Author: thepitwindow

I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events

Weather Update

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The predicted rfront is moving through Birmingham right now. The amazing @Indycar_Wxman says the front will move through by 9:30 am local time.

It looks like the race will go with minimal disruption. The radar just before 8 pm:

For further updates, check in with @tutorindie on Twitter or The Pit Window on Facebook.

The USF 2000 race scheduled for 8:45 and the 9:45 Indy Lights race may be delayed, possibly until after the Indycar race. Indy Pro 2000 has a race at 2:30. This morning’s races may go after that if they can’t go this morning. The television window creates a hard stop time for this morning’s races.

Wet or Dry? Tire Strategy Key for Race Day at Barber

thepitwindow

Today’s Schedule

Sunday, May 1

  • Gates open 7:30AM
  • USF 2000 Race #2 8:45 – 9:25AM
  • INDY LIGHTS Race 9:45 – 10:40AM Peacock
  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race 12:00 – 2:00PM NBC, Peacock
  • Indy Pro 2000 Race #2 2:30 – 3:20PM

Or is it rain day? Chances of rain have diminished some, but the radar shows Birmingham covered in green from noon to 3 pm. The showers may to be scattered. As long as there is no severe weather, the race will run.

If rain tires are needed after the race starts, I think that favors Josef Newgarden. He won the rain delayed race in 2018 when Tim Cindric called Newgarden in for rain tires before the rain began. If the start is declared a wet start, this race is up for grabs.

Pato O’Ward expressed concern yesterday in the press conference about the current stock of rain tires being two years old and never used. Rinus VeeKay said he has experience racing in the rain inkarts but not much in race cars.

Pato O’Ward

Should conditions be normal, I get the sense most drivers want to be on blacks for most of the race. The reds did not get much time yesterday in practice because of the late red flag. I didn’t see much lap time difference between the two tires in qualifying yesterday.

Rain or shine, it is May 1 and Indycar has cars on track.

Notes

Will Power and Scott Dixon have their worst starting positions for a race at Barber. In the 11 previous races here, the two veterans were in the Fast Six a combine 20 times. A 10th Barber podium for Dixon will be difficult to get today.

Scott McLaughlin

There are subtle shifts in team leadership happening at Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing. Scott Mclaughlin has been Penske’s overall best qualifier this year, and he is not far behind Josef Newgarden for the points lead. Alex Palou is backing up last year’s championship with strong qualifying runs and good finishes.

I will have an eye on Alexander Rossi today. He put in a great qualifying effort after his team, with help from other Andretti crew and Honda, put his car back together in two hours after his practice crash yesterday morning. Look for him on the podium.

Romain Grosjean and Josef Newgarden, who had a great duel for the win at Long Beach, make up row four.

Enjoy the race. If you are coming to the track, stay dry.

Ilott Leads Final Warm Up

thepitwindow

Photo by Kyle McIness

Callum Ilott posted the fastest lap in the final warm up for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. The session ran dry despite a slight chance of rain. just a few scattered drops fell.

Alex Palou had the second fastest time. Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi completed the top five.

Eight minutes into the 30 minute session Tatiana Calderon slid off the track in turn 2 and made contact with the barrier. Calderon was unhurt. The rest of the round was green.

Ilott will start 11th tomorrow.

Pole sitter Rinus VeeKay was 20th for this session.

All eyes turn to the skies now to see what kind of race we will have tomorrow. The rain looks to be scattered, which will make for interesting strategy. This race will be intriguing if it is run in completely dry conditions.

The top 13:

VeeKay Takes Pole in Youthful Fast Six

thepitwindow

Photo: Kyle McInnes

Rinus VeeKay tok the pole for tomorrow’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama with a lap of 1:06.25. Pato O’Ward, last year’s polke winner, will join VeeKay on the front row. O’Ward was 0.15 seconds slower than VeeKay.

Alex Palou, 2021 race winner and series champion, will start third, the same position he won the rac from last year. Scott McLaughlin, Alexander Rossi, and Felix Rosenqvist round out the first three rows.

As startling as the names in the Fast Six were, equally shocking was who was not in it. Scott Dixon missed the Fast Six at Barber for the first time. He will start 13th. Power had been in the Fast Six nine times in the 11 races here, will start 19th. Josef Newgarden will start seventh and Colton Herta 10th. Romain Grosjean will start eighth.

Colton Herta waited a bit too long to make his final run in the round of 12. That session ended early when Marcus Ericsson went off track and brought out the red flag with 25 seconds left.

The results set up a Fast Six with drivers who had 16 poles between them and an average age of 26 years.

In the Fast Six, VeeKay was the last car on track and nipped O’Ward at the line. The pole was VeeKay’s second career pole. The first came aqt the 2020 Harvest Classic Race 1 at IMS.

Notes

Veekay is the fourth different pole winner and ECR is the fourth different team to win a pole in 2022. Pole winners have won two of the three races this season.

Chevy has been quite strong this year. The manufacturer has three poles and has won the first three races of 2022.

How good are rookies Callum Ilott and Kyle Kirkwood? Ilott will nstart b11th and Kirkwood lines up 21st, but people were disappointed that neither advanced further today.

David Malukas continues to struggle. He has had wall contact every weekend this season.

Kudos to Alexander Rossi’s team and others from Andretti Autosport for getting the 27 car back together after after the big crash this morning. Rossi rewarded them as the onlky Andretti car to make the Fast Six.

Will rain affect the brace tomorrow? The latest radar looks as if there will be rain this afternoon, possibly during the final practice session later today.

Tomorrow’s forecast as of 2:50 pm Central calls for a 46-48 % chance of rain during race time tomorrow, with a better chance for in the hours leading up to the noon start.

Results:

1. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.2507 (124.980 mph)
2. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:06.4003 (124.698)
3. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:06.4415 (124.621)
4. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:06.4967 (124.517)
5. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:06.5549 (124.409)
6. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:06.6410 (124.248)
7. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:06.3348 (124.821)
8. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:06.3820 (124.733)
9. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:06.6339 (124.261)
10. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:06.7295 (124.083)
11. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 01:07.2000 (123.214)
12. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:07.3561 (122.929)
13. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:06.5142 (124.485)
14. (30) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:06.7462 (124.052)
15. (45) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:06.6511 (124.229)
16. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:06.8138 (123.926)
17. (51) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:06.7541 (124.037)
18. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:06.8898 (123.786)
19. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:06.7775 (123.994)
20. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:07.0242 (123.537)
21. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, Chevrolet, 01:06.8213 (123.913)
22. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:07.0350 (123.518)
23. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:07.6869 (122.328)
24. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:07.1052 (123.388)
25. (11) Tatiana Calderon, Chevrolet, 01:07.9248 (121.900)
26. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:09.0075 (119.987) 
 

VeeKay Leads Disjointed Practice; Rossi Crashes

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Photo by Kyle McIness

Rinus VeeKay took second practice honors with a lap of 1:05.9284. The Ed Carpenter Racing driver was the only one with a lap under 1:06 in the final practice before qualifying for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Pato O’Ward was close with a quick circuit of 1:06.0136.

Twqo red flags interrupted the round and brought Indycar’s new time policy into play. Alexander Rossi spun as he entered the front strecth and and backed in to the guard rail, sustaining heavy damage to the rear of the car. the attenuator cut the right front tire of Helio Castroneves’ car. Rossi was running fifth at the time. With no chance to improve his time, he ended 20th. The red flag lasted 15 minutes, which used up the extra time allotted for completing a practice session.

The clock stopped at first, then began running again before the green flag waved again.

With about 12 minutes left Will Power hit a kerb, slid into the gravel and stalled in the turn 8-9 area. The green returned with seven minutes left.

Romain Grosjean and Josef Newgarden also had off track excursions and were able to continue.

Notes

Scott McLaughlin continues to be the fastest Team Penske driver. McLaughlin was fourth this morning. Josef Newgarden was 11th and Power 16th.

Callum Ilott was again the top rookie with another top ten run, in ninth

Seven teams had drivers in the top 10.

The teams that tested at barber three weeks ago have had the best results in the two sessions.

Qualifying begins at Noon Central time on Peacock.

Results-Top 13

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Barber Qualifying Could Determine Race Outcome

thepitwindow

Today’s Schedule: All Times Centrtal

Saturday, April 30

  • Gates open 7:30AM
  • Radical Cup Race #2 8:00 – 8:45AM
  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 9:00 – 10:00 AM Peacock
  • USF 2000 (Q2) 10:15 – 10:45AM
  • INDY LIGHTS (Q) 11:00 – 11:30AM
  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying/Firestone Fast 6 12:00 – 1:15 PM Peacock
  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Autograph Session 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
  • Indy Pro 2000 Race #1 1:30 – 2:20PM
  • INDY LIGHTS (Final Practice) 2:35 – 3:05PM
  • USF 2000 Race #1 3:20 – 4:05PM
  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES (Final Practice) 4:20 – 4:50 PM Peacock
  • Radical Cup Race #3 5:05 – 5:50PM
  • Indy Pro 2000 (Q2) 6:05 – 6:30PM

Today’s qualifying carries a lot of importance. Will Power won the race from ninth place in 2012. That is the lowest starting position of a race winner here.

The teams that tested here, mainly Ganassi and Andretti, were strongest in practice yesterday. The teams that didn’t test, namely Team Penske did not fare so well yesterday except for Scott McLaughlin, who was fifth in Friday’s practice. Will Power admitted to being nervous about the team’s chances for qualifying.

It is never wise to put too much stock in a weekend’s first practice. Cars have not had a chance to try out the alternate red tires yet. Some cars perform differently on reds. Certain drivers are becoming Friday stars who fade fast when the sun comes up again.

There is also a slight chance of rain today. Qualifying should be fine. The best chance for rain is between 2 pm and 6 pm. Rain could affect the final Indy Lights and Indycar practices. The rain chance at 2 pm is 50%. Qualifying should be fine, but we’ll probably see rain tires ready on pit road.

There is a 50% chance of rain Sunday. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted, which would make the race a lot more interesting.

Here is the full practice sheet from yesterday:

Notes

I was sad to see that some land on the approach road to the track is for sale and that cutting of trees has already begun. Barber has one of the prettiest approaches to the main gate of any track.

Scott McLaughlin has the weekend’s best livery.

Scott Dixon will make his 292nd consecutive Indycar start Sunday, the second longest streak in Indycar history.

Marcus Ericsson will start his 50th Indycar race.

Herta Quickest in Barber Practice 1

thepitwindow

Photo by Kyle McInnes

Colton Herta led the first practice session for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Andretti Autosport put three drivers in the top six. Alexander Rossi finished third and Romain Grosjean was fourth.

Defending race winner and series champion Alex Palou was second and Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon was sixth. Marcus Ericsson put a third Gaanssi car in top ten with the ninth fastest time.

Scott McLaughlin was the only Team Penske car in the top 10 in fifth place.

Pato O’Ward, the 2021 Barber pole sitter was seventh.

Rookie Callum Ilott had the eighth fastest time,

The session ran uninterrupted.

Callum Ilott

The top 13

Notes

The crowd seemed smaller than atypical Friday Barber crowd. I find that odd since the track declared tomorrow and Sunday sellouts.

The Fan Zone appeared to be the most robust in several years. There are a lot of vendors and expanded food choices.

Danial Frost led the Indy Lights practice session with a time of 1: 12.6511. Matthew Brabham, winner of the first race at St. Pete, was sixth.

A chance of rain looms for qualifying tomorrow and a better chance of precipitation is possible Sunday.

It was nice see flowers in bloom at Barber again.