IndyCar Notes: Barber Motorsports Park Facts & Figures

LEEDS, Ala. — 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.

The Chip Ganassi Racing Honda driver will be looking to change that during this weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix.

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. But he still would like a win at the track and kick off the Month of May with a triumph.

PENSKE PERFECT

As for reaching the top step of the podium at the Alabama track, 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.

RACE STOPPER

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.

Other Tidbits

• 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.

• 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 Indy car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time, as will second-year driver Nolan Siegel.

• Felix Rosenqvist will attempt to make his 100th NTT IndyCar Series start, while Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 343rd consecutive start — the second-longest streak in series history.