“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.
Who wouldn’t take Dixon’s stat line at the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course? Nine podium finishes in 13 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 eight races. Team Penske teammate Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske 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:
- Scott Dixon became the second winner in as many NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season as he earned his 57th career victory April 21 at Long Beach. Dixon leads Colton Herta – who has recorded back-to-back podium finishes – by two 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 powered by AmFirst will be the 14th 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.
| ACTIVE RACE WINNER | WINS | SEASONS |
| Josef Newgarden | 3 | 2015, 2017, 2018 |
| Will Power | 2 | 2011, 2012 |
| Scott McLaughlin | 1 | 2023 |
| Pato O’Ward | 1 | 2022 |
| Alex Palou | 1 | 2021 |
- 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 |
| Romain Grosjean | 1 | 2023 |
| Rinus VeeKay | 1 | 2022 |
| Pato O’Ward | 1 | 2021 |
| Josef Newgarden | 1 | 2018 |
- Scott Dixon has finished on the podium in nine of his 13 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 seven wins at Barber Motorsports Park (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023). Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Arrow McLaren have also won at the track. Andretti Global 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 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 215, Josef Newgarden 141, Rinus VeeKay 58, Alex Palou 60, Romain Grosjean 57, Scott Dixon 46, Pato O’Ward 52, Graham Rahal 25, Scott McLaughlin 24 and Alexander Rossi 3.
- Five NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Tom Blomqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Théo Pourchaire, Christian Rasmussen and Kyffin Simpson – are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time alongside veteran driver Pietro Fittipaldi, also making his first Barber start.
- Milestones: Romain Grosjean will attempt to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 324th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:
- INDY NXT by Firestone resumes its 2024 season this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Nolan Siegel led every lap to win the season opener at St. Petersburg but will face an equally tough test at Barber. Siegel and his HMD Motorsports teammates should enter with confidence as the team has won the last four INDY NXT by Firestone races at the 2.3-mile road course.
- The 21-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 19 last season. While none of the current field of drivers has won an INDY NXT by Firestone race at Barber, four drivers – Reece Gold, Myles Rowe, Nolan Siegel and Yuven Sundaramoorthy – have visited victory lane at the picturesque road course in development series.
- The 2024 season features a deep and talented field with INDY NXT race winners such as Nolan Siegel, Louis Foster and Reece Gold joining a promising rookie class that includes Myles Rowe (2023 USF Pro 2000 champ), Callum Hedge (2023 Formula Regionals America champion), Michael d’Orlando (2022 USF2000 champion) and Caio Collet (Formula 3 race winner/Nissan Formula E reserve driver). Other contenders include returning drivers Jacob Abel, Josh Pierson, James Roe and Jamie Chadwick.
- For the second consecutive season, INDY NXT by Firestone has added a new team. Miller Vinatieri Motorsports – co-owned by former INDYCAR SERIES competitor Dr. Jack Miller and former NFL standout Adam Vinatieri – debuted at St. Petersburg with driver Jack William Miller.
- 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.