Category: NTT Indy

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, April 30, 2023) – With equal parts skill and strategy, Scott McLaughlin drove to his first victory of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park.

McLaughlin drove to his fourth career victory in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet by 1.7854 seconds over runner-up and NTT P1 Award winner Romain Grosjean in the No. 28 Delaware Life/DHL Honda. McLaughlin, from New Zealand, is the fourth different winner this season in as many races.

2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year McLaughlin prevailed on a three-pit stop strategy after starting fourth, while Grosjean and Andretti Autosport used a two-stop tactic. The three-stop strategy allowed McLaughlin to go full tilt during stints and avoid worrying about having enough Shell fuel remaining to finish the race, unlike the drivers who made two stops.

“I call it a ‘happy driver strategy,’” McLaughlin said. “I was a lot happier doing that. We went past Grosjean there on a little bit of strategy, and I feel really good about it.”

Reigning series champion Will Power finished third in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet for his first podium position of the season.

Pato O’Ward finished fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, with 2021 series champion Alex Palou rounding out the top five in the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda in the 90-lap race.

The duel between McLaughlin and Grosjean was set up when they each made their final pit stops with less than 30 laps to go. Grosjean got service for the second and final time on Lap 61. McLaughlin made his third and final stop three laps later, exiting the pits just in front of McLaughlin but on cold Firestone tires.

One lap later, Grosjean made a textbook inside-out move to pass McLaughlin for position in the final turn of the 17-turn, 2.3-mile roller coaster of a circuit. Grosjean inherited the lead on Lap 66 when Power made his third and final pit stop.

McLaughlin hounded Grosjean’s gearbox for the next six laps, staying within three- to four-tenths of a second of the Frenchman. Grosjean had used all his push-to-pass by that point, while McLaughlin had some in reserve.

So, when Grosjean went wide in Turn 5 on Lap 72, McLaughlin drove under him and pounded the push-to-pass button to complete the pass and build a gap, never trailing thereafter. The compelling duel for the lead between the two was fierce but stayed clean throughout, unlike the season opener last month in St. Petersburg when they both hit the tire barrier after contact with each other while racing for the lead.

“We’re racers; you just get on with it,” McLaughlin said. “We talked it out man to man (after St. Petersburg), and as far as I’m concerned and he’s concerned, we race hard and fair and press on. No hard feelings between the two of us.”

After losing the lead, Grosjean then had to worry about the hard-charging Power, who sliced a four-second deficit to less than a second over the closing laps. But Power’s softer-but-faster Firestone alternate tires began to wear on the closing laps, and he had to settle for third, 1.4845 seconds behind Grosjean.

Grosjean second finished for the fifth time in his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career as he seeks his first victory.

“It hurts,” said Grosjean, who led a race-high 57 laps. “The three-stop never wins at Barber, but today the pits stayed open. That gave McLaughlin and Power the edge on the three-stop. Look at the two-stop (cars) behind us – 20 seconds behind us. We had an incredible car, drove really well, gave it 100 percent, but we just got unlucky with that yellow.

“Congrats to Scott. He deserved that win.”

The three-stop strategy used by Team Penske for McLaughlin, Power and Josef Newgarden got a boost on Lap 38 when Sting Ray Robb’s No. 51 biohaven Honda stopped at the exit of Turn 9 with an apparent mechanical problem. The pits stayed open until a full-course caution was called for Robb’s crippled car on Lap 39, as leader McLaughlin dipped into the pits for his second stop just before the full-course caution.

McLaughlin will split $10,000 with Team Penske and his chosen charity, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, for his victory as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.

2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson kept the series championship lead by three points over O’Ward, 130-127, after finishing 10th in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The fabled Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13 on the road course and the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28.

Results Sunday of the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (4) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 90, Running
2. (1) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 90, Running
3. (11) Will Power, Chevrolet, 90, Running
4. (3) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 90, Running
5. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 90, Running
6. (6) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 90, Running
7. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 90, Running
8. (10) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 90, Running
9. (8) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 90, Running
10. (13) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 90, Running
11. (26) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 90, Running
12. (12) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 90, Running
13. (15) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 90, Running
14. (14) Colton Herta, Honda, 90, Running
15. (7) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 90, Running
16. (9) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 90, Running
17. (19) Graham Rahal, Honda, 90, Running
18. (16) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 90, Running
19. (17) David Malukas, Honda, 90, Running
20. (27) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 90, Running
21. (21) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 90, Running
22. (25) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 90, Running
23. (18) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 90, Running
24. (24) Jack Harvey, Honda, 90, Running
25. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 90, Running
26. (22) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 90, Running
27. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 36, Mechanical

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 115.019 mph
Time of Race: 1:47:58.9401
Margin of victory: 1.7854 seconds
Cautions: 1 for 3 laps
Lead changes: 7 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Grosjean, Romain 1 – 30
Newgarden, Josef 31 – 36
McLaughlin, Scott 37 – 38
Grosjean, Romain 39 – 59
McLaughlin, Scott 60 – 62
Power, Will 63 – 65
Grosjean, Romain 66 – 71
McLaughlin, Scott 72 – 90

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Ericsson 130, O’Ward 127, Palou 121, McLaughlin 119, Grosjean 115, Newgarden 105, Power 104, Dixon 98, Kirkwood 92, Herta 85, Ilott 80, Lundgaard 77, Malukas 74, Rossi 72, Rosenqvist 66, Rahal 65, Armstrong 62, Canapino 47, VeeKay 47, Pagenaud 45, Castroneves 45, Ferrucci 44, Harvey 43, Daly 38, Robb 37, Pedersen 34, DeFrancesco 33, Ed Carpenter 17, Takuma Sato 5

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, April 30, 2023) – Christian Rasmussen completed his tour de force of Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, winning the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama from the pole position.

Rasmussen led all 35 laps to drive his No. 6 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry to a 1.9983-second victory over rookie teammate Nolan Siegel in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car. It was the third career INDY NXT victory for Rasmussen, who won two races as a series rookie in 2022.

Danish driver Rasmussen also captured the INDYCAR development series’ championship lead by five points over Siegel with the win.

“The HMD boys have just given us an amazing car all weekend,” Rasmussen said. “Right from the get-go in first practice, we were on top, and we just continued that the whole weekend.

“It was pure HMD domination this weekend. I can’t thank them enough. They make me look good out there.”

Toby Sowery rounded out the podium finishers in third in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing. It was Sowery’s first INDY NXT start since 2021, as he was filling in this weekend for regular driver Josh Pierson, who had clashing commitments in the World Endurance Championship sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Sowery’s first podium result since he placed third in 2021 in Detroit was part of HMD Motorsports’ sweep of the top three spots at the finish. But it could have been the top five spots, as HMD teammates Josh Green and Danial Frost collided on the final lap while dueling for fourth place and ended up ninth and 10th, respectively, after Frost was assessed a 30-second post-race penalty for incident responsibility.

That accident elevated rookie Enaam Ahmed to fourth in the No. 47 Rickshaw Rocket car fielded by Cape Motorsports and veteran James Roe to fifth in the No. 29 Topcon machine from Andretti Autosport.

Rasmussen’s march to victory was interrupted only by two full-course caution periods and a red flag.

Series rookie Louis Foster ran off course on Lap 26 and hit the barrier in Turn 9 while running third in the No. 26 Copart/USF Pro Championship car, telling his Andretti Autosport team on the radio that his throttle stuck open. Rasmussen’s three-second lead vanished with that crash.

Race officials halted the race for 11 minutes with a red flag after Foster’s accident to provide more time for track cleanup. On the ensuing restart on Lap 31, Rasmussen powered away and drove to the checkered flag under sunny skies.

Rasmussen was cruising out front on Lap 14 when his 2.7-second lead evaporated due to a collision between the No. 51 Abel Motorsports car of Jacob Abel and the No. 75 Juncos Hollinger Racing machine of Matteo Nannini at the exit of Turn 17.

But Rasmussen pulled away quickly on the restart on Lap 18, stretching his lead to 1.3 seconds after just one lap. From there, he padded his lead by a few tenths of a second each lap around the roller coaster of a 17-turn, 2.3-mile circuit until the second caution period and red flag.

The next race is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (1 p.m. ET, Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR Radio Network).

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, April 30, 2023) – Ahead of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this afternoon at Barber Motorsports Park, INDYCAR and ZOOM Motorsports announced a multiyear extension, which will continue the annual event through 2027.

Since 2010, Barber Motorsports Park has hosted this premier event on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar and is one of the longest running races on the series’ schedule. Barber Motorsports Park is known as the “Augusta of Racing,” a favorite among fans and drivers alike.

The multiyear extension coincides with the new agreement with the entitlement partners of the race, Medical Properties Trust and Children’s of Alabama, which executed a multiyear commitment with ZOOM Motorsports this year.

This extension allows the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix to continue its mission of raising funds for one of the busiest pediatric hospitals in the country, representing a first-of-its-kind philanthropic opportunity for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

“It has been an honor to host this race since 2010 at the world-renowned Barber Motorsports Park,” said Gene Hallman, CEO of ZOOM Motorsports. “The event has become a cornerstone of the Birmingham community, drawing fans from all over the world. We are excited for the future of this event and what it means to Children’s of Alabama.”

“We are pleased the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return to Barber Motorsports Park for years to come,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “For the last 13 years, Barber has been an ideal host and the perfect Southeastern venue to showcase INDYCAR’s bold and brash personality and compelling action. With its unique layout and dramatic features, this beautiful facility is a favorite with our fans and within our paddock. We look forward to growing this meaningful partnership with more thrilling racing and iconic moments.”

Race coverage of the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix starts at 3 p.m. ET today on NBC and Peacock. The INDYCAR Radio Network also will provide coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

About the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix

Medical Properties Trust presents the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Powered by AmFirst, a signature event on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES circuit, is in its 13th year. This year’s event will feature racing with drivers such as Scott Dixon, Romain Grosjean, Josef Newgarden and Helio Castroneves at the world-renowned Barber Motorsports Park from April 28-30. The event generates more than $27 million in economic impact annually, with tickets sold in 50 states and 12 countries. The race is broadcast by NBC nationally and internationally to more than 100 countries. Additional events include Fan Zone, INDY 5K, beer and wine festival, car corral and more. For more information, please visit indyalabama.com.

About INDYCAR

INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, INDY NXT by Firestone. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and reigning “500” winner Marcus Ericsson – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2023 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com. For more information on INDY NXT by Firestone, please visit www.indynxt.com

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA INDY GRAND PRIX
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING REPORT

APRIL 29, 2023

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIES SIX IN THE TOP-10 AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK

• Chevrolet will start two in the top-five, six in the top-10, in Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park.
• 2022’s event winner Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren INDYCAR and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin represented Chevrolet in the Firestone Fast Six.
• All Team Penske and Arrow McLaren INDYCAR Chevrolets transferred from their respective qualifying groups to Segment 2 of the session, along with Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 QUALIFYING RESULT:
POS. DRIVER
3rd Pato O’Ward
4th Scott McLaughlin
7th Josef Newgarden
8th Felix Rosenqvist
9th Rinus VeeKay
10th Alexander Rossi

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“We qualified seventh, which is pretty good. Not where the car should be. I think it’s a pole-winning car quite frankly, so I was certainly disappointed that we weren’t able to realize all of the potential but this crew has been phenomenal this weekend. I think the PPG car is going to be really fast in the race. We’re going to make good use of it, to try and move forward pretty quick, hopefully, and hopefully get another win on the board. That’s our goal.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Overall, pretty good day for the Good Ranchers Chevy. P4 we start tomorrow. I think we’ve got a pretty good car but just didn’t quite have enough for pole. A bit of me, a bit of the car. We’ll find a bit of speed overnight, and hopefully will come out stronger tomorrow. It’s going to be an interesting strategy. Strategy-wise, it’s going to be different with a three-stop, two-stop and who does what.”

Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Not bad. I mean, I was determined to get into the top 12. Still just struggling with a little bit of straight-line speed. Still got to decide what we do with the engine. Obviously, everyone’s at the end of their miles. Some people change, some don’t, so there’s a bit of a discrepancy. You’ve got to think about what might hurt you down the road here. I think we can have a good race from there. It’s not a bad spot. Obviously, I’d like to be up further, but we’ll see what we can do. Hopefully, it’s a bit of a mixed-up strategy race, and we can play the right cards.”

Conor Daly, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“We’re certainly not starting as far back as we were at Long Beach which is helpful! We started racing our way forward in Long Beach so we are looking to do the same here. I do think we have a chance to move forward as was a bit of confusion from one set of tires to another in our qualifying session. We lost a bit of the balance of the car on our second set. Just a shame, it’s very, very tight; very very close. I am happy that Rinus (VeeKay) was able to get a decent qualifying run. Obviously, we need a good race tomorrow. Hopefully, we can work some magic and move forward.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“I am proud of the guys! We have been struggling this weekend, so making it into the Top 10 almost feels like a pole position. This morning I was 20th while pushing hard, but we made a big jump forward. We have a fast car now. Really, our race pace has been good all three races this season, we’ve just had a bunch of bad luck and not had the results. We also haven’t been able to put it together in qualifying, but this time we did! The team worked really hard and it paid off.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“We did some really good changes. I’m just really happy with what we did from practice 2 to qualifying. I mean, we missed it by less than a tenth, so we’re there. We’ve definitely found the lap time we wanted to. From practice to now working on the race car, it’s a different beast with the (tire degradation) and all that. You’ll see guys taking risks on the three-stopper, which ultimately is the quickest. But you can get hosed really easily by a yellow. The last couple of years, it’s been the fuel-save two-stopper, so I expect the Ganassis to be very quick. Obviously, Grosjean, it’s his second pole of the year, so I know he will be right on pace. I think for us, to have a good start, a good clean start. I don’t know what we’re going to do strategy-wise. Obviously, you want to go with the one that will win, so we’re just going to have to see what warmup says in terms of tire degradation from black to red and just play it from there.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“I think there was more potential than that. Looking at Q1, we were pretty strong and Q2, I don’t know, it’s just so sensitive with tire warm-up and I just didn’t really feel like I had it in me or the car. Like, it wasn’t going to come. I did a decent lap but it wasn’t enough. Obviously, I’ve been close in the Fast Six three times in a row, so a bit bummed about that. But, honestly, where we started yesterday, I’m pretty happy to be P8. It’s a good spot, that gives us the fuel-save. Tomorrow, it could be to our advantage. We’re normally pretty good at that. Let’s see, you never know. Not too bad. My team, Arrow McLaren, always does a good job. Unfortunately, we have those weekends sometimes when you roll out, you don’t feel like you’re in it, and I think we did a really good turnaround from yesterday. We’re there. It’s super tight. Really good job from them, and we’ll see where we can end up tomorrow.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“It’s really disappointing. I mean, we thought we had a pretty easy top-six car and made a change there. You’re always so close, you kind of have to adjust to the track and evolution. Just made the wrong change. I think the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevy has been good all weekend. We started our very happy, we’ve been happy all weekend, we just made the wrong decision there. We know what to do for the race. It’s a constantly evolving championship and it’s so tight. You’re looking for hundredths, and so you’re always trying to optimize, and sometimes you take the step in the wrong direction.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Yeah, a lot of positive changes today for free practice two, then we had an issue with the clutch so we didn’t get to run our second set of new tires. So we made some blind changes going into qualifying to where we had a sensor fail. So, now we have a lot of tires. So should make for a fun race tomorrow.”

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Qualifying all wrapped up here at Barber. We’re just trying to figure out what is going to work the best for the race tomorrow. And I feel like we made a slight step in qualifying but we still have a pretty big step to make for the race tomorrow, but just staying focused and trying to figure out exactly what the car needs to go faster and I feel like we’re in a pretty good situation with tires for tomorrow. So hopefully we can try to gain a couple of positions if not more, being very smart with strategy and figuring out a way to move forward tomorrow.”

Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“We start P15 overall. Could be better, could be worse. I felt the car was quite good. We’ve improved a lot. Just missed in one or two areas with it. The field is so tight, that that made the difference. But overall, I’m happy with the progress we’ve been making. Obviously, some others have made a little more progress from yesterday, but we’re heading in the right direction. I think, you know, this is a better track for us. Especially in the race, I think we’ll be all right. Looking forward to tomorrow. A few things to work on overnight. Should be a good one.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“Really happy with the progression, especially from practice to qualifying. We start P22 tomorrow, and we will try to do our race and finish the race we want to.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, April 29, 2023) – Romain Grosjean earned his second NTT P1 Award of the season and the third of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career Saturday, taking the top starting spot for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park.

Grosjean, from France, turned the quickest lap of 1 minute, 5.8396 seconds during the Firestone Fast Six in the No. 28 Delaware Life/DHL Honda fielded by Andretti Autosport. 2021 Barber winner Alex Palou will share the front row with Grosjean after a best lap of 1:05.9130 in the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing.

“I’ve got a hell of a team,” Grosjean said. “We’re doing such a great job this year. The car is awesome, and I have three teammates I can rely on. I went with the setup, the baseline we have, and from the moment we started quali, I knew we had it. I just didn’t want to mess it on the last lap.”

Grosjean will aim for his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in the 90-lap race Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock; 2:30 p.m., INDYCAR Radio Network). But it won’t be easy, especially since Palou has the 2021 victory and a runner-up finish to Pato O’Ward last year in two career starts on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile roller coaster of a road course.

“We’re starting in the best position, but now we’ve got 90 laps to lead,” said Grosjean, 37. “We’ll see tomorrow, but I’m really proud of my guys and really happy with what we’re doing. I was very stressed that session – I don’t know why. I’m too old for this, but I guess I’m not. So, it’s all good.”

Up first Sunday is a 30-minute warmup at noon ET (live on Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Defending race winner Pato O’Ward will start third after his best qualifying lap of 1:05.9382 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Scott McLaughlin will join O’Ward on the second row after a top lap of 1:05.9515 in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon will aim for his first Barber victory from the fifth spot on the grid after his time of 1:06.0723 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the Firestone Fast Six with a lap of 1:06.1601 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda. It was Lundgaard’s best qualifying performance in four races this season for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, as his previous best start was 11th in the season opener last month at St. Petersburg.

Two-time series champion and three-time Barber winner Josef Newgarden was eliminated in the second round of qualifying and will start seventh in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. He missed a spot in the Firestone Fast Six by .0617 of a second.

“I’m frustrated and annoyed, mostly at myself,” Newgarden said. “The car was really phenomenal – there was nothing wrong with our PPG car. It’s disappointing to not transfer. I tried something different on my warmup and it probably wasn’t advised, and now looking back on it, I would do it differently, in hindsight. We’ve got a fast car.”

Newgarden’s teammate and two-time series champion Will Power and this year’s Long Beach race winner, Kyle Kirkwood, also were ousted in the second round. Power will start 11th in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, going off track while pushing late in the session. Kirkwood will start 12th in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda.

Championship leader Marcus Ericsson was eliminated in the first round of qualifying in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, falling .1399 of a second short of advancing to the second round. Ericsson will start 13th.

Qualifying Saturday for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:05.8396 (125.760)
2. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:05.9130 (125.620)
3. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:05.9382 (125.572)
4. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:05.9515 (125.547)
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:06.0723 (125.317)
6. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:06.1601 (125.151)
7. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:05.9603 (125.530)
8. (6) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:06.0930 (125.278)
9. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.1222 (125.223)
10. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 01:06.2091 (125.058)
11. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:06.3790 (124.738)
12. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:06.3963 (124.706)
13. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:05.9207 (125.605)
14. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:06.1850 (125.104)
15. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 01:06.0642 (125.333)
16. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:06.2433 (124.994)
17. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:06.1851 (125.104)
18. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:06.4415 (124.621)
19. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:06.2504 (124.980)
20. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:06.4810 (124.547)
21. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:06.2715 (124.941)
22. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 01:06.5158 (124.482)
23. (51) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 01:06.5925 (124.338)
24. (30) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:06.7181 (124.104)
25. (55) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 01:06.9327 (123.706)
26. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:07.2378 (123.145)
27. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 03:49.1462 (36.134)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, April 29, 2023) – Christian Rasmussen won the pole for the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama on Saturday, leading a train of 13 drivers quicker than the track record at Barber Motorsports Park.

Rasmussen, from Denmark, saved his best lap for last in the frantic, eight-minute session, earning his second career INDY NXT pole with a time of 1 minute, 10.7371 seconds in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry. That lap obliterated the track record of 1:11.5149 set by Linus Lundqvist during qualifying in 2021 on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course.

“It was really just about getting a free lap,” Rasmussen said. “There was so much traffic out there. Very happy and got it strung together at the end, got a free lap. It was enough. That’s part one done. Now we have part two tomorrow, and hopefully we can stay in front.”

The 35-lap race is scheduled for 12:55 p.m. Sunday (live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Rookie Nolan Siegel, quickest in practice Saturday morning, will join Rasmussen on the front row after his best lap of 1:10.8682 in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car. Fellow rookie Louis Foster qualified third at 1:10.9247 in the No. 26 Copart/USF Pro Championship machine fielded by Andretti Autosport.

A top-three starting position has been an essential path to victory at this race. In 17 INDY NXT races at Barber, the winner has come from the first three starting spots. The pole sitter has won 14 times and finished second three times, a good omen for Rasmussen.

“When you look back at history, 14 out of the last 17 races have been won from pole,” Rasmussen said. “We’ll just try to replicate that.”

Veteran Hunter McElrea helped Andretti Autosport lock out the second row of the starting grid by qualifying fourth at 1:11.0690 in the No. 27 Smart Motors car.

Toby Sowery, making his first INDY NXT start since 2021, qualified fifth at 1:11.0836 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car. His teammate Kyffin Simpson rounded out the third row of the grid after his best lap of 1:11.1578 in the No. 21 HMD Motorsports with CGR entry.

Qualifying Saturday for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama INDY NXT by Firestone event on the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (6) Christian Rasmussen, 1:10.7371 (117.053 mph)
2. (39) Nolan Siegel, 1:10.8682 (116.837)
3. (26) Louis Foster, 1:10.9247 (116.744)
4. (27) Hunter McElrea, 1:11.0690 (116.506)
5. (14) Toby Sowery, 1:11.0836 (116.483)
6. (21) Kyffin Simpson, 1:11.1578 (116.361)
7. (76) Reece Gold, 1:11.2148 (116.268)
8. (68) Danial Frost, 1:11.2155 (116.267)
9. (47) Enaam Ahmed, 1:11.2944 (116.138)
10. (29) James Roe, 1:11.3740 (116.009)
11. (3) Josh Green, 1:11.4137 (115.944)
12. (75) Matteo Nannini, 1:11.4623 (115.865)
13. (98) Jagger Jones, 1:11.5003 (115.804)
14. (57) Colin Kaminsky, 1:11.5430 (115.735)
15. (51) Jacob Abel, 1:11.5850 (115.667)
16. (7) Christian Bogle, 1:11.8030 (115.316)
17. (28) Jamie Chadwick, 1:11.9208 (115.127)
18. (99) Ernie Francis Jr., 1:12.0393 (114.937)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Friday, April 28, 2023) – Scott McLaughlin worked through a bit of road rage and found the fast lane during a late-afternoon traffic jam Friday at Barber Motorsports Park, leading the opening practice for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.

McLaughlin turned the best lap late in the session, 1 minute, 6.6610 seconds, in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet. Like most of the 27 drivers in the field, he struggled to find a gap and clean air to let it rip on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course in the closing minutes, experiencing the same frustration as many motorists in freeway rush hour traffic.

“The car feels really good on reds (Firestone alternate tires) and blacks (Firestone primary tires),” New Zealand native McLaughlin said. “It was fixing up a storm out there in the last little bit on the reds. We’re trying to get some laps in, and I was yelling expletives – what do you call it, y’all swearing? – and I was cursing, and I managed to get a lap there. I think we’re in a really good spot, but there’s a lot of racing left to do.

“I was just a bit hot under the collar,” McLaughlin said with a laugh. “I shouldn’t do that!”

Up next is a second practice at noon ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 3 p.m. (both sessions live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). McLaughlin will try to become the first Team Penske driver to win the pole for this race since Josef Newgarden in 2018.

Colton Herta was the second-quickest driver in the 75-minute session at 1:06.8193 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Will Power jumped to third at 1:06.8985 on his final lap in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, a strong recovery from an off-track excursion that saw his car nose into the barriers outside Turn 3 with just 13 minutes left in practice.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon was fourth at 1:06.9345 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. His teammate and series points leader Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five at 1:06.9994.

It should be a tightrope walk without a net to earn a spot in the Firestone Fast Six during NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday, as just .5038 of a second separated the top 10 on the practice time sheets.

A handful of drivers already tested the limits of grip during practice on this rollercoaster of a circuit, with its 80 feet of elevation change per lap. Power, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, defending race winner Pato O’Ward and Jack Harvey all took wild rides through the grass or gravel. Power and Castroneves were the only two to make barrier contact, with mild impact for both.

Long Beach runner-up Romain Grosjean’s session ended after 40 minutes when white smoke poured from the right exhaust pipe of his No. 28 DHL Honda.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA INDY GRAND PRIX
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT
APRIL 28, 2023

TEAM CHEVY TOPS FIRST PRACTICE AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske captured led the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix first practice with his lap of 1:06.6610.
Will Power of Team Penske took the checkered flag for first practice third at Barber Motorsports Park with his late session lap of 1:06.8985, a difference of 0.2375 behind teammate McLaughlin.
Team Chevy had four cars in the top-10 of the Friday afternoon practice session.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Scott McLaughlin
3rd Will Power
7th Josef Newgarden
8th Pato O’Ward

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“The car is in the window, and I’m happy with the balance. There are obviously a few changes that we have to make for it to be a little bit better, but we’re in a good spot to have a good day tomorrow and Sunday.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Not super happy with today. The traffic was an issue, but I don’t think we have a top-six car right now. There’s some stuff to work on, but I’m not too worried about it. We just have to get the balance a bit more in the window and we should be good.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“That’s a good start to the weekend. There were too many cars out there, honestly, but everyone is dealing with it. I feel like we have a great car to have a positive weekend and, hopefully, we can rebound from what’s been a difficult last two events.”

Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“Pretty okay. Finished P14. The tires are a little bit different this year, so we’re trying to find our way around those a little bit. So far, so good. Obviously, more things to fine-tune to help out for tomorrow. We’re doing quite a bit of data. I think tomorrow will be alright. Just need to improve in a couple of areas. All smiles, moving forward.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 GOOD RANCHERS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – First Practice Press Conference Transcript:

SCOTT, NICE START TO THE WEEKEND FOR YOU GUYS.

“Yeah, thanks. Really good day. I feel like we had a really good car. Good Ranchers the first time on the car this weekend. Starting with a P1 is obviously good. It’s practice. For everyone to have a go on blacks, then reds, everyone is showing their cards a little bit. I feel good. I feel like my road course package is really strong. We won Portland, and have been really strong here, in road courses in the past, even at Laguna. I think first road course of the year, so really excited to be back on one.”

IS THERE SOMETHING INNATE ABOUT ROAD COURSES THAT FITS YOUR DRIVING STYLE, FEELS NATURAL TO YOU HERE?

“I think maybe just there’s a little bit less going on. Like, there’s a lot going on, don’t get me wrong. I think from bumps, standpoints of just how physical these cars are, probably on the lesser side. This place is hard on the neck because of the high speed. I really put Barber down to it’s one of the most committed tracks I’ve ever driven on. From a perspective of like racing Supercars at Bathurst, the commitment, laps there, this is a similar level in terms of committing to a lap, trusting what you have underneath you, even if you don’t understand what’s underneath you as well, which is the beauty of INDYCAR. Yeah, very happy with it. Our test translated really nicely. I feel comfortable. But there’s a lot of laps left to go.”

NOW THAT YOU’RE A BIG TV STAR IN AMERICA, HOW NICE IS IT TO BACK THAT UP WITH A P1?

“My wife is not here this weekend. She said, I’ll come if you get pole. So that’s my goal. I really like having my wife at the races. There’s no pressure there. But look, I think it’s just been fantastic, the doco. Obviously, we had me and Josef, Marcus, a pretty big part of that first episode. That’s a lot of pressure. From what I read online, everyone has been pretty welcome to it, thought it was great. I think what’s really cool about the doco is you could watch this racing for years and you understand everything, it kept you captivated. I thought at one place last night I was going to win the race again, but I didn’t. Then you have the normal fan that we’re really trying to target. It really shone a really good light on INDYCAR. I’m sure it’s going to be better and better. They’re filming everything right now. Really excited for what’s ahead for INDYCAR and can’t thank Roger and the team enough for really working hard on this. I think it’s a big step for INDYCAR.”

SCOTT, OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE AT THE TOP OF THE CHART. HOW DID THE STOPPAGES AFFECT YOU TODAY?

“It’s hard because this track is, like I said before, high commitment, you need confidence. Regardless, if I’ve done a heap of laps here in testing or not, it’s all about flow, getting into a rhythm. It’s a bit like playing a guitar or drums, whatever, you want to get into a rhythm of hitting your laps, learning how long the tires take to warm up. It’s hard when they stop and start like that. I was a bit worried there in the middle session. I thought we left our run too late. We did know our car was going to be reasonable, we just wanted to make sure we used the track at the right time. Thankfully came through. It’s tough. I think it would be harder if we hadn’t done the test day here about a month ago.”

OFF OF WHAT WE SAW LAST NIGHT, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT WITH THE MONTH OF MAY COMING UP TO NOT OVERLOOK THIS RACE GIVEN WHAT’S COMING UP?

“This race, it’s very important I think for me especially. At the end of the day we’re showing good speed, but we haven’t capitalized. Our bad races haven’t been bad, bad. We have been edging on a top 10 if not a top 10. I really want to win this race. It would really set us up well for the month, give us a lot of confidence. Not that we’re lacking any, but it would be a nice little pep. I always circle this one on the calendar as a very important one. Get out of here with some solid points and look to what is going to be a pretty long month of May.”

WHICH GOOD RANCHERS BOX DO YOU RECOMMEND?

“I get custom. I have a T-bone, New York strip. Got a little bit of chicken as well. I have to watch my weight. I’m on the heavier side of drivers. You can use my code ‘Scott’ and you can get 25% off. It’s on the interweb, yeah.”

LOOKING FORWARD TO QUALIFYING TOMORROW. ONE LAP ON THE REDS, MAYBE TWO?

“I don’t know. Depends on temps. I think you’ll be wanting to make sure your tires are probably ready for that second lap. If you go a third, I think you might just get it. It will really depend on the competitiveness of the group as well in qualifying.”

I’VE BEEN READING A LOT ABOUT THE NEW WIND DEFLECTOR THERE IS FOR THE RAIN, IF THERE’S A RAIN SITUATION. CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AT ALL?

“I can’t really because I haven’t really run with it. The one thing that’s really good about INDYCAR is they learn from what we’ve learned in the past. Indy GP was our last wet race. We learned we need to deflect some water off the screen. That’s what it’s ultimately going to do. I think we’re going to be constantly learning in that process. It’s a good step. I think it’s going to help. That’s optional, I think. I don’t know enough of it until we get into the wet race. I am sure the studies, the CAD drawings and everything they’ve done in the wind tunnels and whatnot, they’ll be all over it, it will be an improvement. Constantly evolving the screen, a new thing each time, but we’ll see.”

YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT THE COMMITMENT YOU NEED THIS WEEKEND. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW HARD IT’S GOING TO BE TO KEEP YOUR CONCENTRATION ACROSS THE WHOLE RACE? LOOKED A BIT HAIRY OUT THERE A COUPLE TIMES.

“That’s what it is at this track, so many different corners, high-speed stuff, then you have the seven, eight, nine section where you have to use a lot of commitment over curbs and then slow it down. It’s very hard physically on the body. Probably one of the hardest in terms of that. So, fitness-wise you got to be right. Yeah, it depends. If it turns into a fuel race, which it has in the last few years, you’ve got to think about saving fuel but trying to maximize speed as well. There’s a lot to think about around this track. But definitely at the end of Sunday night, you’re mentally drained probably more so than physically, which you are physically as well. It’s pretty crazy. I love racing here, I really do. I think it is one of the best road courses on the calendar. “

HOW DO YOU APPROACH NEXT PRACTICE SESSION WHEN YOU HAVE A FAST CAR? DO YOU GO FOR CHANGES? DO YOU STAY THE WAY IT IS?

“Yeah, that’s a good question. You got to have a bit of a balance on how far you go with the car. But I think the best thing you learn in this session is you have a really good base. You can experiment with a few things. But then ultimately if it doesn’t work, you know you can go back to this race car and be there or abouts. But we’ll make calculated decisions going off of what we learnt from the test as well, where we think the track is going to be. Hopefully, we put it in the sweet spot. We’re going to have to improve. That’s INDYCAR. Overnight, people will find 10ths, half seconds. We have to work hard and make sure we come out flying tomorrow.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Friday, April 28, 2023) – Christian Rasmussen led the opening practice Friday for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama, turning a lap quicker than the series’ track record at Barber Motorsports Park.

Rasmussen, from Denmark, led with a top lap of 1 minute, 11.4618 seconds in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry. That’s quicker than the track-record lap of 1:11.5149 set by Linus Lundqvist during qualifying in 2021. Track records can only be set in qualifying or a race.

“Good start to the weekend with P1 in the first practice,” Rasmussen said. “HMD gave me a great car right off the bat, so hopefully we can continue that over the weekend. Qualifying is going to be super important this weekend. It’s going to be all about that one piece, so that’s going to be our main focus so far.”

History verifies Rasmussen’s focus on qualifying at this 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course. In 17 INDY NXT races at Barber, the pole sitter has won 14 times.

Up next for INDYCAR’s development series is a second practice session at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at 2:20 p.m. (both live on INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network). The 35-lap race is scheduled for 12:55 p.m. Sunday (live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Rasmussen led a sweep by HMD Motorsports of the top four spots in the 45-minute session. Kyffin Simpson was second at 1:11.5705 in the No. 21 HMD Motorsports with CGR car, followed by rookie Nolan Siegel at 1:11.6148 in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR machine.

Toby Sowery returned to the series for the first time since 2021 by recording the fourth-quickest lap of the session, 1:11.7539 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car. Sowery, from Great Britain, won a race in 2019 as an INDY NXT rookie with HMD, also earning six additional podium finishes en route to finishing third in the season standings.

Hunter McElrea rounded out the top five at 1:11.7897 in the No. 27 Smart Motors car fielded by Andretti Autosport.

Danial Frost, winner of the season opener in March at St. Petersburg, endured an up-and-down session. He was the early leader, but his No. 68 HMD Motorsports with DCR car stopped in Turn 9. The car continued, but Frost was forced to pull off track with an apparent mechanical problem for the rest of practice. Frost ended up 10th at 1:12.2058.

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, April 28, 2023) – MMA athlete and philanthropist Dustin Poirier will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, April 30, leading the full field of drivers to the green flag at the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES road course competition of the season.

The live telecast of the race at Barber Motorsports Park will start at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Poirier is the No. 2-ranked competitor in the UFC lightweight category. He is a father, hard worker and dream chaser who’s not afraid to take the road less traveled.

“Dustin will enjoy an action-packed and exhilarating NTT INDYCAR SERIES experience this Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park,” said Penske Entertainment Vice President of Corporate Communications Alex Damron. “He’ll see firsthand that the fight for the podium at one of our events is both exceptionally fierce and extremely thrilling, and we’re honored to welcome him to the track.”

INDYCAR’s Fastest Seat in Sports is a high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. At almost every race on the schedule, the car advances the field of drivers to the start/finish line to signify the beginning of the race, with a special passenger in the guest seat. Previous participants in the Fastest Seat in Sports include Lady Gaga, NBA champions Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, actors Simu Liu and Channing Tatum, and many others.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES represents the ultimate challenge in racing, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a demanding set of ovals and road and street courses. The full schedule can be viewed here.