IndyCar Nashville 2025: Pato O'Ward on pole position for season finale as championship third place battle heats up

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31 August 2025, Nashville Superspeedway

Pato O'Ward fulfilled the first part of his weekend goal. The Mexican driver from Arrow McLaren team secured pole position for Sunday's Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix with a two-lap average of 202.621 mph. For O'Ward, this is his second pole position of the season but first on an oval in his career.

Drama-filled qualifying

David Malukas from A.J. Foyt Enterprises found himself on the verge of his first career pole position for the second consecutive time with a speed of 201.922 mph. Just like last week in Milwaukee, he was knocked from provisional first place during the final qualifying attempts.

Christian Lundgaard from Arrow McLaren secured third place with an average of 201.713 mph. Four-time champion Alex Palou, who has already clinched the title, took fourth place, while six-time champion Scott Dixon qualified fifth.

O'Ward seeks first pole position victory

For the Mexican driver, this weekend presents a special challenge. Despite having secured second place in the championship and nine career victories including two this season, he has never managed to win from the front row.

"I've never won a race from pole position. That's on my to-do list for this weekend," admits O'Ward. "The car was great. I felt really comfortable in practice and didn't have any scary moments."

Battle for third place in championship

While Alex Palou has already secured his third IndyCar Series title and Pato O'Ward has secured second place, an intense battle for the last podium spot continues. Scott Dixon leads Christian Lundgaard by just 7 points in the fight for third position.

Lundgaard has the best chance at his first Top 3 finish in his career, while Dixon fights for another medal position in his legendary career.

Return to Nashville Superspeedway

The concrete oval measuring 1.33 miles hosts 225 laps (total 299.25 miles) in the second year after returning from the downtown street circuit. The history dates back to 2001 as the first open-wheel race in the Nashville area.

Last year brought dramatic racing with Colton Herta's first oval victory. Home hero Josef Newgarden closes the third row in sixth position and will aim for success in front of the home crowd.

Sunday's race will close another exciting year of American open-wheel racing with several open questions before the final verdict.

Photo source: INDYCAR.com

More information:24live.com

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