By: Spencer Neff
March 26, 2026
Following a week off, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES concludes its busy March with its first permanent road course of the season. This weekend, the 25-car field heads to the picturesque and undulating Barber Motorsports Park. It will be the 16th race on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn course in Leeds, Alabama.
Here’s some of the major on-track storylines to watch during the weekend:
Headlines
During the last race, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood took hold of the points lead for the first time in his career, winning the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. While Kirkwood does boast an oval victory in addition to five street course wins, he has yet to record an INDYCAR victory on a permanent road course. His best finish on such a course is a fourth at Road America in 2025.
The Jupiter, Florida native’s best result at Barber was in 2024, starting ninth and finishing 10th. He and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward are the only drivers to record a Top Five finish in all three events to date in 2026.
After finishing second in Arlington, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou heads to a track where he’s won twice (2021 and 2025). Last year, Palou started on the pole and led 81 of 90 laps en route to victory.
With another victory this weekend, Palou would tie Josef Newgarden (2015, 20017 and 2018) of Team Penske with a third victory at Barber Motorsports Park, most in the race’s history.
Will Power (2011 and 2012) heads to Barber off his first podium with Andretti Global looking to match Newgarden’s record as well.
O’Ward (2022) and Newgarden’s teammate Scott McLaughlin (2023 and 2024) have also previously won at Barber.
Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
powered by AmFirst Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, March 27-Sunday, March 29
Track: Barber Motorsports Park, a 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course (clockwise) in Birmingham, Alabama
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 90 laps / 207 miles
Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 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: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 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.
Twitter: @BarberMotorPark @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #IndyCar
Instagram: @BarberMotorPark, @INDYCAR, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @BarberMotorsportsPark, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.indyalabama.com
NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com
2025 race winners
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda)
2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda), 1 minute, 7.2918 seconds, 123.046 mph
Qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Pato O’Ward, 1:05.5019, 126.409 mph, April 17, 2021 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)
FOX Sports telecasts:NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 3:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup show/final practice, 10 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1; Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Michael Young, Alex Wollf and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (All Times Local/Central Time):
Friday, March 27
1:30-2:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS2 (Live)
2:35-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS2 (Live)
Saturday, March 28
9-9:30 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two groups, 10-minutes each), FS2 (Live)
10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS1 (Live)
12:01 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1 “Drivers, start your engines”
12:06 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1 (35 laps/80.5 miles/55 minutes), FS1 (Live).
1:35-3 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (Live)
Sunday, March 29
9:05-9:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (Live)
10 a.m. – FS1 on air
10:03 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”
10:09 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 (30 laps/69 miles/50 minutes), FS1 (Live).
Noon – FOX on air
12:10 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
12:17 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (90 laps / 207 miles), FOX (Live)
One last note: Sadly, this will also be the first INDYCAR race at Barber Motorsports Park following the February passing of Barber Motorsports Park founder George Barber. IndyCar1909.com thanks him, for his contributions to INDYCAR and motorsports and offer condolences to his family and friends.
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 