By Austin Lawton, Staff Writer
Saturday at the Nashville Superspeedway was all about Kyle Kirkwood.
The Jupiter, FL native was fastest in Saturday morning’s practice and claimed pole for Sunday’s race. Kirkwood’s average of 194.852mph was just two-tenths faster than defending race winner Josef Newgarden (196.642mph).
Kirkwood now claims his second career pole on an oval and continues to show the progress the No.27 for Andretti Global has made on short ovals.
“Quick in practice. Quick again in qualifying there,” Kirkwood said. “Happy that our pace has stayed true over the past three years that we’ve run around this place. I got more poles here now than anywhere else. A rare thing for me to say. People tend to think I’m a street course driver, so… Yeah, but no, happy with our performance. Car has been very fast every year we’ve shown up here. Hopefully it continues tomorrow.”
Newgarden’s teammate Scott McLaughlin will start third (196.642mph), with the No.3 continuing a very consistent weekend. A pair of Chip Ganassi Racing Honda’s close out the top five with Alex Palou (196.050mph) and Scott Dixon (195.802mph) in fourth and fifth, respectively.
SEE: Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix Starting Grid
Going into tomorrow’s race, tire wear will be a concern yet again at the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Firestone has once again brought the alternate, red, tire, this the third year running. Drivers like Alexander Rossi likes the addition of the alternate tire, despite it’s lack of effect in the racing product.
“It doesn’t have a big effect on an oval as it does on a road or street course,” Rossi said. “It’s a little bit of a difference, but not much. It’s an added element but it is not a game changer.”
The race distance is also increased from 2025, now a 300-lap event. With Nashville now the second longest race outside of the Indianapolis 500, Rossi, for example is approaching the race just like Indianapolis.
“100%,” Rossi said when asked if he approaches Nashville the same as the “500”. “I think everyone was surprised when the new distance came out. I think it will be like Indy in the sense you will need to be in that kind of top five or top six group the whole race to have a shot at the win.”
David Malukas Spins in Morning Practice
The major story of the day belonged to the third Team Penske driver, David Malukas. In the Saturday morning practice session, the No.12 car spun while running on the bottom of the racetrack. The car would back into the outside wall and continue to ride careen along it, coming to rest on the high line in the track.
Malukas’ steering wheel would also come loose after the initial impact, with the drivers’ knees moving upward as well. The young driver was helped from his car with assistance by the AMR Safety team and transported to the medical center.
Due to a piece of equiment failing in the medical center, Malukas was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, while the No.12 crew, along with help from the Nos. 2 and 3 crews, thrashed away in building the backup car in time for qualifying.
Team Penske went as far to tab Conor Daly to shakedown the car during qualifying, as Daly was the only available driver on the grounds, to not need a refresher. The No.12 did not make a qualifying attempt, with the status of Malukas still in the air. If Daly had qualified the car, he would have had to start the race in the No.12.
Malukas was brought back to the track just before the start of the high-line session and climbed in and out of the car under his own power and deemed clear to practice and race, ending a five-hour wait on his status.
“Lil Dave” was comfortable right away, setting the fastest speed in Saturday evening’s session at 193.766mph. Malukas will start from last, while serving a nine-place grid penalty handed down to the team on Friday. Coming from the back can be challenging on ovals, but Malukas is excited for the opportunity.
“There’s going to be a lot of passing,” Malukas said. “ A lot of it will come down to the sweeping under yellows. When you run 15 laps, the marbles build up, its a lot. You go half a line, just to pass someone and you almost slide off of Turn 1, that’s how bad they are. I think that’s what a lot of the incidents at the end of practice were, getting caught out by the marbles. There’s going to be yellows in those first 10 to 15 laps, but its going to be hard work. I was thinking going into this race ‘Man it’s going to be tough work with such a long race’ but now I’m happy.”