IndyCar at Nashville: How to watch, start times, TV info and live streaming, schedule

By Aug 7, 2022, 6:00 AM EDT
IndyCar Nashville start times
Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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IndyCar Nashville start times: A few new course wrinkles will await a new points leader as the NTT IndyCar Series arrives for the second annual Music City Grand Prix.

After a highly successful but caution-plagued inaugural event, IndyCar officials and race organizers have made some layout tweaks to avoid some of last year’s traffic jams and bottlenecks on the 11-turn, 2.1-mile street course.

The restart zone has been moved from the finish line in front of Nissan Stadium to the exit of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge heading into Turn 9, which is the best corner for passing on the circuit.

RACE DAY UPDATE: Start of race delayed by lightning

Turn 9 also has been narrowed by 25 feet for one of several new suites that have been added on a street circuit expected to draw more than 100,000 fans to downtown Nashville this weekend.

Marcus Ericsson went airborne on Lap 5 en route to winning in Nashville last year after pole-sitter Colton Herta got off sequence with the dominant car and crashed while in pursuit.

Ericsson could use another momentum boost with four races remaining in the 2022 season, having fallen nine points behind Will Power (whose third at the Indianpaolis Motor Speedway road course marked his fourth podium in five races).

Nashville native Josef Newgarden also is firmly in the title hunt entering his home track after rebounding for fifth at Indy from his stunning crash at Iowa Speedway (and subsequent hospitalization for a postrace fall).

Here are the details and IndyCar start times for the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tennessee (all times are ET):

INDYCAR NASHVILLE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX START TIMES

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch and Dave Burns are the pit reporters. Click here for the full NBC Sports schedule for IndyCar in 2022.

Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying. (Click here for information on how to sign up for Peacock.)

TV UPDATE: Because of a weather delay, the conclusion of the race after 6 p.m. ET will be shown on CNBC and Peacock.

COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 3:23 p.m. ET

GREEN FLAG: 3:30 p.m. ET

POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after Sunday’s race ends.

Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for practices and qualifying. The race also will be streamed on Peacock (in addition to the NBC Sports App/NBCSports.com streams and the NBC broadcast).

INDYCAR RADIO NETWORK: The Music City Grand Prix IndyCar and Indy Lights races and all practices and qualifying sessions will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the IndyCar app.

PRACTICE: Friday, 4:15 p.m. (Peacock Premium); Saturday, 12:15 p.m. (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 10:15 a.m. (Peacock Premium)

PRACTICE RESULTS: Session Il Session II l Warmup l Combined

QUALIFYING: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (Peacock Premium)

STARTING LINEUP: Where everyone will be starting Sunday at Nashville

RACE DISTANCE: The race is 80 laps (168 miles) on an 11-turn, 2.1-mile street course in Nashville.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Six sets primary, four sets alternate, one additional set available for rookies to use in first practice. Teams must use one new set of primary and alternate tires in the race. Teams must use one new set of primary and alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.

NEW ALTERNATE TIRE: Firestone will introduce a new and eco-friendly natural rubber guayule race tire for the first time in a race. The compound will be used as the alternate race tire (formerly known as the “red” tire) this weekend.

PUSH TO PASS: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. The push-to-pass will be available at the finish line after the initial start or restarts (which will take place coming off the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge entering Turn 9). The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower.

FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 90 degrees with a 37% chance of rain at the green flag.

ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 26 drivers racing Sunday at Nashville.

INDY LIGHTS RACE: Sunday, 1:10 p.m., 35 laps/73.5 miles/55 minutes (Peacock Premium)

INDY LIGHTS ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 12 drivers entered

INDYCAR NASHVILLE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX WEEKEND SCHEDULE, START TIMES

(All times are Eastern)

Friday, Aug. 5

10:30 a.m.: Gates open

11:15 a.m.: Trans Am practice

12:55 p.m.: GT America practice

2:15 p.m.: Trans Am practice

3 p.m.: Indy Lights practice

4:15 p.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock Premium

5:45 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks qualifying

7:15 p.m.: GT America practice

Saturday, Aug. 6

10 a.m.: Gates open

10:30 a.m.: Trans Am qualifying

11:15 a.m.: Indy Lights practice

12:15 p.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock Premium

1:30 p.m.: Trans Am race

2:55 p.m.: GT America qualifying

3:40 p.m.: Indy Lights qualifying

4:30 p.m.:  IndyCar qualifying, Peacock Premium

7:15 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks, Race 1

8:25 p.m.: GT America, Race 1

Sunday, Aug. 7

9 a.m.: Gates open

10:15 a.m.: IndyCar practice warmup, Peacock Premium

11:55 a.m.: GT America, Race 2

1:10 p.m.: Indy Lights Music City Grand Prix (35 laps/73.5 miles/55 minutes), Peacock Premium

3:23 p.m.: Command to start engines in the IndyCar Big Machine Music City Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”

3:30 p.m.: Green flag for the IndyCar Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (80 laps/160.8 miles), NBC

6:05 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks, Race 2

COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM

ROUND 1: Scott McLaughlin opens season with breakthrough victory at St. Petersburg

ROUND 2: Josef Newgarden nips McLaughlin in last corner for 1-2 Penske finish at Texas

ROUND 3: Josef Newgarden keeps Penske unbeaten in 2022 with first Long Beach win

ROUND 4: Pato O’Ward’s nifty pass seals victory at Barber

ROUND 5: Colton Herta tames the rain in GMR Grand Prix

ROUND 6: Marcus Ericsson wins Indy 500 in two-lap shootout

ROUND 7: Redemption in Detroit for Will Power in Belle Isle farewell

ROUND 8: Josef Newgarden earns $1 million bonus with Road America victory

ROUND 9: Scott McLaughlin takes Mid-Ohio as Andretti teammates feud

ROUND 10: Scott Dixon ties Mario Andretti on all-time list with Toronto win

ROUND 11: Josef Newgarden continues Iowa Speedway dominance

ROUND 12: Pato O’Ward wins as Newgarden crashes, faints at Iowa

ROUND 13: Alexander Rossi ends 49-race winless streak on IMS road course

Viewer’s guide to the 2022 season

HOW TO WATCH INDYCAR IN 2022: Full NBC Sports schedule

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Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
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LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).