Tag: Children's of Alabama Grand Prix

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

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.

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

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From IndyCar. Look for my preview tomorrow morning.

Race weekend: Friday, May 2-Sunday, May 4
Track: Barber Motorsports Park, a 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course (clockwise) in Birmingham, Alabama
Race distance: 90 laps / 207 miles (NTT INDYCAR SERIES) |
35 laps / 80.5 miles / 55 minutes (INDY NXT by Firestone)
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: 150 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation
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 the race. Two carryover sets from recent testing may be used during practice.
X: @BarberMotorPark @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #IndyCar
Instagram: @BarberMotorPark, @INDYCAR, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @BarberMotorsportsPark, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.indyalabama.com
NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com | 
INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com
2024 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by FirestoneJacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet), 1 minute, 5.9490 seconds, 125.552 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports), 1:11.3507, 116.047
Qualifying records:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Pato 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, April 29, 2023
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 3:30 p.m. ET, Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup, 10 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live); Race, 1:30 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); Practice 2, 10:10 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live);Race, 11:30 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, while guest analyst Tim Cindric will join for the race telecast.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Alex Wollf, Drake York and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst race (1 p.m. ET), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama (11:25 a.m. ET) 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, May 2
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, May 3
9:10-9:55 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, FS1 (Live)
10:30-11:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (Limited green flag guarantee of 45 minutes), FS1 (Live)
12:30-1 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (Two groups, 12-minutes each), 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, May 4
9:02-9:27 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (Live)
10:30 a.m. – FS1 on air
10:31 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama “Drivers, start your engines”
10:36 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1 (Live
)12:30 p.m. – FOX on air
12:40 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
12:47 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (90 laps / 207 miles), FOX (Live)
“WHAT TO LOOK FOR” AT BARBER:
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 14 starts, including six runner-up finishes. That’s impressive by any measure. But he still would like a win at the track and kick off the Month of May with a W.
Penske Perfect: As for reaching the top step of the podium in Birmingham, Alabama, Scott McLaughlin has been the track’s recent master, winning the last two races. In fact, Barber has been a Team Penske kind of place. Josef Newgarden has won three of the past nine races while Team Penske teammate Will Power (No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet) has won two races. Power is a four-time NTT P1 Award winner at Barber, part of the record 70 poles he has scored in his career.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
Kyle Kirkwood became the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner this season not named Alex Palou as he earned his third career win April 13 at Long Beach. Palou finished second and leads Kirkwood by 34 points heading into the critical Month of May, which has more than 150 points on offer over the next four weeks with races at Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix will be the 15th 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.
Six drivers have won the race from the pole – Will Power in 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2013, Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Josef Newgarden in 2018, Takuma Sato in 2019 and Scott McLaughlin in 2024.
Scott Dixon has finished on the podium in nine of his 14 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 Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Arrow McLaren have also won at the track. Andretti Autosport won in 2013 and 2014 with Ryan Hunter-Reay. Ed Carpenter Racing won with Josef Newgarden in 2015, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing won in 2019 with Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing won in 2021 with Alex Palou and Arrow McLaren won in 2022 with Pato O’Ward.Twenty-three of the 27 drivers entered in the event have competed in NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Barber Motorsports Park. Eleven entered drivers have led laps: Will Power 216, Josef Newgarden 141, Scott McLaughlin 82, Rinus VeeKay 58, Alex Palou 72, Pato O’Ward 52, Scott Dixon 46, Graham Rahal 25, Santino Ferrucci 14, Alexander Rossi 3 and Felix Rosenqvist 1.
Three NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman – are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time, as will veteran driver Nolan Siegel.
Milestones: Felix Rosenqvist will attempt to make his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 343rd consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:
INDY NXT by Firestone resumes its 2025 season this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Dennis Hauger led every lap to win the season opener at St. Petersburg but will face an equally tough test at Barber. Hauger and his Andretti Global teammates should enter with confidence as they have been among the fastest cars during this season’s recent testing at Nashville Superspeedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.The 20-car field for the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama is among the largest INDY NXT by Firestone fields at Barber Motorsports Park. There were a record 21 cars last season. 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. 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 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded 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.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.