Tag: Barber Motorsports Park

Quick Thoughts- Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix

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Another race. another Alex Palou smackdown. Similar to his easy victory at St. Pete, Palou beat Christian Lundgaard to the line by 13 seconds. Despite the wide margin at the finish, the story was nearly different.

“Incredible day,” Palou said. “I told you qualifying was one of the best car balances I’ve ever driven. Today in the race, it was pretty good in the beginning, really good at the end, but we suffered a little bit on the used blacks (Firestone Firehawk primary tires) that we had to use.

“Another win here. Love this place, love the fans. What a great day.”

Christian Lundgaard took the lead when Palou made his final stop. He pushed to create a large enough gap to stay ahead when he had to pit and was nearly there. A slow right wheel tire exchange cost him nine extra seconds in the pits. It was enough to allow Palou to coast to the victory. Lundgaard recovered to take second, passing Graham Rahal with three laps to go.

Lundgaard said after the race that he believed he had the pace to get by Palou.

It was a great day for Rahal, who earned his first podium since August 2023 at the Indianapolis Road course. RLL has been making progress with the 15 car this season, and the podium signals more good things to come for this team.

Overall, today’s race was the first real clunker of the season. There was very little passing. The race ran caution free for the second straight year.

Kirkwood Keeps Points Lead

Kyle Kirkwood maintained his points lead, but just barely. He is ahead of Palou by only2 points with his fifth place at Barber. Kirkwood is the most consistent driver of 20206 with four finishes inion the top five, including a win and a second place.

Kirkw3ood has won Long Beach, the next race, twice, including last year from pole. We could have a real points battle this season.

Watch Out For

Christian Lundgaard is beginning to make some noise. He now sits in third in the standings, 35 points behind Kirkwood. Lundgaard has finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 13th, and 7th. He may end up as McLaren’s number one driver this year.

David Malukas continues to be the bright light for Team Penske. His fourth place today put5s him in fourth place, just five points behind Lundgaard. Josef Newgarden started ninth and finished 10th. Scott McLaughlin started 14th after his practice crash Saturday, but struggled to a 16th place result.

Streaks broken– The run of a different winner every race came to an end with Palou’s second win of 2026. Sting Ray Robb finished 22nd after coming home 21st in each of the first three races. So close.

The FOX Conundrum

The booth talent and pit reporters are outstanding. The features production is professional and interesting. Their tribute to George Barber was outstanding.

However, their coverage of the sport, the showcase of the broadcasts is still woefully behind the positive aspects, especially on race day.

A pass for second place was missed early in the race. At one it seemed if there was a commercial break just two laps after a break.

I don’t like the top of screen features during action, especially while pit stops take place. If you want to talk about a musician, do it in the pre-race.

In Friday’s IndyNXT practice, sector times were shown on screen for the first time, never to be seen again. Sector times will very much enhance qualifying.

End of rant.

After four races in five weeks, IndyCar returns to action in three weeks, April 19, at long Beach.

Palou Takes Pole on Crazy Day at Barber

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Scott McLaughlin’s morning accident set the tone for a wild day at Barber Motorsports Park. Prior to IndyCar qualifying, The IndyNXT race saw the two leaders crash while battling for first place, and Nikita Johnson winning his second race of the year.

In the first round of qualifying Will Power lost his brakes entering turn 5 and went nose first into the barrier. Power was not injured, but he will again start at the rear of field. Power has had a difficult beginning in phase two of his career. Since he joined Andretti, Power has had some form of contact every weekend.

In a fierce, competitive qualifying session, Alex Palou won the pole position. he edged David Malukas by 11 hundredths of a second. Points leader Kyle Kirkwood will start fifth.

“Honestly, one of the best cars I’ve driven,” Palou said. “This morning (in practice) I already felt the car was really, really good, really well balanced. We just wanted to start up front, capitalize on a really good car we had today and see for tomorrow. Really happy to get our first pole this year.”

Graham Rahal will start third, Marcus Armstrong rolls off fourth, and Romain Grosjean will start from sixth.

Grosjean had a great lap going in Round 1 until he was impeded by Sting Ray Robb. Grosjean still advanced, while Robb lost his two best laps to that point.

McLaughlin’s crew got his backup car ready. he finished seventh in his group and will start 14th tomorrow.

Notes

IndyCar’s competitiveness was on full display with six teams reaching the Fast Six, and a seventh team starting seventh.

Palou is the fourth different driver to take pole in four races in 2026.

It was a great day for the AMR Safety team and all who helped implement the safety innovations on these race cars. Two drivers escaped serious injuries this afternoon thanks to car’s design.

Of the seven different teams will grid in the first three and a half rows, McLaren is conspicuously missing.

Results

Scotty’s Wild Odyssey; Barber Qualifying Groups and P2 Results

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After a scary crash in turn 1 by Scott McLaughlin, IndyCar qualifying is still scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm Eastern time on FS1. Mclaughlin spun in turn and went rear first through the turn 2 barrier. Yes, though. Not contact. Not hit. Through.

I have seen many spins in that area over the years, but never has a car gone through the the barrier there. The closest call I had seen was a Mazda MX=5 car which smacked the barrier hard enough to destroy the car, but it never penetrated the fence and tires.

Qualifying Groups

Practice 2 results

McLaughlin leads Barber Practice 1

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Photo from Penske Entertainment

Scott McLaughlin led the first practice for the Grand prix of Alabama this afternoon, narrowly edging points leader Kyle Kirkwood by 0.0288 seconds.

“Pretty good start for us on the Odyssey Battery Chevy,” McLaughlin said. “We were all strong, which is a good sign for the team. We’ve done a lot of hard work in the offseason to figure out where we can be better. We’ve still got a lot to learn and be better and stronger.

“Overall, a pretty good start for us. Bring on tomorrow.”

The top five included two Team Penske cars, two entries from Arrow McLaren, and one from Andretti. Alex Palou was the fastest Ganassi car in seventh.

Alexander Rossi caused a red flag when a fueling issue caused him to pull off to the side of the track and stop.

Practice 2 is at 11 am Eastern, and qualifying begins at 2:30 pm Eastern. Both sessions are on FS1.

Results

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst Fast Facts  

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Race weekend: Friday, March 27-Sunday, March 29

Track: Barber Motorsports Park, a 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course (clockwise) in Birmingham, Alabama

Media Links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | INDY NXT by Firestone Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF) | Weekend Event Schedule (PDF)

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 90 laps / 207 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: Race 1 – 35 laps / 80.5 miles / 55 minutes; Race 2 – 30 laps / 69 miles / 50 minutes.

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum single duration of 20 seconds. Push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 65 seconds of total time.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 385 kilojoules (kj) per lap

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary (hard) and five sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires in the first practice session. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.

INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend, with one new set used for qualifying and another new set used during one of the two races. Qualifying tires must be used during one of the two races. Two carryover sets from the Arlington race may be used during the first practice.
Twitter: @BarberMotorPark @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #IndyCar
Instagram: @BarberMotorPark, @INDYCAR, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @BarberMotorsportsPark, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.indyalabama.com
NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com |
 INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com

2025 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIESAlex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda)INDY NXT by Firestone
Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global)
2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda), 1 minute, 7.2918 seconds, 123.046 mph
2025 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global) 1:12.7705, 113.782 mph

Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESPato O’Ward, 1:05.5019, 126.409 mph, April 17, 2021 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)INDY NXT by FirestoneChristian Rasmussen, 1:10:7371, 117.053 mph, April 2
9, 2023

FOX Sports telecasts: 
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 3:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup show/final practice, 10 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1; Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. |
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 2:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 10 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race 1, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race 2, 11 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Michael Young, Alex Wollf and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.



At-track schedule (All Times Local/Central Time)
:Friday, March 27
1:30-2:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS2 (Live)
2:35-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS2 (Live)
Saturday, March 28
9-9:30 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two groups, 10-minutes each), FS2 (Live)
10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS1 (Live)
12:01 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1
“Drivers, start your engines”12:06 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1 (35 laps/80.5 miles/55 minutes), FS1 (Live).
1:35-3 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (Live)

Sunday, March 29
9:05-9:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (Live)
10 a.m. – FS1 on air
10:03 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”
10:09 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 (30 laps/69 miles/50 minutes), FS1 (Live).
Noon – FOX on air
12:10 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
12:17 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (90 laps / 207 miles), FOX (Live)‘

WHAT TO LOOK FOR’ AT BARBER:
March Madness rolls on: This weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park represents the fourth series race in the past 29 days this month, which is noteworthy. It’s been 50-plus years since the series was this active in March, and in the past decade, only the month of July has hosted as many events in different locations. This weekend also offers another opportunity to add to the competitive balance of the 25-car field. So far, three drivers representing three different teams have won races, and there is every reason to believe the run of new winners to open the season can continue.
Dixon Needs a Barber: It can be argued that Scott Dixon is the most successful NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver in Barber Motorsports Park history, yet he doesn’t have a win to show for it. Dixon’s stat line at the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course is impressive: Nine podium finishes in 15 starts, including six runner-up finishes. That’s impressive by any measure. But he still would like to win at the track and score his first victory of the season.
The Captain’s Table: As for reaching the top step of the podium in Birmingham, Alabama, Scott McLaughlin and Alex Palou have been the track’s recent masters, each winning two of the last five races. In fact, Barber has been a Team Penske kind of place. Josef Newgarden has won three of the past 10 races, while Andretti Global’s Will Power has won two races while driving for Penske. Power is a four-time NTT P1 Award winner at Barber with Penske, part of the record 71 poles he has scored in his career.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who won the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15, is the series points leader for the first time in his career. His margin over four-time series champion Alex Palou is 26 points. Further proof of the young season’s competitive balance is the overall point separation. The top eight drivers are separated by less than 50 points. Last year, only three drivers were within that spread after three races as Palou won twice and finished second in the other.
The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix will be the 16th NTT INDYCAR SERIES event conducted at Barber Motorsports Park. Active race winners who are expected to compete are: Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin.
Scott Dixon has finished on the podium in nine of his 15 previous starts at Barber Motorsports Park – including six runner-up finishes – but he has yet to finish on the top step of the podium at the picturesque road circuit
.Three drivers have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Barber Motorsports Park – Scott Dixon, Will Power and Graham Rahal. All are entered this weekend.
Team Penske has eight wins at Barber Motorsports Park (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024). Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing, ECR, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Arrow McLaren have also won at the track. Andretti Autosport won in 2013 and 2014 with Ryan Hunter-Reay. ECR won with Josef Newgarden in 2015, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing won in 2019 with Takuma Sato,
Chip Ganassi Racing won in 2021 and 2025 with Alex Palou and Arrow McLaren won in 2022 with Pato O’Ward.Twenty-two of the 25 drivers entered in the event have competed in NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Barber Motorsports Park.

Twelve entered drivers have led laps: Will Power 216, Alex Palou 153, Josef Newgarden 141, Scott McLaughlin 85, Rinus VeeKay 58, Pato O’Ward 52, Scott Dixon 46, Graham Rahal 25, Santino Ferrucci 14, Marcus Armstong 6, Alexander Rossi 3 and Felix Rosenqvist 1
.Three NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher – are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time. Hauger won the INDY NXT by Firestone race at the track in 2025.

Milestones: Marcus Armstrong will attempt to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 360th consecutive start, the longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history

.INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:INDY NXT by Firestone resumes its 2026 season this weekend with a doubleheader at Barber Motorsports Park. Teenagers Nikita Johnson and Max Taylor have won the first two races of the year but will face an equally tough test with Barber’s twinbill. Taylor and his Andretti Global teammates should enter with confidence as they were among the fastest cars in an offseason series test at the track.
A record 24-car field for the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama doubleheader is expected at Barber Motorsports Park. There were a record 21 cars in 2021. While none of the current field of drivers has won an INDY NXT by Firestone race at Barber, Myles Rowe has visited victory lane at the picturesque road course, winning a USF 2000 Championship race in 2022.Group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits but with a twist for the doubleheader. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions. With 10 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded Race 1 pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). The second-best laps set by each driver in their group will apply to Race 2. One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.