Alabama GP
Race Information
- Course: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Course Length: 2.366 miles
- Distance: 90 Laps, 207 miles
- Date: April 28th, 2024
- 2023 Winner: Scott McLaughlin
- Course: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Course Length: 2.366 miles
- Distance: 90 Laps, 207 miles
- Date: April 28th, 2024
- 2024 WINNER: Scott McLaughlin
🏆 IndyCar Betting Odds
The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix is the first road course race of the NTT IndyCar Season. It’s held at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s one of the newer races on the IndyCar schedule. The first IndyCar race was held in 2010 and it’s maintained its April or early May spot in every season since.
Currently, Josef Newgarden leads the IndyCar standings, but Scott Dixon and Colton Herta are close behind, intensifying the competition. This rivalry is likely to influence the IndyCar odds.
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🚥 Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park, nestled on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama, is an expansive 880-acre multi-purpose racing facility established by George Barber. It features a 17-turn, 2.38-mile road course designed by Alan Wilson, renowned for its compact layout with multiple elevation changes, making it a prime venue for IndyCar racing. The track, which opened in 2003, is unique in its lack of general-access spectator seating at the start/finish line, offering spectacular views from naturally wooded areas and grass-covered banks along the track instead.
The park also houses the world-renowned Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum, acclaimed by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Largest Motorcycle Museum.” This facility not only serves as a major tourist attraction but also supports numerous motorsport events, including the IndyCar Series, which has become a staple in the IndyCar race schedule. IndyCar drivers face challenging conditions here, especially during the critical qualifying sessions, which significantly influence their standings and strategies for race day.
Additionally, Barber Motorsports Park is equipped with modern facilities like the Paddock building, which includes a media center, race control area, and VIP viewing spaces. It hosts a variety of events year-round, from the North American Porsche Driving School to Mercedes-Benz brand experiences, further cementing its status as a premier motorsport venue often described as “The Augusta National of Motorsports.
IndyCar 2024 Schedule
IndyCar Series:
- 3:40 p.m. ET – Practice 1
IndyCar Series:
- 3:30 p.m. ET – Qualifying
IndyCar Series:
- 1:00 p.m. ET – Race
| POSITION | DRIVER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske |
| 2 | Will Power | Team Penske |
| 3 | Linus Lundqvist | Chip Ganassi |
| 4 | Felix Rosenqvist | Meyer Shank |
| 5 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi |
| 6 | Christian Lundgaard | Rahal Letterman Lanigan |
| 7 | Santino Ferrucci | A.J. Foyt |
| 8 | Colton Herta | Andretti Global |
| 9 | Marcus Armstrong | Chip Ganassi |
| 10 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global |
🏁 Alabama GP History & Highlights
Barber Motorsports Park opened in 2003. The circuit was designed by Alan Wilson and funded by George W. Barber, a former racecar driver and real estate developer.
IndyCar held testing sessions at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2007. After IndyCar unified with Champ Car, a potential race at the Alabama track was on the table for 2009. The success of the testing session and its proximity to the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama plant (Honda is an IndyCar engine supplier) were selling points for a future race.
It was later added for the 2010 IndyCar season as a replacement for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix. Barber Motorsports Park beat out potential events in Cleveland, Houston, Baltimore, Nashville, Charlotte, and Portland.
Hélio Castroneves won the inaugural race in 2010 for Team Penske, the first of six wins for the team. That preceded back-to-back wins for both two-time champion Will Power and 2012 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, including the shortened 2014 race. Due to lightning policy, the race was postponed to later in the day and shortened to 69 laps. Two-time champion Josef Newgarden won three of the next four IndyCar races, including the 2018 race which was suspended and shortened due to heavy rain.
The race was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was rescheduled in 2021. Patricio O’Ward won the 2022 Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, the first under the new title sponsor.
Circuit Information
The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix is the biggest event at the Barber Motorsports Park course. The fast, flowing circuit features 17 corners, most of which are medium-to-high speed.
The circuit is 45 feet wide and there is 80 feet of elevation change throughout the 2.366 mile-course. There are no permanent grandstands, so spectators typically watch from embankments or temporary grandstands put up for race weekends.
Patricio O’Ward set the IndyCar record for the fastest lap with a time of 1:06.8182 in the 2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
