TA2 | 1:31.350[30] | Connor Zilisch | Chevrolet Camaro Trans-Am | 2023 Nashville Trans-Am round |
| SRO GT2 | 1:32.647[31] | Elias Sabo | Audi R8 LMS GT2 | 2021 Nashville GT America round |
| GT4 | 1:34.624[32] | Chris Cagnazzi | Mercedes-AMG GT4 | 2022 Nashville GT America round |
| Toyota GR Cup | 1:43.082[33] | Tyler González | Toyota GR86 | 2023 Nashville Toyota GR Cup North America round |
| Preceded by Hy-Vee Homefront 250 | IndyCar Series Music City Grand Prix | Succeeded by Gallagher Grand Prix |