Marcus “Air”icsson went from getting airborne early on in the inaugural edition of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to rebound for a win. Now, can he pick up a 2nd win the brief 3-year history of this special event?

“I’m excited for Nashville, where I have good memories having won the race two years ago in the first-ever Music City Grand Prix. It is one of the highlights of my career so far,” Ericsson said via the weekly team release.

It would be a big one in many ways.

First, he needs it to showcase his future. He still doesn’t know where he’ll end up in 2024. He’d like to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing, but he also wants to be a pay driver and not have to bring funding either. Ganassi would like it to be the other way around.

So, Ericsson has been left showcasing his talents to the rest of the paddock to see if there’s an interest in making it work. Seems like there is. As he nears the point that he can now field offers, what better way than to be the latest winner?

He’s got a great shot too. He won the season opener on the streets of St. Pete. He was third in Long Beach. Ericsson may have been 9th in Detroit and 11th in Toronto, but the latest one was because he ran out of fuel coming to the white flag while running fifth.

Also, since joining CGR in 2020, no driver has won more street course races (3) than Ericsson (2022: St. Petersburg; 2021: Nashville; Detroit).

He has displayed his street racing prowess yet again this year, leading laps in three of those four such races (St. Petersburg; Detroit; Toronto) thus far. 

The last time out in Iowa, he finished 4th and 9th respectively. With 10 top 10 finishes in 12 starts this season, he needs to get back to victory lane in order to chop off his 147-point deficit to teammate Alex Palou.

“For us, going back to a street course is good,” he says. “We know we have a very strong package on street courses, and I feel very comfortable in those races myself. It’s one of my favorite types of racing and I am excited to get back there for a strong weekend. We’re very much in a good position for the championship and we need to have another strong weekend for the No. 8 team and for Chip Ganassi Racing.”

He’s 27 points behind teammate Scott Dixon in 3rd and 67 points back from 2nd place Josef Newgarden. If Ericsson can get to at least the second best in the Ganassi camp and even threaten second in points, that plus a 1st and 2nd place finish in the last two years of the Indy 500 would make it tough to allow Ganassi to let him walk out the door with Palou.

He’s a talented and deserving driver that needs to be paid accoridngly too.