Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden ended the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on a high note Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. He wasn’t the only one.

While only one driver took the checkered flag as the winner of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot, 12 drivers led the 225-lap race, and several, including Newgarden, posted their best results of the season.

Newgarden earned his first win of the season, extending his streak of consecutive winning seasons to 11. Only Scott Dixon has more among active drivers, with 21.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson improved his career-best oval finish by nine positions. His previous best result was 13th, in Race 2 at Iowa Speedway. Simpson was fourth Sunday, and he was within one final corner of finishing on the podium for the second time this season, joining his career-best third place in July at Toronto.

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly finished fifth, his best result of the year.

Several other drivers had to be pleased, as well.

Series champion Alex Palou finished second, another example of a winner’s desire. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver refused to take his foot off the gas after clinching his third consecutive series championship and fourth in five years. In the final four races, Palou finished first, third, second and second to end the year clear of the competitive field by a staggering 196 points, the largest margin under the current scoring system that dates to 1998.

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin never found victory lane this season, but he ended the year with momentum. Sunday’s third-place finish was his second in succession, giving him three for the season.

Callum Ilott

PREMA Racing’s Callum Ilott (photo, above), who not that long ago was 26th in the standings, used a strong final kick to end up 21st. Four of his final five results were in the top nine. He finished ninth Sunday on this 1.33-mile oval.

This race was interesting from start to finish, although not always for the best of reasons. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen, the winning star of the race at the Milwaukee Mile, found himself in the middle of a crowded Lap 1 group in Turn 1 and lost control. His impact with the outside wall drew the caution.

AJ Foyt Enterprises’ David Malukas, who had qualified in the second spot for the second straight oval race, got caught in a tussle with the lapped car of rookie Louis Foster, crashing out of another race he thought he could win. Foster was penalized for blocking, a severe blow to his Rookie of the Year hopes.

Foster caught a break late in the race when PREMA Racing’s Robert Shwartzman, the other top challenger for the first-year award, was similarly flagged for blocking. Shwartzman’s infraction and subsequent drive-through penalty dropped him a lap down to 14th, and the stunning turn of events swung the rookie crown back to Foster. Their separation was just two points, the closest 1-2 finish for the sport since 1995.

Foster became the second Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver in four years to receive the award. Christian Lundgaard won it in 2022. Shwartzman had to settle for Rookie of the Year for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge after becoming the first rookie since Teo Fabi in 1983 to win the pole.

This race had a lot of swings like that. For a while it looked like it would go Pato O’Ward’s way, but the Arrow McLaren driver who led 116 laps suffered a flat right front tire, sending him into the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier. Palou looked strong, McLaughlin looked strong, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi had a long stint at the front. Will Power looked like a contender until he overshot his pit box on a stop, hit equipment, accepted a penalty and was too far back in the order to overcome the trouble. Now the question is, was that his last start with Team Penske?

Alex Palou

After the race, Palou was again handed the Astor Challenge Cup (photo, above). He might not have reached the level of A.J. Foyt and Al Unser – 10 wins each in their seasons of 1964 and 1970, respectively – but it’s been two decades since a driver had this dominant of a year. Palou won eight races, finished second four times, was third once and won Indy.

For Newgarden, Sunday was a day to ease some of the frustration of 2025. He won’t be the only driver with a little extra spring in his step this offseason. Several drivers left Nashville with an ending to smile about.