After debuting on the calendar in 2021, the Music City Grand Prix was moved from August to September to serve as the 2024 season finale, and furthermore was to have unfolded on a new street circuit layout due to construction of the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium.
Instead, it will now take place on the oval located about 40km away in Lebanon.
While stadium construction work was cited as the reason for the change, the decision follows upheaval within management of the event.
Scott Borchetta, the chairman and founder of naming rights sponsor Big Machine Label Group, now heads up the event promoting body after reportedly buying out his co-owners.
He said, “Nashville is a world-class sport and entertainment market that loves its racing.
“In its first three years, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix successfully established itself as a major event in Nashville, and it has tremendous potential for growth, so I couldn’t be more excited to make this statement regarding its future.”
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The new stadium is being built on the site which had housed the IndyCar paddock, on the opposite side of the main straight to the existing stadium’s location.
Then-Music City Grand Prix COO Jason Rittenberry said last year that the event would go ahead in 2024 and 2025 despite the disruption of the build, before the new date and new layout – which retained the Korean Veterans Bridge but was to have taken cars into the city’s honky-tonk district – was announced.
The Titans’ new stadium is due to open in 2027, but when the event will return to the streets of Nashville is not known.
“With construction set to begin for the new Titans Stadium, the Grand Prix operations team knew they’d be faced with new challenges, knowing that the course used for the first three years would have to change dramatically for 2024’s race,” explained Borchetta.
“With several key locations around the stadium not available as in years past and with the proposed course change to run through the streets of downtown Nashville, we simply don’t have the proper space needed by the race teams nor the proper access for downtown businesses and residences to execute the world-class event that is expected by our amazing fans, IndyCar teams and sponsors.
“With the significant challenges of the proposed new layout and unknowns with the new stadium construction, which has been the centre of operations for the first three years of the Grand Prix, the decision has been made to move the 2024 race to the Nashville Superspeedway.
“This has no bearing on our great relationship with the Tennessee Titans. The team’s management has been nothing but supportive regarding the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, and we fully intend to continue conversations with them and the City of Nashville as to when the right time will be to return to the streets of Nashville.
“We also want to underline how supportive Metro and new Mayor Freddie O’Connell and his team have been during this transition. The mayor is a real fan of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix and has attended the race every year.
“He and his team have helped us address all angles in how best to proceed, and we feel that we’ve landed on the best option for a great race experience, for both fans and race teams, by moving to Speedway Motorsports’ Nashville Superspeedway.”
Despite doubts about whether the event will return to the streets of Nashville, or even survive in the longer term, Mayor O’Connell alluded to just that.
“The Music City Grand Prix has been more than a race,” he declared. “It’s a festival that celebrates both Nashville and racing.
“We appreciate Scott Borchetta and Big Machine’s vision and partnership and look forward to the race returning to downtown Nashville in the future.
“I’ve enjoyed attending all three Music City Grand Prix races and appreciate their continued commitment to Nashville.
“Racing at the Nashville Superspeedway will add new intrigue to this year’s event.”
IndyCar raced on Nashville SuperSpeedway, a 1.33-mile D-shaped oval, from 2001 to 2008.
“Nashville Superspeedway is ideally suited to our highly competitive and extremely intense style of racing, and we look forward to adding a Speedway Motorsports track to our schedule,” said Penske Entertainment President/CEO Mark Miles.
“Our fans will eagerly anticipate watching a championship be decided on a high-speed oval, with NBC providing a must-see network telecast to viewers around the country.
“Scott and his team will do a terrific job organising our finale weekend, and I’m incredibly appreciative of their efforts to pivot and find a fitting venue for our fans, drivers and teams.”
The season starts on March 8 in St Petersburg and ends on September 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Laguna Seca, the old season finale venue, hosts IndyCar on the weekend of Sunday, June 23.
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