The brief
- What happened: Kyle Kirkwood put the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda on pole at Nashville Superspeedway with a two-lap time of 47.5885 seconds and an average speed of 196.852 mph. Motorsport Week reports that Kirkwood kept the throttle pinned over the bump between Turns 3 and 4.
- Why it matters: Kirkwood is Álex Palou’s nearest championship challenger and starts the 300-lap race from the cleanest possible position. Palou qualified fourth, behind Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.
- What to watch: The race is 75 laps longer than the 2025 edition, adding at least one pit stop and making fuel windows more important. Pole controls the opening stint, not the whole 400 miles.
Fast context
Nashville qualifying reduced each driver to two committed laps in afternoon heat. The cars were trimmed for speed, leaving little margin over the concrete oval’s bumps.
Kirkwood found the limit without lifting. His 196.852-mph average edged Nashville native Newgarden, while McLaughlin completed a Team Penske two-three. Palou and Scott Dixon filled the next two positions for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Only 23 of the 25 entered drivers recorded times. David Malukas remained under evaluation after a heavy practice crash, and Team Penske’s attempt to prepare a backup car for Conor Daly was not completed before qualifying ended.
Graham Rahal reached the head of the qualifying line but stopped with a suspected fuel-pressure issue before beginning his run. He will join the rear of the field.
The extra distance changes the calculation from last year. Nashville expands from 225 to 300 laps, making tire life, traffic and the timing of the additional stop potential routes around a faster car.
What changes next
Kirkwood has the first advantage, but Newgarden has home-track knowledge and Penske company on the next row. The opening run will show whether Andretti’s trimmed-out qualifying speed survives in traffic over a full fuel stint.