Palou secures title after early Power problems, Herta takes first oval win

Alex Palou defended his IndyCar Series title, taking his third overall title, while Colton Herta claimed his first victory at the Nashville Superspeedway oval.

Knowing that his main championship rival Will Power had to finish on the podium to put pressure on Chip Ganassi’s driver, Palou’s path to the title was made easier when the Team Penske driver was forced to pit early after a seat belt came loose.

Power was therefore five laps behind and could only recover to 24th place, while Palou’s modest 11th place meant he secured the title in the season finale.

The Spaniard is a three-time champion and the first driver to win two consecutive championships since Dario Franchitti won three in a row from 2009 to 2011. At 27, Palou is the second-youngest three-time champion in series history after Sam Hornish Jr.

Herta’s charge to the front was marked by a thrilling battle with Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, with the pair weaving through traffic behind them.

After David Malukas pitted on lap 201, O’Ward and Herta became involved in a battle for the lead.

Colton Herta, Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

O’Ward had the lead up front until the two came to Sting Ray Robb. O’Ward was forced to go high side on Robb, allowing Herta to dive to the bottom and make an inside pass to seize the lead.

Ultimately, Herta went on to claim victory by 1.8106 seconds over O’Ward on the 1.33-mile oval. It was his first IndyCar victory and, combined with Power’s humble finish, moved Herta into second place in the final championship standings.

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden was third, while polesitter Kyle Kirkwood was fourth for Andretti, followed by another Team Penske driver, Scott McLaughlin, in fifth.

Santino Ferrucci (AJ Foyt) finished sixth, ahead of Marcus Armstrong (Chip Ganassi), while Malukas (Meyer Shank) took ninth after gambling on a caution in the final race.

Jucos Hollinger’s Conor Daly completed the top 10, just ahead of title winner Palou.

IndyCar Nashville – Race Results