Within the finale of a 2025 NTT IndyCar Sequence season outlined by the issues that went unsuitable, the whole lot lastly went proper for Josef Newgarden at Nashville Superspeedway. “I’m simply glad we acquired one with out something going unsuitable,” he mentioned afterward.
Newgarden snuck previous Crew Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin after he acquired into the wall with 21 laps remaining and survived the ultimate run with champion Alex Palou in his mirror to say the Borchetta Bourbon Music Metropolis Grand Prix. It was the two-time IndyCar champion’s first and solely win of 2025, giving him 11-straight seasons with at the least one IndyCar win.
“I’m blissful to have fun this workforce,” Newgarden mentioned. “They deserve it. … They’ve achieved a fantastic job.”
“Robust 12 months” he later added. “Robust, robust 12 months. However good to get a win right here on the finish.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Palou adopted Newgarden in second, coming .5021s shy of an eighth victory to shut out a dominant 2025 marketing campaign. The pair shared celebration after the race, with Newgarden climbing out of his machine and working into the gang whereas Palou accomplished donuts within the infield grass.
McLaughlin acquired the very best of a tense last-lap battle with Kyffin Simpson to say the ultimate podium spot. Simpson notched his greatest oval end in fourth, with Conor Daly rising from twenty fourth to safe fifth. Kyle Kirkwood, Felix Rosenqvist, Santino Ferrucci, Callum Ilott and Alexander Rossi accomplished the highest 10.
Newgarden’s path to victory got here on the expense of many different potential contenders.
Early frontrunner David Malukas noticed his run undone from second when he acquired the worst of contact with the lap-down Louis Foster on lap 83. Vice-champion Pato O’Ward had the strongest automotive of the day, main 116 laps from pole with little problem outdoors of an early battle with Palou. However the Mexican star suffered a tire failure on lap 127 and slammed into the flip 2 wall, ending his day.
In what is likely to be his closing begin for Crew Penske, Will Energy took the lead over from O’Ward solely to undergo a disastrous pit sequence the place he stalled and fell a lap down beneath the following yellow. Energy took the checkered flag in twenty first, two laps down.
Josef Newgarden, Crew Penske
Picture by: Penske Leisure
That complicated sequence briefly gave the result in Rossi, however he was on another technique with older tires. Newgarden led those who had stopped, overtook Rossi and surged into the lead on lap 147.
He briefly fell to 3rd on the ultimate green-flag pit sequence, sliding lengthy within the field and getting overtaken by McLaughlin and an undercutting Palou. However Newgarden adopted McLaughlin previous Palou shortly into the run after which took excessive spot when McLaughlin slid up into the surface wall.
Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
It was an unconventional path to victory lane, however one the No. 2 workforce was blissful to comply with on the finish of the group’s most attempting season up to now.
Sunday’s race wraps up the 17-race IndyCar season. With the 2026 schedule unannounced up to now, the tour’s subsequent race is unsure. The standard opener, St. Petersburg, has the earliest confirmed race date on March 1, 2026.
On this article
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information e-mail updates on these subjects
