IndyCar has added another street course to its calendar, with a new event in Nashville named the Music City Grand Prix joining for 2021 in a multi-year deal.
The new 2.17-mile, 11-turn circuit is set to use the home of American Football team, the Tennessee Titans, in the downtown area.
The Nissan Stadium, which is home to the Titans, will serve as the paddock for the race, while the race track itself will cross the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Cumberland River in the state capital.
Representatives of the circuit visited the Indianapolis 500 last month for talks, and joined a press conference that also included Nashville-born double series champion Josef Newgarden on Wednesday.
“The Music City Grand Prix will be a one-of-a-kind NTT IndyCar Series experience anchored in the heart of Nashville’s action-packed, exhilarating downtown corridor,” said Mark Miles, CEO of the Penske Corporation.
“Nashville is a world-class city and global entertainment capital that provides an exceptional platform for our series.”
Here is the layout of the 11-turn track map for the inaugural @MusicCityGP on August 6-8, 2021.
Check this out and learn more about the event at https://t.co/aK7gcAAfsU#INDYCAR // #MusicCityGP pic.twitter.com/EWDYnkIduD
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) September 16, 2020
Nashville is considered a key market for many sports series and events, as it has a booming tourism trade which usually attracts over 15 million visitors per year.
“Nashville is a special place, and the announcement of the Music City Grand Prix truly marks a huge step forward for our community as we look to the future and a return of our thriving and unique entertainment scene,” said John Cooper, the mayor of the city.
The first Nashville race weekend, which is scheduled for August 6-8, should join St Petersburg, Toronto, Long Beach and Detroit next year, although IndyCar is yet to officially reveal the full 2021 calendar.
St Petersburg was due to be the season opener before the coronavirus outbreak forced its postponement.
