• Rosenqvist says he’ll “keep knocking on door” in quest for his second career IndyCar win.

• Chip Ganassi Racing legend Scott Dixon looking for first victory at Barber Motorsports Park in 15th attempt.

• Team Penske trio has been dominant force on 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit.

The signs might not point to it at first glance, but NTT IndyCar Series driver Felix Rosenqvist could be on the cusp of a breakout, starting with this weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park.

He’s fourth in the standings.

His No. 60 Sirius Meyer Shank Racing Honda ended up crumpled in the back of the hauler when he finished his most recent visit to the 2.3-mile road course at Birmingham. Rosenqvist hit the Turn 1 wall during an afternoon test session in March.

“It’s just a test,” he said. “Testing is testing, and racing is racing. It’s nothing that really discourages us going into the weekend. We had a similar thing last year [and] it was actually our strongest race of the year. That’s the thing in IndyCar – Things evolve and change all the time: the weather, the track, and the tires, competitors, things just always moving, evolving.

I don’t really think about that test at all, to be honest.”

And Rosenqvist has just one victory (July 2020, Road America) since he entered the series in 2019 and earned Rookie of the Year honors.

But buoyed by the chance to make his 100th start in the series and hoping to build on three straight top-10 finishes, Rosenqvist is confident he can forge all the elements necessary for a championship run.

“I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to go and win Barber,” he said, but allowed that “there’s nothing really saying we couldn’t. I think we’re getting stronger and stronger every race. I think we’re definitely now a podium contender consistently. I think it’s going to come. Just going to keep doing what we’re doing.”

And that conviction comes in part from seeing Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood at Long Beach halt reigning and three-time champion Alex Palou’s domination.

Palou still leads Kirkwood in points by 34, but that doesn’t faze Rosenqvist. Neither does the fact that Team Penske has ruled at Barber—Scott McLaughlin has won the past two races on the picturesque 17-turn circuit, Josef Newgarden has won there three times, and their teammate Will Power has won twice and earned the pole position four times in eight visits (2010-17).

Nor is Rosenqvist intimidated by Scott Dixon, who has nine podium finishes, including six runner-ups; is taking a crack at his 343rd consecutive start, the second-longest streak in series history (behind Mario Andretti’s 407); and longing for a first victory in a 15th start.

“Our approach is if you keep knocking on the door, keep qualifying well, having good race pace, it’s going to come to us—not only a podium, but I think also a win at some point.

We’re not really rushing into getting a big result or anything. We just kind of want to do what we do, improve the little things we can. It’s going to come to us when the moment is there,” Rosenqvist said.

“I think, honestly, every weekend now it seems like we have a good shot at a good result. I think Barber is always a bit of a tricky one. It’s one of those tracks you never really know what you’re going to get when you show up.”

Engineer Ross Bunnell has played a significant role in Rosenqvist’s surge threat.

“If I could only bring one guy to the track with me and the car, I would definitely pick him,” the 33-year-old Swede said, “because he’s not only a great engineer, but he has a very good mechanical knowledge, team-leader knowledge. He knows how to talk to people and to motivate people. He takes no shit. He stands up for himself, stands up for the team, for our car. I like that. He’s a good guy to have in your corner. He has pushed me a lot with his knowledge. We sat down in the winter.”

And he asked Bunnell, “Especially in the races, how do we improve, and can you help us with your experience, especially working with Dixon for many years?”

Rosenqvist said, “He has really pushed us in many areas He kind of has that personality where he wakes up every day and just pushes very hard. He pushes people around him, which has given a lot of results already on our group, which is super-cool. We are kind of just getting started. We’re starting to talk the same language now. There’s always that thing when you have a new engineer, it takes some time to kind of understand what you mean, your mood swings, whatnot. You have to be more like a psychologist more than anything when you’re an engineer. I feel like we’re vibing really good and have a good thing going on.”

His milestone, he said, “kind of brings you back a little bit to when you were a kid and you were dreaming about driving in IndyCar, racing in one of the top leagues of the world. Now, it’s been like a fast-forward – 100 is a big number. That’s a lot of hours in the car (smiling). No, it’s cool. It’s nothing that I take for granted. I think it’s literally the coolest job in the world you can have. It’s also nice that I feel actually better than ever in the series, as well. Exciting stuff.

“I think the biggest memories are probably to come,” Rosenqvist said.

And he’s hoping they start this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.

INDY INSIGHTS

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park

Race duration: 90 laps / 207 miles

Push-to-pass parameters: 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.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 385 kilojoules (kj) per lap

Firestone tire allotment: 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.

Noah Gragson Notes

• Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Talladega Superspeedway, Noah Gragson shifts his focus to this weekend’s race at the Texas Motor Speedway. This will be Gragson’s third NASCAR Cup Series start at the Fort Worth, Texas track. In his eight Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile venue, Gragson has one win, three top-five, and four top-10 finishes with an averaging finishing position of 15.3. In the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Gragson has four top-10 finishes at the track.

• Rush Truck Centers returns this weekend in the brand’s third primary race with Gragson and the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team. Cummins also joins Rush Truck Centers this weekend at Texas for the 267-lap race. Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, is comprised of five business segments – Components, Engine, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by their global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. From buses that transport kids to and from school to the trucks that carry essentials, to construction, mining equipment, trains and ships, and critical backup power for places like data centers and hospitals, Cummins powers the future through innovations that make people’s lives better. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy – the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. Learn more at cummins.com.

“Texas is one of my favorite tracks,” said Gragson. “I’ve made a lot of great memories there over the years, and with the momentum this No. 4 team has right now, I feel confident we’ll add to that this weekend. Texas really pushes your racecraft—it’s a tough track. You’re wide open from the exit of Turn 2 all the way through Turns 3 and 4, and the surface is usually hot and slick. It’s easy to get out of the groove and spin in Turns 1 and 2, so you’ve got to be sharp from the start.”

CMS PR

IndyCar Revolutionizes Practice Sessions at Barber Motorsports Park

Revving up the excitement for fans and drivers alike, the IndyCar Series is shaking things up once again. Ahead of the upcoming race at Barber Motorsports Park, a new practice format is set to ignite the track.

In a bold move to inject more action into the practice sessions, IndyCar has decided to tweak the structure of the opening road and street course practices. Teams will no longer have the luxury of sitting idle on pit lane, conserving tires for later use. The aim is clear: more running, more thrill.

The adjustments are as follows: the first phase of the practice session, previously lasting 45 minutes, will now be cut down to an intense 40 minutes. Additionally, the second phase, where drivers engage in qualifying simulations on faster alternate tires, will see an extension from 10-minute segments to a heart-pounding 12 minutes each.

This groundbreaking change was unveiled during a recent meeting between the series officials and team managers. While this modification takes the spotlight, there’s another hot topic on the agenda – tire usage at the upcoming Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Rumors have been circulating about a proposal to ramp up the tire challenge for drivers. The proposal suggests drivers must complete a minimum of two laps on both the primary and alternate tires, on separate occasions. This proposal, if implemented, would double the current requirement and add a new layer of complexity to race strategy.

As the anticipation builds and speculation mounts, all eyes are on the IndyCar Series. Will the tire usage proposal come to fruition at the Indy GP? Only time will tell as the racing world braces for a potential game-changer in the upcoming events.

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.

Hendrick Motorsports celebrated one of its own following Sunday’s surprisingly calm race at Talladega Superspeedway, where Chase Elliott achieved an iconic record.

Chase, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, demonstrated why he remains one of the sport’s most formidable superspeedway talents after storming through the field to grab a Top-5 finish.

Hendrick Motorsports Celebrates Chase Elliott’s Standout Performance

On Sunday, Elliott delivered a standout performance at the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, surging from a 30th-place start to finish fifth. Despite leading only one lap, Elliott’s ability to navigate the pack racing showcased his superspeedway prowess and determination.

While Elliott didn’t end the day in victory lane, his performance did not go unnoticed by his team, Hendrick Motorsports, which praised the driver’s efforts on social media.

Responding to a post by Xfinity Racing that read, “Delivered a top five at ‘Dega. @chaseelliott gained the most spots on Sunday,” Hendrick Motorsports joined in the celebration with a simple yet telling reply, posting two clapping emojis.

The gesture underscored the team’s appreciation for Elliott’s hard-fought performance and highlighted his standout drive through the field at one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable and chaotic tracks.

In a race filled with missed opportunities for others, Elliott’s hard charge was another reason for Hendrick Motorsports to celebrate after three drivers finished in the Top 5, establishing the strength of the Hendrick camp at superspeedways.

Elliott has a strong history at Talladega, including multiple wins, and Sunday’s run only adds to his growing legacy at what is strategically his best track and one of NASCAR’s most iconic venues. Elliott has previously won twice at the 2.66-mile circuit. With his latest achievement, he has further solidified his success at Talladega.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Special Paint Job for Chase Elliott’s Texas Race

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Texas Motor Speedway, Elliott returns to the site of his last victory. He will pilot a special gold No. 9 Chevrolet, celebrating NAPA Auto Parts’ 100th anniversary.

Hendrick Motorsports has a strong history at Texas. Their drivers have combined to win three of the last four at the 1.5-mile quad oval, including Chase Elliott’s first career victory last year.

With the upcoming race at Texas, a track where he has previously succeeded, Elliott aims to end his long winless streak and solidify his position in the playoff standings.​ Currently sitting fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 317 points, Elliott has been consistent, securing six Top-10 finishes in the first ten races of the season.

When it opens its doors in May, the new school will be a first for motorsports in Indianapolis. 

Already operating a school in Italy, the Motorsports Technical Institute will welcome students soon. Rossella Manfrinato, the COO of Motorsports Technical Institute, says the woman-owned and woman-focused school will focus on training people for the more technical side of the sport. With courses in mechanics and data engineering technician, Manfrinato says there is more to racing than driving. “It’s very much a team sport.”

Manfrinato says she shares a love of motorsports with the owner of MTE, Eugenia Capanna. A professional driver and team leader, Capanna started MTE in Italy.  After attending a few events in Indianapolis, Capanna realized there was an opportunity to open a school in the United States and chose Indianapolis as the location.     

Manfrinato says she wants the school to be a place where people who are passionate about the sport can learn about the business and technical sides of the industry. With a hands-on training and mentoring course set, she expects the school to be very popular.