Ericsson soars to victory in inaugural Music City Grand Prix

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Ericsson utilized the slowed car successful beforehand of him arsenic a launching ramp and changeable up and implicit — with a dangling helping — Sebastien Bourdais’ Chevrolet.

“I thought my contention was implicit there,” Ericsson said.

Not successful this wreckfest. Call the latest IndyCar contention victor Marcus Air-icsson.

Ericsson stuck the landing connected his aboriginal contention formation and avoided further catastrophe connected the perilous metropolis streets of Nashville connected Sunday to triumph the inaugural Music City Grand Prix.

“I’m conscionable trying to fig retired however I ended up winning the contention aft flying and seeing the sky,” helium said.

Ericsson conserved substance and survived hard-charging runs from Colton Herta and Scott Dixon and won his 2nd contention of the season. He moved to 5th successful the IndyCar points contention with 5 contention near — 79 points backmost of person Alex Palou.

Ericsson doesn’t person a woody with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2022 and said “I anticipation Chip was watching today.”

“My biggest privation is proceed present successful the 8 car,” Ericsson said.

He made the IndyCar item reel agelong earlier the checkered emblem erstwhile helium jumped the backside of Bourdais’ Chevy and knocked the Frenchman retired of the race. Ericsson’s airborne Honda needed a caller beforehand helping lone 5 laps into the contention and said helium thought the car was going to drawback successful half.

The 30-year-old Swede won arsenic acheronian fell successful Nashville with Dixon, the six-time IndyCar champion, making a precocious run.

Ericsson caught a interruption erstwhile Herta clobbered his car into the tyre barriers with 5 laps left, ending his ascendant play for Andretti Autosport. Herta topped the archetypal 2 signifier sessions, won the rod and his squad was successful “a league of our own.” He was gaining connected Ericsson and had a imaginable go-ahead walk connected the skyline erstwhile helium crushed his car. Herta buried his caput successful his hands successful stunned disbelief.

“We had the car each play to win,” Herta said. “I conscionable threw it away.”

Dixon was 2nd to springiness Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish. James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal rounded retired the apical five.

The Grand Prix was the archetypal caller thoroughfare people contention added to the docket successful 10 years and capable fans to capable Nissan Stadium packed grandstands, partied adjacent unrecorded euphony stages, and lined fences 10 rows heavy with cameras raised to drawback a representation of the fastest newcomers successful town.

“If there’s capable intoxicant retired there, it’s going to beryllium a bully amusement nary substance what,” Dixon said.

The champion spot successful the location mightiness person travel without one, erstwhile fans stood precocious connected the stadium concourse for a bird’s-eye presumption of 1 of the 11 turns connected the track.

The 2.17-mile people weaved done the stadium parking batch and implicit a 3,500-foot straightway that spanned implicit the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and suspended 80 feet implicit the Cumberland River.

“The way going downtown was truthful chill to contention on,” Ericsson said.

Better harmless than sorry, dive teams and boats were connected standby successful lawsuit of emergency.

The chaos was contained to the asphalt streets.

Team Penske drivers brought the contention to a halt lone a fewer laps aboriginal from Ericsson erstwhile Will Power dipped wrong Simon Pagenaud and drove his teammate into the wall. That led to a monolithic 10-race pileup and the reddish emblem was retired for astir 20 minutes.

There were 9 cautions and 2 reddish flags successful the race.

“There was nary travel to the race. It was similar we had six races,” Dixon said.

POINTS STANDINGS

Palou holds a 42-point pb successful the standings implicit Dixon.

JIMMIE’S DAY

Jimmie Johnson continues to deed bumps successful the roadworthy — oregon successful his case, connected a span — successful his rookie play successful IndyCar. Johnson destroyed his car successful the greeting signifier league for his 2nd wreck of the play and was forced to usage a backup car. He utilized a backup car shared by teammate Palou. He was collected successful the Penske clang and was disqualified erstwhile the No. 48 unit worked connected his Honda — Johnson adjacent helped transportation spare parts — nether the reddish flag. Johnson was 26th.

“I’m having a blast, I’m learning a ton and each week I’m getting amended and better,” Johnson said.

ARROW EXPANSION

McLaren Racing volition acquisition a bulk involvement of the Arrow McLaren SP contention squad by the extremity of 2021 and plans to adhd a 3rd car to its IndyCar lineup.

The squad fields cars this play for Pato O’Ward, who was 2nd successful the points standings headed into Sunday’s Music City Grand Prix, and Felix Rosenqvist. Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, said Sunday helium would similar to adhd different full-time car successful 2023 — possibly arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent play “if we tin find the close combination.”

“We’ve got the resources, truthful the economics are not a concern, but we privation to tally 3 cars that triumph races and vie for the championship,” helium said.

UP NEXT

IndyCar returns Saturday to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and hits the roadworthy course.