Bob Pockrass
FOX Motorsports Insider
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.
Indy 500 champion Alex Palou also wrapped up the season championship two weeks ago at Portland.
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?
Is a move to F1 in Palou’s future?
“It’s not a bad [news] rumor ,” Palou mentioned. “So long as it’s not dangerous, it’s a superb factor. I’m used to it being the dangerous means, so it’s OK to have an OK rumor.”
Palou reiterated that he’s now not searching for a experience in F1 as he was just a few years in the past.
“I am not on the lookout for it, however on the similar time, you by no means know what alternatives can come sooner or later,” Palou mentioned. “I am not on the lookout for it. I am not asking for it. … You by no means say no to one thing you haven’t heard.”
Herta Defending Winner
Colton Herta received the race final 12 months at Nashville.
“It’s a troublesome observe,” Herta mentioned. “You’ve got a spot like Nashville the place the onerous half about it’s concrete, so it’s slightly little bit of a distinct really feel whenever you’re driving.
“It’s type of like you’re on prime of the observe slightly bit, the automotive type of four-wheel slides slightly bit greater than if it was asphalt.”
Will Colton Herta win at Nashville once more in 2025?
Herta has additionally been within the rumor mill. May he presumably transfer to System 2 in preparation for a transfer to System 1?
“There’s no deal to do this,” Andretti staff proprietor Dan Towriss mentioned Tuesday. “However you by no means know what’s sooner or later.”
The Tires
Pato O’Ward completed second at Nashville final 12 months and felt he didn’t have the proper tires on on the finish. For context, groups have each major and smooth tire units for the race. They have to use no less than one set of primaries and no less than two units of sentimental tires in the course of the occasion.
The concept is to extend passing with the softer tires sooner however just for a brief time period earlier than they put on out and are slower than the primaries. There have been additionally related modifications to Iowa to the aerodynamic package deal to create slightly extra drag within the automotive.
“Final 12 months, I believe the important thing issue [with tires] was most likely the place the warning fell, and that determined what tire you had began on, whether or not it was good or dangerous,” mentioned veteran driver Scott Dixon. “So I believe individuals will probably be trying into that fairly a bit.
“You might even see extra of a uniformed method from each staff.”
Dixon Not Retiring
The six-time champion Scott Dixon has already began speaking about what to enhance on for subsequent season. The 45-year-old driver, who has 23 years of INDYCAR expertise, mentioned he has had no change in plans.
He plans on racing in 2026.
“I’m good for just a few extra years,” Dixon mentioned.
Scott Dixon plans to maintain driving.
However different modifications?
The large silly-season query is whether or not Will Energy will return to Crew Penske subsequent 12 months. It wouldn’t be a lot of a shock if his future at Penske is revealed Sunday after the race or Monday.
If he leaves, David Malukas could be the anticipated substitute. And Energy would want to discover a experience.
One other driver who could possibly be up within the air is Robert Shwartzman, who mentioned he’s below contract with Prema for subsequent 12 months. So far as the collection, he mentioned that is as much as staff administration to resolve his future.
Rookie Of The Yr
Shwartzman is eight factors behind Louis Foster within the battle for the award for the highest rookie.
For Foster, being the highest rookie could be an accomplishment.
“You get more cash. It is a good title,” Foster mentioned. “You solely get to win a rookie deal as soon as. … You solely get one shot at it. It’s tremendous essential for me and in addition the staff to try to wrap that up. It is good momentum going into subsequent 12 months.”
Will Robert Shwartzman go Louis Foster and win Rookie of the Yr?
For Shwartzman, it might be an accomplishment. However few would argue that his Indianapolis 500 pole is his largest feat in 2025.
“Rookie of the Yr — it’s a superb factor. It is a good bonus, however the Indy 500 is the largest race on the planet and that is the largest qualifying,” Shwartzman mentioned. “There may be nowhere such an enormous qualifying, even in System 1. … It was a history-making second.”
And the Schedule?
Groups are awaiting the 2026 INDYCAR schedule. Will Phoenix be a part of a NASCAR-INDYCAR weekend in March? Will the Mexico race occur?
The latter query is clearly huge for Mexican native O’Ward.
“I am not going to say I am totally assured, as a result of within the final three weeks, I’ve heard sure, no, sure, no, no, no, no, sure, sure, no. So truthfully, till I see it signed, confirmed that it is achieved, I’ll consider it,” O’Ward mentioned.
“If that’s the case, I believe it will be phenomenal to return there. I believe it will be the very best occasion other than the Indy 500.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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