Kirkwood belts out winning tune in Music City

©IndyCar

Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti put together the perfect combination of speed and strategy to win IndyCar's Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday on the streets of Nashville.

The triumph was Kirkwood's second career win in the NTT IndyCar Series and his second this season after his maiden victory in Long Beach back in April.

Starting from eighth, the 24-year-old driver from Jupiter, Florida made only a few passes during the 80-lap race but smart and flawless management on the Andretti pitwall cycled him up the order and to the front of the pack.

©IndyCar

A lengthy red-flag period in the closing stages of the race set up a final three-lap shootout during with the #27 AutoNation Honda car easily beat Penske's Scott McLaughlin and championship leader Alex Palou who extended his lead in the series over Josef Newgarden to 84 points with four races to go.

"I’ve got to give up to the 27 crew, AutoNation, Andretti, Honda," Kirkwood said. "They played everything in my favor, to be honest. They gave me all the tools I needed.

"They cycled me to the front on strategy, and we just made really smart decisions and hit all of our marks. Just a solid day."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.