Kyle Kirkwood drove to his second win of the IndyCar season, holding off pole winner Scott McLaughlin to win the Music Metropolis Grand Prix in Nashville.

McLaughlin managed the opening stanza of Sunday’s 80-lap race, solely interrupted by an aborted try at a rolling begin, and a Security Automotive intervention for David Malukas whose automotive suffered a rear wing and gearbox failure coming off the Korean Conflict Veterans’ Memorial Bridge.

It was after the primary spherical of routine pit stops that Kirkwood first obtained forward of McLaughlin. As soon as Alex Palou pitted from the lead on lap 45, Kirkwood correctly took the lead of the race, then held it once more after the second and last cycle of pit stops.

Criticised closely in its first two years for being a crash fest, the Music Metropolis Grand Prix was largely a clear race up till ten laps remaining when Linus Lundqvist’s spectacular one-off debut for Meyer Shank ended prematurely as he slid off into the tyre boundaries at flip 11 to deliver out a full-course warning. On the following restart, Felix Rosenqvist hit the tyre boundaries and left Agustin Canapino and Benjamin Pedersen with nowhere to go however into the rear of Rosenqvist.

The observe was blocked and a pink flag was proven, organising a three-lap dash end. Kirkwood pulled away with ease to take his second road race win of 2023, within the final race round Nashville’s unique structure. He led a race-high 34 out of 80 laps.

McLaughlin consolidated second place for the second yr in a row within the Music Metropolis Grand Prix.

In the meantime, Alex Palou stretched his last tank of gas 35 laps to return dwelling in third place. He notched his eighth podium of the season and, crucially, completed one place forward of championship rival Josef Newgarden, in fourth.

That consequence provides Palou an 84-point lead going into subsequent week’s Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which takes place on Saturday, 12 June. Solely 4 rounds stay this season.

Scott Dixon rounded out the highest 5 after a low-key race. Romain Grosjean led briefly however needed to cling on for sixth, snapping an eight-race streak with out a top-ten end. Marcus Ericsson was seventh, demoted by race management behind Grosjean on the ultimate restart for blocking his fellow F1 alumnus on the earlier inexperienced flag try.

Pato O’Ward completed eighth to salvage some dignity on a troublesome day for McLaren, Christian Lundgaard completed ninth, and after shedding his ear plugs earlier than the formation lap, Will Energy – who ultimately discovered his ear plugs – rounded out the highest ten.

With incidents for Lundqvist, Canapino, and Pedersen, Marcus Armstrong was as soon as once more the highest rookie in thirteenth. Armstrong now leads Canapino by 31 factors within the Rookie of the 12 months standings, regardless of solely operating on highway and road circuits.

Additional again, Colton Herta suffered his first retirement because the season opener at St. Petersburg, dropping out simply 4 laps wanting the chequered flag.

Music Metropolis Grand Prix outcomes

Place
Automotive
Driver
Crew
Engine

1
27
Kyle Kirkwood
Andretti
Honda

2
3
Scott McLaughlin
Penske
Chevrolet

3
10
Alex Palou
Ganassi
Honda

4
2
Josef Newgarden
Penske
Chevrolet

5
9
Scott Dixon
Ganassi
Honda

6
28
Romain Grosjean
Andretti
Honda

7
8
Marcus Ericsson
Ganassi
Honda

8
5
Pato O’Ward
McLaren
Chevrolet

9
45
Christian Lundgaard
RLL
Honda

10
12
Will Energy
Penske
Chevrolet

11
6
Felix Rosenqvist
McLaren
Chevrolet

12
77
Callum Ilott
Juncos Hollinger
Chevrolet

13
11
Marcus Armstrong
Ganassi
Honda

14
21
Rinus VeeKay
Carpenter
Chevrolet

15
15
Graham Rahal
RLL
Honda

16
20
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Carpenter
Chevrolet

17
51
Sting Ray Robb
Coyne/RWR
Honda

18
14
Santino Ferrucci
Foyt
Chevrolet

19
7
Alexander Rossi
McLaren
Chevrolet

20
78
Agustin Canapino
Juncos Hollinger
Chevrolet

21
26
Colton Herta
Andretti
Honda

22
06
Helio Castroneves
Meyer Shank
Honda

23
55
Benjamin Pedersen
Foyt
Chevrolet

24
30
Jack Harvey
RLL
Honda

25
60
Linus Lundqvist
Meyer Shank
Honda

26
29
Devlin DeFrancesco
Andretti
Honda

27
18
David Malukas
Coyne/HMD
Honda

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