Alabama Indy Grand Prix Sunday April 30

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Fast Facts

Race weekend: Friday, April 28 – Sunday, April 30

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. The 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

Firestone tire allotment (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Six sets primary, four sets alternate. One additional set is available to rookie drivers for use in the Friday afternoon practice session.

Twitter: @BarberMotorPark @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #IndyCar

Instagram: @BarberMotorPark, @INDYCAR, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR

Facebook: @BarberMotorsportsPark, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR

TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @INDYCAR

Event website: http://www.indyalabama.com

NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: http://www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestone website: http://www.indynxt.com

Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR

2022 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet), 1 minute, 6.2507 seconds, 124.980 mph

2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports) 1:12.5713, 114.095 mph

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 Firestone

Linus Lundqvist, 1:11:5149, 115.780 mph, April 16, 2021

NBC Sports race telecast: 3 p.m. ET Sunday, April 30, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.

Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. NBC’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE.

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 Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix race (2:30 p.m. ET), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama (12:45 p.m. ET) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (All Times Local/Central Time):

Friday, April 28

1:40-2:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE

2:40-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock

Saturday, April 29

10-10:45 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE

11 a.m.-noon – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (45 minutes), Peacock

1:20-1:40 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone, INDYCAR LIVE

2-3:15 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock

Sunday, April 30

11-11:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock

11:55 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama “Drivers, start your engines”

Noon – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock.

2 p.m. – NBC on air

2:23 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”

2:30 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (90 laps / 207 miles), NBC (Live)

“WHAT TO LOOK FOR” AT BARBER:

  1. Another young first-time winner? Romain Grosjean could spoil the fun, but the odds point to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ next first-time winner to join Kyle Kirkwood in the under-25 club.

Both David Malukas (21) and Christian Lundgaard (21) already have come close to winning in their young careers, and both are showing indications of a second-year breakthrough along the lines of Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay and Scott McLaughlin in recent seasons.

Marcus Armstrong (22) has impressed in his first two starts with Chip Ganassi Racing, and Armstrong’s former roommate, Callum Ilott (24), also has knocked on the door of a first podium.

  1. 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.

Who wouldn’t take Dixon’s stat line at the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course? Nine podium finishes in 12 races, six times a race runner-up. That’s impressive by any measure.

As for reaching the top step of the podium in Birmingham, Alabama, Josef Newgarden has been the track’s recent master, winning three of the past seven races. 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 68 poles he has scored in his career.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

Kyle Kirkwood became the third winner in as many NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season as he earned his first career victory April 16 at Long Beach. 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson finished on the podium for the second time in three races and leads Pato O’Ward by 15 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 13th NTT INDYCAR SERIES event conducted at Barber Motorsports Park. Active race winners who are expected to compete are: Helio Castroneves, Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER

WINS SEASONS

Josef Newgarden 3 2015, 2017, 2018

Will Power 2 2011, 2012

Pato O’Ward 1 2022

Alex Palou 1 2021

Simon Pagenaud 1 2016

Helio Castroneves 1 2010

Five 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 and Takuma Sato in 2019.
ACTIVE POLE WINNER

POLES SEASONS

Will Power 4 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017

Helio Castroneves 2 2012, 2015

Rinus VeeKay 1 2022

Pato O’Ward 1 2021

Josef Newgarden 1 2018

Simon Pagenaud 1 2016

Scott Dixon has finished on the podium in nine of his 12 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.

Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden or Kyle Kirkwood can solidify their chance at the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge’s $1 million prize by winning at Barber Motorsports Park. Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg) and Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach) have won on street circuits while Newgarden has a win on an oval (Texas Motor Speedway). A win on a road course would make one of them one step closer to earning a $500,000 bonus and a matching $500,000 donation for a chosen charity.

Four drivers have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Barber Motorsports Park – Scott Dixon, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato. All but Sato are entered this season.
Team Penske has six wins at Barber Motorsports Park (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Arrow McLaren are the only other teams to win 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. Ten entered drivers have led laps: Will Power 212, Josef Newgarden 135, Helio Castroneves 93, Simon Pagenaud 87, Rinus VeeKay 58, Alex Palou 60, Scott Dixon 46, Pato O’Ward 52, Graham Rahal 25 and Alexander Rossi
Four NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Marcus Armstrong, Augustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb – are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time.

Milestones: Rinus VeeKay will attempt to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 309th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

INDY NXT by Firestone resumes its 2022 season this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Danial Frost made a late move and held off a pack of challengers to win a wild season opener at St. Petersburg but will face an equally tough test at Barber. Frost and his HMD Motorsports teammates should enter with confidence as the team has won the last three INDY NXT by Firestone races at the 2.3-mile road course.

The 19-car field for the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama is the largest INDY NXT by Firestone field at Barber Motorsports Park. The previous high was 17 in the first race in 2010. While none of the current field of drivers has won an INDY NXT by Firestone race at Barber, four drivers – Jagger Jones, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Hunter McElrea – have visited victory lane at the picturesque road course in ladder series.

The 2023 season features a deep and talented field with INDY NXT race winners such as Frost, Toby Sowery, Hunter McElrea and Christian Rasmussen joining a promising rookie class that includes Jamie Chadwick (three-time W Series champ), Louis Foster (USF Pro 2000 champ), Jagger Jones (USF2000 Rookie of the Year) and rising stars Nolan Siegel and Reece Gold (USF Pro 2000). Other contenders include returning drivers Jacob Abel, Rasmus Lindh, Kyffin Simpson and Ernie Francis Jr.

Two teams with championship pedigree have rejoined the series for 2023. Two-time champions Juncos Hollinger Racing is fielding a pair of cars for rookies Reece Gold and Matteo Naninni. Cape Motorsports – which last fielded a team in the INDY NXT in 2010, is fielding cars for Enaam Ahmed and Jones.
A new qualifying format will place a premium on banking a quick lap around the 1.8-mile street circuit. Teams will have a single 15-minute session with a limited guarantee of eight minutes of green flag running, depending on whichever comes first. If an entry does not set a time, their order will be based on entrant points.

INDYCAR
http://www.indycar.com/
Photos Courtesy of INDYCAR

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