Balance and stability are important skills to build and maintain throughout your life.
Strength training helps develop muscle strength to improve balance and stability.
If you’re unsure where to start, meet with a fitness professional who can help.
Imagine walking along, lost in thought, only to trip out of nowhere. In that moment of surprise—and, ahem, a little embarrassment—you may think to yourself: Why I am so clumsy?
The ability to keep ourselves upright and in control—whether standing or moving—is called balance. How we move our different body parts together is called coordination. These work hand-in-hand to help us navigate the world each day. But there’s often one overlooked habit that can significantly improve both balance and coordination: strength training.
Strength training is also called resistance exercise. It’s a form of exercise that causes muscles to contract against an external force. This resistance can come from your own body weight, dumbbells, weight machines or resistance bands.
One review found that resistance exercise helped improve balance in adults and older adults. The researchers point out the multiple benefits of resistance exercise, since it can increase muscle strength and power, plus improve your balance at the same time. Another study found that a combination of resistance training plus specific balance training (i.e. standing on one leg or doing tree pose) had the best results for older adults compared to resistance training alone.
Unfortunately, just three in 10 U.S. adults get the recommended two days per week of strength training exercise. If you fall into that group, no worries: You have a great opportunity to add resistance training into your routine for better balance and coordination.
Why Strength Training Is So Great for Coordination and Balance
Strength training can help improve coordination and balance in a variety of ways, says Herve Doliska, CPT, a certified personal trainer. Here are a few of them.
It Activates Your Muscles
Did you know you have more than 650 muscles? These muscles work closely with your nervous system. For example, if you curl a weight, your brain sends signals to activate the muscle fibers in your biceps.
“Strength training helps to improve the activation and recruitment of muscles throughout the body. This increased activation can enhance coordination as the body learns to use the right muscles to perform movements,” explains Doliska.
What this means is that strength training fortifies the connection between your brain and muscles, improving how efficiently you can move. As your body gets better at activating the right muscles at the right time, your movements become smoother and more coordinated.
It May Provide Joint Support and Stability
Resistance training strengthens muscles around the joints, which provide stability and support, says Doliska. Stronger muscles act like scaffolding for your body, helping you maintain balance while standing, sitting or moving.
It May Enhance Proprioception
Proprioception is the ability for the body to sense its position in space, says Doliska. That’s critically important should you slip and fall, trip or step off a stair wrong—you’ll be better able to “catch” yourself. Strength training helps you keep your balance and know where your body is, whether you are standing still or actively moving.
It May Build a Strong Core
Your core is more than just the abdominal muscles. It’s a group of muscles in the abs, pelvis, hips and lower back that wrap around your middle like a corset and essentially hold up your entire body. These muscles play a crucial role in balance and coordination.
“A strong core is essential for good posture, stability and balance,” says Doliska. “Doing exercises that target the core muscles can help improve the core strength, which in turn can enhance balance and coordination.”
Tips for Incorporating Strength Training
Strength training doesn’t require equipment. You can start with body-weight exercises, such as squats, lunges, push-ups and core exercises, says Doliska. Planks are great for core stability, and they can be done against a wall or bench or on the floor.
Once you feel comfortable with body-weight exercises, you can gradually build the intensity of your workouts. Add free weights like dumbbells or start using weight machines. Remember to start light and gradually increase the weight as your strength improves. Learning proper form and how to put together a workout can help you see results while decreasing the risk of injury.
And that’s where connecting with a personal trainer—even for just one or two sessions—can be invaluable. “Consulting with a fitness professional can help tailor a strength training program to your specific needs and goals,” says Doliska.
Our Expert Take
The No. 1 habit for better balance and coordination is strength training. Strength training isn’t just about building muscle. Strength training improves coordination, balance, joint stability and core strength—all essential for a healthy and mobile body. Make it a goal to engage in strength training exercises that target major muscle groups at least twice a week.
While its name remains debated, Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship chip (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2/Snapdragon 8 Gen 5) has reportedly set a new benchmark, scoring over 4 million on AnTuTu. Get a first look at the powerful specs behind this record-breaking chip, including a special variant destined for the Galaxy S26 series.
Qualcomm’s next flagship smartphone chip is on the way, and the pieces of the puzzle keep emerging. A recent leak suggested the chip could have a completely different and unexpected name: Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Now, a new report has revealed the groundbreaking performance of the chip formerly known as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, setting a new benchmark for mobile processors.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (or Snapdragon 8 Gen 5) tipped to surpass 4 million AnTuTu score
The latest report from tipster Digital Chat Station points to an astonishing 4 million+ score on the AnTuTu benchmark for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (whatever it’s called). To put that in perspective, this score is significantly higher than the top-end chips currently on the market (2.5 – 3 million).
Beyond just a single number, the leak also gave us a look at the core specs behind that impressive score. The standard version of the chip will reportedly feature a configuration with two “Prime” cores clocked at 4.61GHz and six high-performance cores at 3.63GHz. Once again, Qualcomm will forget about dedicated “low power” cores. For graphics, a powerful Adreno 840 GPU clocked at 1.2GHz may deliver a nice gaming upgrade.
As in recent years, a more powerful variant of the chip is rumored to be in the works, exclusive to the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. This special “for Galaxy” model will give Samsung’s next flagship a temporary performance edge with even faster Prime cores clocked at 4.74GHz. This move continues the partnership between Qualcomm and Samsung, bringing an exclusive benefit to one of the biggest names in the smartphone world. Plus, this version of the chip will be available for other Android brands later.
The new chip is scheduled to make its official debut on September 23 at the Snapdragon Summit 2025.
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Jean Leon – Tech Writer – 27 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025
Jean, from Venezuela, has been a mobile-tech enthusiast since forever. He likes to always be up-to-date on the latest news in the industry and write about it. He specializes in Android, smartphones, tablets, wearables, apps, and some gaming.
Ether ETFs hit $13.7B as inflows surge and corporate treasuries grow
Ether spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen steady growth since their US debut in July 2024, while corporate treasuries tied to the token are also on the rise.
Inflows into Ether funds climbed 44% this month, rising from $9.5 billion on Aug. 1 to $13.7 billion on Aug. 28, according to cryptocurrency research platform SoSoValue. Market participants say renewed institutional demand is fueling the momentum.
“After an extended period of underperformance relative to Bitcoin and a souring investor sentiment, Ethereum has recently experienced a significant revival in the recognition of both its adoption rate and value proposition,” Sygnum Chief Investment Officer Fabian Dori told Cointelegraph.
Crypto market to unlock $4.5B in tokens in September
Crypto projects are set to unlock about $4.5 billion in vested tokens in September, according to data tracker Tokenomist.
Tokenomist data shows that about $1.17 billion will come from cliff unlocks, while $3.36 billion will be released through linear unlocks. About $4.5 billion in tokens will become available to investors, project teams and other stakeholders as vesting agreements expire.
Cliff unlocks are typically larger, one-time token releases that happen at the end of a specified lockup period. This often affects the market more due to supply shocks. On the other hand, linear unlocks distribute tokens over time, which helps smooth out the impact on the supply.
Elon Musk’s lawyer to chair $200M Dogecoin treasury: Report
Elon Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro is set to chair a new public company that aims to raise $200 million to invest in Dogecoin, according to a Fortune report citing six people familiar with the deal.
The initiative is being pitched to investors as a Dogecoin treasury vehicle with the endorsement of House of Doge, the corporate entity launched in early 2025 by the Dogecoin Foundation and headquartered in Miami, Fortune reported Friday.
The company seeks to raise at least $200 million as a public vehicle to hold Dogecoin on its balance sheet, giving investors stock-market exposure to the token without direct ownership.
The effort remains at the pitch stage, with details on its structure or launch timing not yet disclosed.
Strategy Bitcoin lawsuit dismissed as investors withdraw case
Lead plaintiffs and an investor have voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit against Bitcoin treasury company Strategy, permanently ending the case, according to a court filing obtained by Cointelegraph. The move represents a potential win for crypto treasury companies, with Strategy standing as the industry’s largest player.
According to a Thursday court filing, two lead plaintiffs, Michelle Clarity and Mehmet Cihan Unlusoy, and an investor representing other shareholders, submitted the stipulation for dismissal.
“The dismissal with respect to Co-Lead Plaintiffs’ claims and Anas Hamza’s claims, but not absent class members’ claims, is with prejudice,” the court document reads. In addition, “the Action has not been certified as a class action.”
Trump has 11 on his Fed chair list, 3 may be crypto-friendly
The Trump administration is considering at least 11 candidates to replace Jerome Powell when his term as Federal Reserve chair expires in May. At least three of them have taken positive stances toward crypto.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that there are 11 “very strong candidates” for Fed chair, which he’ll begin to vet and shortlist starting next month.
The list of candidates, as CNBC reported on Aug. 13, citing two administration officials, includes Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan, former St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Fed Governor Christopher Waller, Fed Vice Supervision Chair Michelle Bowman and former Fed Governor Larry Lindsey.
The list also includes Bush administration economic adviser Marc Sumerlin, investment bank Jefferies chief market strategist David Zervos and BlackRock’s chief investment officer for global fixed income Rick Rieder.
Winners and Losers
At the end of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $108,309, Ether (ETH) at $4,374 and XRP at $2.82. The total market cap is at $3.77 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are Cronos (CRO) at 94.97%, Pyth Network (PYTH) at 41.07% and Pump.fun (PUMP) at 11.96%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are SPX6900 (SPX) at 22.68%, Aerodrome Finance (AERO) at 21.67% and Pendle (PENDLE) at 19.07%.
For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraph’s market analysis.
Most Memorable Quotations
“Let’s say that your protocol or layer 1 blockchain becomes more secure. Then they may target human beings behind it. The people who have the private key and so on.”
Ronghui Gu, co-founder of CertiK
“There are other currencies that will come up as flashes in the pan but I think overall, we’re in a major trend toward Bitcoin.”
Tim Draper, founding partner at Draper Associates
“This whole system was weaponized against them, no different than it had been weaponized against us for different reasons.”
Eric Trump, son of US President Donald Trump
“Crypto gets pretty sketchy below the top 10, certainly below the top 20.”
Greg King, founder and CEO of REX Financial
“We have to go through the tough liquidation days so that we can go up.”
Bobby Ong, co-founder of CoinGecko
“Timeline bearish and calling for the bear market. Time to go max long.”
XRP’s price fell 22% to $2.72 from its multi-year high of $3.66 reached on July 18, before recovering to current levels around $3.
Has the popular altcoin finally topped out, or is there a stronger rally in the cards?
XRP price action reveals a consolidation within a symmetrical triangle on the daily chart, suggesting that the altcoin may be preparing another bullish impulse, according to analyst XForceGlobal.
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XRP price at “$20 remains the primary cycle target,” the pseudonymous analyst said in an X post on Wednesday.
Although the price still faces strong resistance around the $4 psychological level, “this does not alter the overall bullish outlook on the macro,” the analyst said, adding that XRP could now follow two possible scenarios.
Top FUD of The Week
US banks moved $312B in dirty money, but critics still blame crypto
US banks were responsible for moving $312 billion for Chinese money launderers between 2020 and 2024, according to a new report.
In a US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) advisory on Thursday, the watchdog analyzed over 137,000 Bank Secrecy Act reports from 2020 to 2024.
It found that over $62 billion per year on average has gone through the US banking system from Chinese money launderers.
Chinese money-laundering networks have formed a symbiotic relationship with Mexico-based drug cartels. The cartels need to launder US dollar drug proceeds, while Chinese gangs want US dollars to circumvent China’s currency control laws, it reported.
“These networks launder proceeds for Mexico-based drug cartels and are involved in other significant, underground money movement schemes within the United States and around the world,” said FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki.
Kanye West’s YZY token: 51,000 traders lost $74M, while 11 netted $1M
More than 51,000 traders incurred losses on Kanye West’s recently launched memecoin, highlighting the potential risks of trading celebrity-endorsed tokens with no intrinsic technological utility.
The Kanye West-linked YZY token was launched on the Solana blockchain on Aug. 21. It rallied 1,400% within the first hour before losing over 80% of its value.
Of the 70,200 traders who invested in the celebrity-endorsed token, more than 51,800 realized losses, with three traders losing over $1 million, according to blockchain data platform Bubblemaps.
“Meanwhile, 11 wallets made $1M+,” wrote Bubblemaps in a Wednesday X post.
Amid large-scale losses from the majority of the token’s traders, only 11 out of 70,000 wallets generated over $1 million in profit, while 99 generated over $100,000, highlighting the financial risks of celebrity-endorsed meme tokens with a lack of blockchain utility.
Fenwick denies allegations that it was key to multibillion-dollar FTX fraud
Law firm Fenwick & West denied allegations from an updated class-action lawsuit claiming it was central to crypto exchange FTX’s fraud and eventual collapse.
Earlier this month, FTX users asked to update their suit against Fenwick, first filed in 2023, claiming new information from a bankruptcy and criminal case shared evidence that the law firm “played a key and crucial role in the most important aspects of why and how the FTX fraud was accomplished.”
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Fenwick told a Florida federal judge in a filing on Monday that the court should deny FTX users’ request to update the suit against the firm, arguing their theory that it helped the exchange carry out fraud “is as facile as it is flawed.”
“Fenwick is not liable for aiding and abetting a fraud it knew nothing about, based solely on allegations that Fenwick did what law firms do every day — provide routine and lawful legal services to their clients,” it said.
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Cointelegraph Magazine writers and reporters contributed to this article.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 recently received the second One UI 8 beta update, and now it’s the Galaxy Z Fold6 that’s receiving the Android 16-based One UI 8 Beta 2 update.
The update has firmware version F956BXXU2ZYHB and requires a download of about 930MB. It comes with the September 2025 Android security patch and fixes some bugs. You can check the screenshot below for more details.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 One UI 8 Beta 2 update’s changelog
This beta update for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is currently seeding in India, but the rollout should expand to other regions soon.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
If you are enrolled in the One UI 8 beta program and haven’t received the second One UI 8 beta update on your Galaxy Z Fold6 yet, you can check for it manually by heading to the phone’s Settings > Software update menu.
New data shows gaming revenue has moved almost entirely to digital purchases, at least in Europe, with PC and console purchases dwarfed by mobile gaming. The 2024 All About Video Games report, published earlier this month by Video Games Europe, showed sluggish growth for PC gaming in the EU and signaled the death knell for physical game sales.
According to the report, gaming revenue overall grew 4% in 2024. An overwhelming 90% of that revenue was digital, up 5% from 2023 and bringing physical purchases down to just 10%.
For context, physical purchases made up 20% of European gaming revenue in 2020, meaning physical game sales were cut in half in just four years, including a 5% drop in the last year alone. However, it’s hard to say whether that decline is happening because gamers just prefer digital copies or because fewer games are getting released in physical format.
The shift may also be partly due to the devices people are playing on. The 2024 All About Video Games report showed that mobile gaming accounted for the largest chunk of revenue at 44%, followed by a 38% share for console purchases. PC made up just 15% of gaming revenue in Europe last year, up 1% from 2023. (The remaining 4% was or on-demand/streaming services.)
The slow growth in PC gaming revenue may be due to a 3% drop in the percentage of PC gamers in Europe. In 2023, 46% of gamers reported playing on PC, now down to just 43% in 2024. Meanwhile, console purchases decreased by 3%, despite a 3% increase in the number of Europeans saying they play on consoles.
Basically, PC gaming revenue is up despite fewer people playing on PC while, in the opposite direction, console revenue is down despite more people playing on consoles. The dip in console revenue may have contributed to 2024’s slip in physical game sales, as well.
In addition to revenue data, the All About Video Games report highlighted last year’s top-selling games in Europe: Helldivers 2, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Command and Conquer Generals, GTA 5, EA FC 25, The Crew 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Hogwarts Legacy, EA FC 24, and Command and Conquer (Bundle). Helldivers 2 and Black Ops 6 also took top spots in Steam’s 2024 top sellers rankings.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Saturday brought another thrilling battle between McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while Isack Hadjar starred for Racing Bulls and Lance Stroll hit trouble in his Aston Martin. Here are all of the facts and stats you need to know about from Qualifying in the Netherlands…
Mclaren’s 69th front row lock-out surpasses Ferrari for second on the all-time list behind Mercedes’ 82
It also came on the 88th anniversary of team founder Bruce McLaren’s birth
Mclaren have never previously taken pole or won on Bruce McLaren’s birthday
Piastri’s fifth pole position of the season is the most for any driver in 2025
Christian Lundgaard (photo, above) enters Sunday’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot fourth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings, just seven points behind Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon.
Lundgaard, who joined Arrow McLaren this season after 52 starts with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing from 2021-24, was quick to point out the margin. He’s keeping close tabs.
“It’s always important,” Lundgaard said.
With Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing already crowned champion and Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren locked into second, the battle for third is shaping up as Lundgaard vs. Dixon — Arrow McLaren vs. Chip Ganassi Racing.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood trails Dixon by 28 points and Lundgaard by 21. Unless he has a breakout race, third will likely go to either Dixon or Lundgaard. Kirkwood, last year’s NTT P1 Award winner, starts 11th in the No. 27 Andretti INDYCAR Honda.
“Our goal is clear this weekend: race up front and do everything possible to secure third,” Lundgaard said. “My first year with Arrow McLaren has been really enjoyable. Changing teams, working with new people and driving a new car weren’t necessarily expected, so to end the season strong would be a nice bonus.”
Lundgaard seeks his first oval win and second career victory in Sunday’s 225-lap race (2 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
“We have to remember who we’re up against,” he said. “It’s Scott Dixon. He’s fast and has won three straight here before, so it’s going to be tough.”
Lundgaard climbed from 17th to finish sixth last weekend at Milwaukee, marking his third top-seven finish in five oval starts this year. His best oval finish in 17 prior starts was ninth at Milwaukee Mile in 2024.
Lundgaard starts third Sunday. Dixon, who has the fifth-most oval points this season and leads all active drivers with 24 oval wins, starts fifth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Three of those wins came at Nashville (2006–08).
Arrow McLaren has never placed two drivers in the top three of the final standings. Chip Ganassi Racing has done it seven times, most recently in 2023 with Palou and Dixon, respectively.
“Any position is meaningful,” Dixon said. “It’s not just for me. For us at CGR, the goal was a one-two. We came up short. Now the goal is two in the top three.”
Dixon Leads Final Practice
Six-time series champion Dixon was the fastest driver in the final practice (highlight video, above), which combined 30 minutes of action split into two groups and then a one-hour open session.
Dixon’s best lap was 198.759 mph. He will start fifth in the race Sunday. Fellow series chamion Josef Newgarden was second at 198.466 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, with Marcus Armstrong right behind in third at 198.428 in the No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian.
SEE: Final Practice Results
NTT P1 Award winner O’Ward was 10th at 196.997 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Three drivers – Nolan Siegel, Callum Ilott and Will Power – made contact with the SAFER Barrier in separate incidents after sampling the higher racing line on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. In all three instances, the car understeered toward the wall due to chunks of tire rubber – “marbles” – in the upper groove. None of the drivers was hurt.
Rasmussen Rides Momentum into Nashville
Christian Rasmussen (photo, above) earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory last Sunday, capturing the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 in impressive fashion.
His celebration was low-key but meaningful — driving back to his Indianapolis home with his girlfriend, former USAC short-track racer Maria Cofer.
“We listened to some great music in the car,” Rasmussen said.
Six days later, Rasmussen was still all smiles after a week basking in his win with the Milwaukee race-winning trophy.
“It’s been great feeling everyone’s support,” he said. “It’s actually been a pretty normal week in a lot of ways, just a few more interviews and a new family member (his trophy) at home.”
“But now it’s full focus on this weekend. We’re trying to finish the season strong. We’re in the hunt for a top-10 finish in the championship and doing everything we can to make that happen.”
Rasmussen enters Nashville 12th in the standings, trailing Scott McLaughlin by 12 points for 10th place. McLaughlin starts seventh in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, while Rasmussen is set to roll off 25th in the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet. Rasmussen had qualified 16th but, along with Ilott, received a nine-position grid penalty for an unscheduled engine change beyond the season allotment following last Sunday’s race at Milwaukee. The No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Siegel also is moving back nine spots on the grid Sunday due to an unscheduled engine change.
Ilott tied a season-best ninth-place qualifying effort set at Road America. He starts 18th.
Despite the setback, Rasmussen remains confident in winning again Sunday.
He’s shown a knack for slicing through the field: climbing from 18th to sixth at the Indy 500, 25th to third at World Wide Technology Raceway, 19th to sixth in Race 1 at Iowa and 17th to eighth in Race 2 at Iowa.
“Should be exciting,” Rasmussen said. “If enough people start using the top lane like I do, then maybe we can have a really, really good race.”
Daly Ready To Climb Again
Conor Daly will start 24th in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet (photo, above), his worst grid position in six oval races this season. His previous low was 15th at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“I have no idea,” Daly said of his qualifying run. “I’ve never felt that in my life. It felt like the front wing was off.
“We’ve been pretty good at qualifying on ovals all year long, and that was like a complete flip of everything. But we obviously know we can race on these tracks. I’m really not worried about starting at the back on an oval.”
Just last week in Milwaukee, Daly surged from eighth to fourth on the opening lap. He’s hoping for a similar charge Sunday.
“Firestone tells me the third lane has the most grip, so I’m going to believe them,” Daly said.
Alternate Tires Return for Nashville
This weekend marks the return of Firestone Firehawk alternate tires to an oval for the first time since last year’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. This is only the third time alternate compounds have been used on an oval, following World Wide Technology Raceway in August 2023.
“I think it’s interesting,” Kirkwood said. “It adds a different strategic layer. The alternate tire is better for about 10 to 15 laps but wears more quickly. It’s fun, though, because it creates new opportunities.”
SEE: Starting Lineup/Tire Choice
Palou welcomes the return of alternate tires, especially compared to last year’s chaotic race where he was fighting to hang onto a championship. He entered Nashville 28 points ahead of Will Power last season. This year, he clinched his fourth championship, including three consecutively, on Aug. 10 at the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI.
“We saw last year that nobody knew what was going to happen,” Palou said. “We started on alternates, and a yellow flag put us a lap down. It was tough. This year, though, I’m not fighting for the championship, so I’m just excited to race.”
Each team received six sets of durable primary (hard) tires and four sets of the faster, but less durable, alternate (soft) tires. Race regulations require teams to use at least one primary set and two alternate sets during the race.
Drivers expect four pit stops during the race, making tire strategy a key factor in a winning formula. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet) and Rinus VeeKay (No. 18 askROI Honda) are the only drivers among the 27 in the field starting on alternate tires Sunday.
Last year’s Nashville race with the alternate tires saw record numbers:
653 on-track passes
237 passes for position
117 passes in the top 10
42 passes in the top five
Aero Changes To Further Boost Overtaking
Along with the return of alternate tires, a new aerodynamic package is expected to improve racing Sunday at Nashville. The increased drag will help trailing drivers pass earlier. Downforce levels remain unchanged, with the goal of encouraging more passing.
“They did something similar at Iowa,” Kirkwood said. “But here, they’ve taken it even further because the racing at Nashville is already great. Let’s keep pushing in that direction.”
Three-time Nashville Superspeedway winner Dixon is optimistic about the changes.
“It’s similar to Iowa,” Dixon said. “They’ve increased drag to make the racing more exciting. It won’t be great for speed, but it will make for better racing.”
Honda vs. Chevrolet: Changing of the Guard?
Entering last year’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, Chevrolet had dominated the ovals, winning all six races on circle tracks. Team Penske claimed five of those victories, with Arrow McLaren taking the other. In both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Chevrolet won four out of five oval races.
Since then, Honda flipped the script, winning four of the last six oval events, including three of the five this season. The reversal of fortunes began at Nashville last season when Colton Herta won the season finale in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.
Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) was victorious this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway, while Herta’s Andretti Global teammate Kirkwood triumphed at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“It’s always ever-changing,” Herta said. “There are small things that both engines do better. Right now, it’s obviously working for us with Honda.”
Chevrolet had two drivers on the Milwaukee Mile podium and swept the top three starting positions for Sunday’s race.
FOX Sports’ INDYCAR Documentary Debuts Sunday
FOX Sports’ three-part NTT INDYCAR SERIES documentary featuring the battle for this year’s championship debuts on the FOX Nation streaming service before the 2 p.m. ET coverage of the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway.
The series spotlights drivers’ emotional experiences, career decisions and personal lives from Indy to the season’s final race at Nashville Superspeedway.
FOX’s Driver Eye Camera Returns
This weekend’s FOX Sports broadcast features the Driver’s Eye in-helmet camera. Herta and Felix Rosenqvist will represent the Honda drivers, with Lundgaard and Power carrying the micro high-definition camera among the Chevrolet drivers.
Racing Force Group supplies the cameras that debuted during the 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend in April. They were also used during the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Odds and Ends
The green flag for Sunday’s season finale is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET.
All three Team Penske entries are carrying Karl Kainhofer tribute stickers (photo, above) in memory of the team’s first employee, who passed away last weekend.
The top four in NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship starts inside the top five: Palou starts fourth, O’Ward on pole, Dixon in fifth and Lundgaard third.
Newgarden starts sixth in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. His recent form in qualifying has improved significantly, averaging a 14 starting position over the last seven races, compared to 14.6 in the previous 10.
Kyffin Simpson achieved a career-best oval qualifying result, starting 10th in the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. His previous best on an oval was 13th at this year’s Indianapolis 500. He will start eighth due to penalties for unscheduled engine changes for two drivers ahead of him on the grid.
