Sources: IndyCar to announce Music City Grand Prix race for 2021 – NewsChannel5.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sources tell NewsChannel 5 that IndyCar Racing will make a major announcement about holding a grand prix race in the middle of downtown Nashville.

The announcement about the 2021 race could come as early as Wednesday.

Stephan Foust, a longtime IndyCar fan says he’ll be one of the first to get in line to buy a ticket. “I’m a big big fan,” he said. “The open cockpit, the configuration of the cars, the speeds.”

To fix his need for speed, Foust usually drives back to his native Indiana each year for the Indy 500. “If the creeks don’t rise, next year will be my 50th [Indy 500],” said Foust.

Next year, he may just opt to stay closer to home. “This is akin to when it was announced the Oilers were coming to Nashville. To me, it’s that big,” he said.

This won’t just be your normal run of the mill race. The race course will be on actual downtown Nashville streets. Foust believes Nashville got the green light because we’ve proven we’re more than capable hosts. “The NFL Draft, all of the other events that have occurred here, proving Nashville can pull off a big-time sports event,” said Foust.

If Foust’s garage full of race paraphernalia is any indication, die-hard fans like him will have to make room for some Music City mementos. “It’s going to become a very big, very popular event, very quickly,” said Foust. “When it’s right there in your town, and you see it on the asphalt you cover, it’s like whoa wait a minute, these guys are doing something very very special.”

The process of meeting with IndyCar executives started awhile ago, but Spyridon said there are a few more steps to take before it is finalized. The race would be an addition to the current IndyCar circuit.

The proposed track would take drivers through parts of downtown and would be similar to streetcar races currently held in Detroit, Austin, St. Petersburg, Florida and Long Beach, California.