What to know about Indycar in Nashville: The Final Drive In ’25

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The final INDYCAR race of the season goes green Sunday afternoon.

The championship has been decided. But there is still a trophy at the finish line and plenty of questions remain about just how different the INDYCAR grid will look when the season opens next year at St. Petersburg.

For the second consecutive year, the finale will run at Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile concrete oval about 40 minutes southeast of Nashville. It comes on air on FOX on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET and the green flag for the 225-lap race is at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Here’s what you should know about this race.

Palou The Champion

Alex Palou clinched his third championship a year ago at Nashville. He didn’t wait as long this year to do it, as he clinched it two races ago at Portland.

With the championship locked up, it was easy for him to deal with a little bit of outside noise. And by outside noise, we mean rumors that there was interest from Red Bull to put him in a Formula 1 car.

The rumor has been denied by Palou, Ganassi and Red Bull brass. And Palou seemed to take it in stride. After all, who wouldn’t want to be considered for an F1 car?

“It’s not a bad [news] “Palu said,” as long as he is not bad, it’s a good thing. I am used to being the bad way, so it’s okay to have good rumors. “

Palo repeated that he was no longer seeking a trip at F1 as it was a few years ago.

“I am not looking for, but at the same time, you never know the opportunities that can come in the future,” Palo said. “I am not looking for. I am not asking for that … never say, not for something you haven’t heard.”

Herta winning defense

Kulton Herta won the race last year in Nashville.

“It is a difficult path,” he said. “You have a place like Nashville where the hard part is tangible, so it is some different feeling when the car drives.

“It seems as if you were a little bit, and it is a type of four -wheeled slices a little more than if it was asphalt.”

Herta was also in rumors mill. Can it move to formula 2 in preparation for moving to formula 1?

“There is no deal to do this,” said Dan Torres, the owner of Andriette team, on Tuesday. “But you never know in the future.”

Tires

Pato Outward ranked second in Nashville last year and felt that he had not eventually had the right tires. For context, the teams have primary and soft tire sets for the race. They must use at least one set of primaries and at least two sets of soft tires during the event.

The idea is to increase traffic with more softening tires faster but for a short period of time before it is worn and slowed than the preliminary elections. There were also similar changes on Iowa in the dynamic package to create more clouds in the car.

“Last year, I think the main factor [with tires] “This may have been caution,” said Scott Dixon, the veteran driver.

“You may see more uniform approach from each team.”

Dixon does not retire

Six times hero Scott Dixon started talking about what to improve for the next season. The 45 -year -old, who has 23 years of Indycar experience, said he had no change in the plans.

He plans to race in 2026.

“I am good for a few years,” Dixon said.

But other changes?

The big question of the ridiculous season is whether Will Power will return to Team Penske next year. It will not be a surprise if his future is revealed in Penske on Sunday after the race or two.

If he leaves, David Malocas will be the expected alternative. The authority will need to find a trip.

Another driver can be in the air is Robert Schwarticman, who said he was contracting with Barima for the next year. As far as the series, he said that this is up to the team’s management to determine its future.

Rising

Swartanan is eight points behind Luis Foster in the battle for the Best Prize.

For Foster, being the best rising will be an achievement.

“You get more money. It is a good title,” Foster said. “You can just win a rising deal once … … You get only one shot. It is very important for me and the team also to try to wrap it. It’s a good momentum goes until next year.”

As for Shorketman, it will be an achievement. But a few of them argue that the Indianapolis 500 pole is the largest of its achievement in 2025.

“The rising for this year – it’s a good thing. It’s a nice bonus, but Indy 500 is the largest race in the world and this is the largest qualifying.” “There is no great qualified place, even in Formula 1 … it was the moment of history.”

And the schedule?

The team is waiting for the 2026 Indycar table. Will Phoenix be part of the weekend in NASCAR-Inycar in March? Will the Mexico race happen?

It is clear that the last question is great for the Mexican citizen.

“I will not say that I am completely confident, because in the past three weeks, I heard yes, no, yes, no, no, yes, no, no. Frankly, until I see it signed, I confirmed that the matter was done, I will believe that.”

“If this is the case, I think it will be unusual to return there. I think it will be the best event regardless of Indy 500.”

Bob Pockrass Nascar and Indycar cover for Fox SPORTS. He spent contracts for motorsport coverage, including more than 30 Ditona 500, with a difference in ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR SCENE and (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow it on Twitter @Bobukras.

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