Pato O’Ward secured the pole position for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix by setting an extraordinary average speed of 202.621 mph at Nashville Superspeedway. This achievement highlights O’Ward’s strong performance despite the NTT IndyCar Series championship title likely slipping away from him this season, as he now focuses on converting this pole into his first race victory.
Qualifying Performance Highlights O’Ward’s Command on the Oval Track
During the qualifying session on Saturday, O’Ward completed a two-lap run in 47.2607 seconds, navigating the challenging 1.33-mile oval with precision. Having led practice earlier in the day, the 26-year-old Arrow McLaren driver demonstrated impressive control through the notoriously bumpy turns 3 and 4, combining speed and smoothness.
“The car was great, felt really comfortable in practice and didn’t give me any scares or anything,”
—Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren driver
“I’ve never won a race from pole,”
—Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren driver
Season Context: O’Ward’s Third Pole and Strong Competition
This Nashville pole marks O’Ward’s third of the 2025 season and is his first earned on an oval, underlining his escalating threat in the series. David Malukas, who had led qualifying until O’Ward’s final run, will start second with an impressive 201.922 mph average speed, coming close to replicating his near-pole performance from Milwaukee just a week before.
Christian Lundgaard’s third-place qualifying position means Arrow McLaren holds two of the top three spots on the grid for this conclusive race. Lundgaard is determined to surpass Scott Dixon in the championship standings, trailing by just seven points as the race day approaches.
Top Qualifiers and Penalties Shaping the Starting Grid
Alex Palou, on the verge of securing the series championship and earning the Astor Cup, will begin the race in fourth place after a consistently strong season. Scott Dixon qualified fifth, with other notable drivers such as Josef Newgarden, Nolan Siegel, Scott McLaughlin, Callum Ilott, and Kyffin Simpson rounding out the top ten starters.
The qualifying session passed without major crashes, though Christian Rasmussen and Callum Ilott face nine-place grid demotions due to unauthorized engine changes made before the weekend. These penalties may affect their race strategies as the field prepares for the event.
Anticipation Builds for Sunday’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix
Following the high-speed qualifying, anticipation is mounting for the final practice and the race itself. Fans will watch closely during the last practice session scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET, ahead of the race broadcast live on FOX at 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday. O’Ward’s pursuit of a first win from pole adds an extra storyline to this dramatic season finale.
As the competition intensifies, all eyes are on whether Pato O’Ward can finally convert his standout qualifying effort into a race victory or if other strong contenders like Alex Palou and Scott Dixon will seize the moment in this fierce IndyCar showdown.
