The championship was decided long ago, and as we hit the finish line on another all too short and early season, the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix still has some things to settle. I think the off track news may overshadow the on track happenings the next three days.

Th last race of the year always has a strange feel to it. The race winner, if the driver is not the series champion, gets very little notice. This year may be different since Alex Palou wrapped up the title three weeks ago and took a bit of the glory away from Will Power’s first win of the year.

Nashville has a tough act to follow after the great show at Milwaukee, but I think we will see another good race.

There is some intrigue surrounding the event and the results. Is Sunday Power’s last race for Penske? Does David Malukas move to the number 12 car in 2026? Will we get confirmation of the Mexico City race? Will there be any surprise announcements? I think there might be.

Rookie of the Year

Louis Foster leads Robert Shwartzman by eight points. All Foster has to do is finish ahead of Shwartzman to win the title. I believe Foster would win on a tiebreaker.

In Milwaukee last Sunday, Foster finished 17th and Shwartzman 17th.

Third Place

Scott Dixon holds a seven point advantage over Christian Lundgaard, and Kyle Kirkwood is 28 points behind Dixon. Kirkwood has faded the second half of the season and will likely keep fifth place.

Lundgaard gained six points on Dixon last week. If Lundgaard were to end up third, Arrow McLaren drivers would be second and third in the standings. Pato O’Ward clinched second place at Milwaukee.

Tenth Place

Scott McLaughlin leads David Malukas by eight points for the final spot in the top 10. A bad pit stop Sunday probably cost Malukas the 10th spot, but he can regain it this weekend.

Tires again may tell the story of the race, as teams are required to use two sets of alternate tires. Sticker alternates are not required. A late caution could result in another wild finish.

This week I think we will not see a first time winner, but Alexander Rossi will end the year for ECR with the team’s second straight win.

I will be heading to Nashville early tomorrow morning. I will post something in the afternoon, as I believe there will be some news by then.