Round 1: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park, April 16-18

**bjohnsonsmith** · 15 Apr 2021, 15:17 (Ref:4046095)

Round 1: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park, April 16-18.

The long wait and the longer than usual off season are finally over, as Round 1 of the 2021 NTT IndyCar season gets underway this weekend. However, it hasn't been quiet during the off season, with some notable changes amongst the drivers.

A. J. Foyt Enterprises signed 4 times former Champ Car Champion Sébastien Bourdais, for a full season.

Andretti Autosport announced Colton Herta would switch from the 88 Harding Steinbrenner car, to the 26 car sponsored by Gainbridge. James Hinchcliffe joins full time, in the Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport car, after competing in 6 races last year.

Arrow McLaren SP signed Felix Rosenqvist, who moved from Chip Ganassi Racing, replacing Oliver Askew, who had driven the 7 car in 2020,. Juan-Pablo Montoya will drive a third car for Arrow McLaren SP at the 500.

Chip Ganassi Racing signed seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson but only for road courses, as well as signing Álex Palou for the full season in the 10 car. Chip Ganassi Racing also re-signed Tony Kanaan to a two-year contract to contest ovals, complementing Jimmie Johnson's road & street course schedule.

Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan signed Ed Jones for the full season and for the second time, having driven for them in the 2017 season.

Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, announced ex-F1 driver Romain Grosjean would be racing for the team, driving the 51 car on road and street courses only, while Pietro Fittipaldi will return to the IndyCar Series for the first time since 2018, driving the 51 car on ovals.

Team Penske announced three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin would race full-time.

Notable part time drives include:

Hélio Castroneves, who will contest a six-race schedule in 2021 with Meyer Shank Racing.

Marco Andretti will only compete in the 500, for Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian.

Simona de Silvestro makes her first IndyCar appearance since 2015 and will drive in the 500 for Paretta Autosport.

-

This year was to be the last with the current Dallara DW12 UAK18 chassis/aero kit and the 2.2 liter twin-turbo V6 engine formula, with a new chassis and a 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid engine, coming online next year but the effects of the pandemic have pushed this back to 2023.

-

The 2021 season opener was to take place at St. Petersburg, where it has traditionally been held since 2005. However, like last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, St. Petersburg won't be holding the season opener
and instead the honours fall to Barber Motorsports Park, which was dropped last year from the calendar because of the pandemic. Round 2 will now be held at St. Petersburg.

-

Barber Motorsports Park is owned by George Barber, a successful businessman and accomplished driver, who raced Porsches in the 1960s and early '70s. He amassed a collection of motorcycles and after establishing a non-profit foundation in 1994, opened a museum displaying 325 motorcycles from around the world and some vintage cars. In 1998, he sold the family business and donated $54 million to the foundation in order to build a new museum and a road course, on which to run the collection.

In 2002, a 740 acre site east of Birmingham was chosen and a new museum was built, housing an expanded collection of 1,200 motorcycles, with Up to 600 on display at any one time. It's been certified by Guinness as the largest museum of its type.

The road course was designed by South African race track designer Alan Wilson, with three layouts. The main circuit, which is a 16-turn, 2.370-mile (3.70 km) road course, the short circuit and the club circuit. The venue, opened in 2003 and has hosted Grand-Am, Vintage Racing Series events and AMA Superbike. It serves as the home of the Porsche Sport Driving School and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School.

One feature that stands out are the series of metal sculptures around the track. The large spider alongside Turns 5-6 has lead to this section of track being nicknamed 'Charlotte's Web'.

This Sunday will be the 11th running of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The race was first held on April 11, 2010 and was won by Hélio Castroneves driving for Team Penske, in a Dallara IR05-Honda. Prior to that, Barber Motorsports Park hosted a testing session in October 2007, the success of which led to a full-field, three-day testing session in March 2009. An open date became available in the 2010 season's race calendar and Barber Motorsports Park made a successful bid to hold the race, over Cleveland (Burke Lakefront Airport), Houston, Baltimore, Nashville, Charlotte and Portland.

Some trivia:
The driver with most wins: 3.
Josef Newgarden, 2015, 2017, 2018.

The team with most wins: 6.
Team Penske, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018.

Track layout:

Length: 2.3 Miles (3.7 Km)
Turns: 15

Lap record:
Sebastien Bourdais, 23 April 2016. 1:06.60, 124.324 mph (200.080 Km/h),
KVSH Racing,
Dallara DW12-Chevy IndyCar V6.
Verizon IndyCar Series.

Previous race report:
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...Bvalue%5D=2243

Pole:
Takumo Sato, 1:08.5934, 120.711 Mph (194.265 Km/h).
Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing.
Dallara IR18-Honda HIR20R Indy-V-6

Winner:
Takumo Sato,
Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing,
Dallara IR18-Honda HIR20R Indy-V-6

Laps: 90
Distance: 214.200 Miles (344.700 Km)
Race Time: 1:55:46.8076
Average Speed: 107.272 Mph (172.637549 km/h)
Fastest lap: Will Power, Team Penske, lap 12. 1:10.4818 sec, 117.477 mph (189.060 km/h)
Caution periods: 1
Laps 7: 58 - 64

Race Broadcast:
NBC. April 18, 3:00pm ET, 7:00pm UTC

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 17 Apr 2021, 08:06 (Ref:4046376)

Practice 2, qually and race all live on Sky Sports F1 channel

**bjohnsonsmith** · 17 Apr 2021, 20:40 (Ref:4046446)

For those who can get Sky Sports F1, qualifying starts at 10:55pm BST.

**joeb** · 17 Apr 2021, 22:33 (Ref:4046449)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

For those who can get Sky Sports F1, qualifying starts at 10:55pm BST.

Seems like a very condensed schedule this weekend. Can't follow practice and qualy today but will be watching the race live if I have my way.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 00:20 (Ref:4046452)

Wahoo! O'Ward gets the first pole of the season!

https://racer.com/2021/04/17/oward-r...ner-at-barber/

broadrun96 · 18 Apr 2021, 02:21 (Ref:4046468)

Grosjean kept it on the track and did well in his first round, qualifying 7th isn't bad. Hopefully I'll remember to catch the race but Sox double header at 1 so it might be the evening before I catch the race itself. Thankfully YouTube TV records them all for me.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 02:58 (Ref:4046469)

In Round 2 of Qualifying, Pato O'ward's set a time of 01:05.5019, breaking Sebastien Bourdais's lap record of 1:06.60, which he set back in 23 April, 2016.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 16:13 (Ref:4046545)

Qualifying result:

BudLightJaguar · 18 Apr 2021, 19:28 (Ref:4046580)

It's been a long off-season once again, but here we go!

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:31 (Ref:4046582)

It looks like great weather today at the track. Would love to see Pato get his first win today.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:45 (Ref:4046586)

Well I did not expect the veteran to cause the accident on the first lap. Also surprised that it was an unforced error, and not somebody dive bombing into a corner.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:46 (Ref:4046587)

Initially a clean start but Newgarden lost it coming into Turn 5 and then pandemonium. First FCY of the season.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:51 (Ref:4046588)

Judging by the early commentary on nbc, Jimmy Johnson is racing, and maybe some other people too.

JHamilton · 18 Apr 2021, 19:54 (Ref:4046589)

Bummer big crash on the opening lap after Josef loses it coming up the hill. I'm hearing that jimmie johnson made it through though.

broadrun96 · 18 Apr 2021, 19:54 (Ref:4046590)

I was just gonna ask if anyone else knows if Jimmie is racing today?

Also, George has done a lot around the track but has he put up a sign telling you where the F Lot D is?

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:56 (Ref:4046591)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I was just gonna ask if anyone else knows if Jimmie is racing today?

Also, George has done a lot around the track but has he put up a sign telling you where the F Lot D is?

He is.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 19:58 (Ref:4046592)

That's not the first time Newgarden has made an unforced error. Mid-Ohio 2019 in particular springs to mind.

JHamilton · 18 Apr 2021, 20:03 (Ref:4046593)

Jimmie johnson spins.

BudLightJaguar · 18 Apr 2021, 20:05 (Ref:4046594)

Two yellows in ten laps, a bit laine start to the new season.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 20:25 (Ref:4046595)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Jimmie johnson spins.

Never heard of him, would be nice if the announcers talked about the backmarkers every once in awhile.

Also it looks like this is palou's race to lose.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 20:47 (Ref:4046599)

Dang strategy going away from Pato, not happy on the black Firestones.

billy bleach · 18 Apr 2021, 21:16 (Ref:4046605)

Great to have the race on Sky F1 - how about some commentary when the USA cut to ad breaks and leave us in silence?

**bjohnsonsmith** · 18 Apr 2021, 21:18 (Ref:4046607)

Nice move by O'Ward.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 21:19 (Ref:4046608)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Nice move by O'Ward.

Indeed, and he did it a bit cleaner than bordais did on him earlier in the race.

**joeb** · 18 Apr 2021, 21:25 (Ref:4046610)

Oward grabbed 4 seconds over 7 laps once he got around Ericsson.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Round 3: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park, April 5-7.	bjohnsonsmith	Indycar Series	40	10 Apr 2019 03:51
Round 4: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, April 20-22.	bjohnsonsmith	Indycar Series	50	30 Apr 2018 03:15
Round 3: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, April 21-23.	bjohnsonsmith	Indycar Series	40	3 May 2017 23:18
Round 4: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, 22nd-24th April.	bjohnsonsmith	Indycar Series	41	1 May 2016 11:48
Round 3: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, 25 - 27 April, 2014	bjohnsonsmith	Indycar Series	40	30 Apr 2014 11:02