David Malukas’ heavy crash in Turn 2 cut short the opening practice session at Nashville Superspeedway, disrupting preparations for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls. The incident occurred about 19 minutes into the scheduled one-hour session and reduced running time to roughly 52 minutes.
Kyle Kirkwood held the top spot despite difficult grip levels and the bumps of the 1.33-mile concrete oval. His early lap of 197.097 mph in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda for Andretti Global was not beaten before practice ended.
Kirkwood Finds Speed on a Tricky Oval
The session put all 25 drivers to work on a green track that offered little margin for error. Kirkwood said the changing conditions required patience as teams worked through the opening running.
“It’s not easy for anyone out there,” Kirkwood said. “Track is going to be pretty green right now, so we’ll just work through it and try to keep it clean. Loose (handling), definitely.”
Alex Palou, the reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and current points leader, was second at 196.966 mph for Chip Ganassi Racing. Malukas remained third on the speed chart after posting a 196.340-mph lap before his accident.
| Position | Driver | Team/Car | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Kirkwood | No. 27 Andretti Global Honda | 197.097 mph |
| 2 | Alex Palou | No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda | 196.966 mph |
| 3 | David Malukas | No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet | 196.340 mph |
| 4 | Felix Rosenqvist | No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda | 196.249 mph |
| 5 | Santino Ferrucci | No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet | 195.977 mph |
| 6 | Josef Newgarden | No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet | 195.940 mph |
| 7 | Scott McLaughlin | No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet | 195.907 mph |
Malukas Taken for Further Testing
Malukas’ car completed a half-spin in Turn 2 before striking the SAFER Barrier heavily with the rear. The rear of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet sustained significant damage, and the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team assisted him from the car.
INDYCAR deputy medical director Dr. Angi Fiege said Malukas was transported to a local hospital by private vehicle for further testing. www.indycar.com reported that his earlier lap still placed him ahead of several drivers despite the premature end to his session.
Team Penske Places Three Cars in the Top Seven
Team Penske put all three of its entries inside the top seven, led by Malukas in third. Reigning Nashville winner Josef Newgarden placed sixth, while Scott McLaughlin was seventh.
Felix Rosenqvist, the 2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner, was fourth for Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian. Santino Ferrucci completed the top five in the Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing.
NTT P1 Award qualifying is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, while the 300-lap race is set to begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday. FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will provide live coverage of both sessions.