By: Spencer Neff
March 27, 2026

Practice 1 Results

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was fastest during Friday afternoon’s opening practice at Barber Motorsports Park. In preparation for Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, the 2023 and 2024 race winner posted a best lap of 1m07.384 on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn permanent road course in Leeds, Alabama.

McLaughlin, who also started on the pole for his 2024 victory, is looking to snap a 21-race winless streak dating back to Milwaukee-Race 2 in 2024.

Finishing the session .0288 of a second back of McLaughlin was points leader Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, whose Honda was second to McLaughlin’s Chevrolet-powered entry. 2022 Barber winner and track qualifying record holder Pato O’Ward finished third with his teammate and 2025 Barber runner-up Christian Lundgaard in fourth. McLaughlin’s teammate David Malukas gave Chevrolet four of the Top Five drivers.

A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet was 21st, leading a trio of rookies who make their first INDYCAR start at Barber. It will also be their first permanent road course event after the season started with two streets circuits (St. Petersburg and Arlington) and an oval (Phoenix).

While the session followed the “40-12-12” full-field and group format as was the case on street courses, the lone unscheduled stoppage was during the first portion when Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi stalled in Turn 5. After fuel pressure issue, per Fox Sports’ Georgia Henneberry, Rossi was towed back to pit road. He would finish the session 16th overall.

At-track schedule (All Times Local/Central Time):

Saturday, March 28

10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), 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)

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)

Header Image By INDYCAR