Category: Auto Racing

Quick Thoughts- Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix

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Lets’ start with the positives.

Alex Palou put on a clinic today. He drove a masterful race, aided by great pit strategy, and perfect pit execution. Palou has won three of the first four races and finished second in the fourth. He enters the IMS races with a 61 point lead over Christian Lundgaard.

Lundgaard has suddenly become the leader at Arrow McLaren. His second place today is his third straight podium finish. I would not count him out of standing on the top step of the platform one time before June. Lundgaard is the only driver with a shot at possibly catching Palou.

If Rinus VeeKay isn’t a unanimous pick for Driver of the Day, there just wasn’t a winner today. The Netherlands driver backed up his Fast Six from Saturday with a fourth place finish, one spot higher than where he started the race. He has done well at Barber, but to drive a Dale Coyne Racing machine to such heights is an accomplishment.

VeeKay finished just 0.33 of a second behind third place Scott McLaughlin.

Today’s race saw some of the best racing of the year with some battles in the top 10.

The best news of the weekend- I heard that Barber will be run in April in 2026, where it rightly belongs.

Now for the rest of the day:

FOX showed more improvement during the broadcast, but some key items are still lacking. I don’t know why there is still no pit timer. There were several bad pit stops, which they covered, but how much time was lost? I would like to know. This information will be essential during the Indianapolis 500 in three weeks.

Once again there was no pass for the lead, or even a fight for the top spot. While there were some great battles, it was evident that passing is very difficult. Is the hybrid really holding back the racing that much? I would hate to see a processional 500 like we had in the late 2000s.

All four races in 2025 have had a sameness to them. They have been mostly processional with pit strategies being the one intriguing thing about them. That is great for the hard core fan, but it isn’t going to lure new fans in. Perhaps it’s the lack of yellows, 339 consecutive laps of green flag, which is another thing altogether, or perhaps it is the drag of the hybrid.

Thanks for following along this weekend. Tomorrow I start covering the month of May. It’s hard to believe there is another race in just six days.

Results

Barber Qualifymg Wrap Up

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New blood in the Top 12, but the Gast Six ended with the same old faces at the top.

Louis Foster, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson, and Marcus Armstrong made it into Round 2, but the Fast Six looked pretty much the same. Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, Colton Herta, and Alex Palou battled for the pole. In the end, Palou won his first pole of the year, edging McLaughlin and Herta. For Power, it was his first trip out of round 1 this season. Siegel earned his first career Fast Six, and Rinus VeeKay gave Dale Coyne a rare appearance in the final round.

FOX improved their qualifying coverage by adding the deltas to sixth and first to the scoring chart. Fans have been clamoring for this all season. It added to the drama, especially in the last two minutes of each session.

Results

INDYCAR Announces Race Tire Rule Update for Sonsio Grand Prix

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    Firestone alternate tire

    From IndyCar. An interesting rule change for next weekend.

    INDYCAR has announced an update to the race tire usage requirements for the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, May 10.

    For the race, teams will be required to use:

    • Two sets of alternate compound tires (one more than previously required)
    • Two sets of primary compound tires (one more than previously required)

    There are no requirements in terms of new (sticker) sets of tires used in the race. The two completed laps needed to satisfy the tire requirement rule, where one (1) lap must begin once the Green Flag has been displayed to the Race Leader (Rule 15.3.3.2.3.) for each of the four sets (Rule 15.3.3.2.) remains in effect.

    The update strives to ensure an all-out, driving on the limit, thrilling and entertaining product for fans and generate even more strategic challenges for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. Additionally – working with Firestone – the current, standard event weekend road and street circuit tire allocation that began this season (five sets of primaries and five sets of alternates) was contemplated with this tire requirement format option in mind. The tire allocation for the IMS road course, the only two-day road and street circuit event on the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, remains unchanged at five sets of primaries and four sets of alternates.

    “INDYCAR is continually looking into ways to improve an already extraordinary on-track product,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “Firestone is a terrific partner, and their higher degradation alternate tire has given strategists plenty to think about on road and street circuits this year. We expect this update will challenge teams and drivers even more.”

    In an additional move to ensure more robust on-track activity during the Sonsio Grand Prix event, Practice 2 on the IMS road course will be adjusted from a limited green flag guarantee of 45 minutes to 35.

    Following the event on the IMS road course, INDYCAR will review both updated procedures and evaluate its use for future races.

    Coverage of the Sonsio Grand Prix, round five of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, begins at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10 on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The first practice of the weekend is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, May 9 and can be seen on FS2.

    The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on Sunday, May 4. Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

    Saturday at Barber

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    Today’s Schedule: All on FS1 Times Eastern

    10 am IndyNXT Practice

    11:30 am IndyCar Practice (45 minutes guaranteed)

    1:30 pm IndyNXT Qualifying

    2:30 pm IndyCar Qualifying

    Practices will likely be dry, but a good chance of rain and possibly thunderstorms is in the forecast for this afternoon’s qualifying sessions.

    If qualifying is cancelled, the grid will be set by points standings. I would rather see a wet qualifying than a set by rule grid.

    For weather updates, check @Indycar_Wxman on X.

    Practice 1 Complete- Lots of Pole Contenders, Weather Permitting

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    The first practice for the Grand Prix of Alabama was another strong showing for the Andretti team, with Marcus Ericsson the fastest and Colton Herta third. Alex Palou and Team Penske are not far behind, and the way qualifying groups fall could determine how everything shakes out.

    Team Penske put all three cars in the top 10. Will Power led the team in fourth.

    The X factor tomorrow will be the weather. Rain is expected at times Saturday, and is likely during IndyCar qualifying.

    Results

    Barber Preview

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    Today’s Schedule: Times are Eastern

    IndyNXT Practice- 2:30 pm FS2

    IndyCar practice 3:30 pm FS2 * New format- 40 minutes all cars then 2 groups for 12 minutes.

    The calendar says May, but the IndyCar schedule says Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. I’m not a fan of this scheduling, but as Juan Pablo Montoya would say, “It is what it is.”

    Barber, known for its beautiful landscaping and whimsical artworks, is one of my favorite tracks to visit. I will not be making the trip this year, however. Since my first trip to Alabama in 2012, I have only missed two other events there.

    While it would be easy to overlook this weekend’s race in anticipation of IMS, Sunday’s race is important. The hybrid makes its Barber debut, tires are still a concern, and there is the shape of the championship at the end of the day. Rain may be a factor during qualifying as well. The race looks dry for now.

    From Earlier this week

    Shelby American- Book Review

    I think we have a good idea of how the hybrid will work here. I don’t think it will be much of a factor. The track offers few passing opportunities, and we haven’t seen much passing this season so far.

    Only one driver, Kyle Kirkwood, is within a full race of points leader Alex Palou. A Palou victory will give him a full race lead over the entire field. Palou may win one of the next three races, but I don’t think he wins this weekend.

    Team Penske owns this track, with nine wins in the `14 races, and I think Scott McLaughlin will continue his recent mastery this weekend. Mclaughlin has won the last two years, and I believe he will take his third straight here. i don’t see his triple as an omen for Palou to win his third straight IMS road course race, or for Josef Newgarden going three in a row in the 500. In fact, I think McLaughlin will be the only three -peater after the checkered flag falls on May 25.

    Next Year’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding Event Dates Set for Feb. 27 to March 1, 2026

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    From GP St. Pete:

    Members of the City of St. Petersburg Council affirm 2026 race days at today’s meeting
    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (May. 1, 2025) – Green Savoree Racing Promotions and INDYCAR officials confirmed today that next year’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is slated for Feb. 27 – March 1, 2026. The dates were approved unanimously via a resolution at the City of St. Petersburg City Council meeting held earlier today.
    “The 2025 event was another tremendous success with record crowds across the three days. After consulting with the City of St. Petersburg staff and multiple stakeholders, INDYCAR and our Green Savoree Racing Promotions teams agree continuing this great downtown tradition on similar dates is optimal,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. “We look forward to planning for and hosting the Grand Prix on the same weekend in 2026!”
    Three-time INDYCAR champion Alex Palou won for the first time in his career on the streets of St. Petersburg back on March 2nd. Round four of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season is this weekend in Birmingham, Ala. at Barber Motorsports Park. Tickets for the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding will go on sale in the fall. Ongoing event updates will be posted at gpstpete.com.
    About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding:The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The 2025 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding aired live on a national broadcast on FOX on March 2. FOX Sports named the race one of its “50 Events You Can’t Miss in 2025.” The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration that uses the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runway at Albert Whitted Airport, and borders the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 4-6, 2025), Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (July 18-20, 2025) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 8-10, 2025).
    For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @GPSTPETE or follow the event on X at @GPSTPETE and Instagram at @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.