Palou rips to Barber pole with a field of surprises behind

Palou Dominates Qualifying at Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix

Birmingham, AL – Alex Palou strengthened his championship lead by securing pole position for the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix, clocking a blistering lap of 1:07.2917 in the No. 10 Honda at Barber Motorsports Park. This marks Palou’s seventh career pole in the IndyCar Series.

The Spaniard outpaced last year’s polesitter Scott McLaughlin by 0.1469 seconds, with the Team Penske driver qualifying second in the No. 3 Chevy. Colton Herta of Andretti Global showed notable form, capturing third with a lap time of 1:07.4576, while Will Power, also from Penske, took fourth (1:07.5616).

Rinus VeeKay from Dale Coyne Racing surprised many by securing fifth with a time of 1:07.9103. Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel rounded out the Firestone Fast Six, achieving a personal best of 1:08.0470 in a solid qualifying performance.

“It was great. It was really close,” Palou commented post-qualifying. “We didn’t know if it was going to be wet or dry, so we were all panicking a little bit. It feels good to start up front.”

McLaughlin reflected on his qualifying performance, stating, “We definitely left a little bit up on the table… Alex did a great job,” indicating a competitive day on track.

Qualifying proved challenging for some, notably defending champion Kyle Kirkwood, who struggled and qualified 18th after winning at Long Beach. Teammate Marcus Ericsson faced further difficulties, starting 23rd. Meanwhile, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, a six-time champion, faced a significant setback, finishing 26th after a half spin compromised his lap.

Penske’s efforts were rewarded as all three drivers reached the Fast 12 for the first time this season, an encouraging turnaround for the team. Despite missing out on the Fast Six, Josef Newgarden finished ninth after overcoming mechanical issues earlier in the session.

The qualifying rounds saw further drama, with notable performances from indoctrinal drivers such as Christian Lundgaard and Kyffin Simpson, while veterans like Graham Rahal and Alexander Rossi fell short of the Fast 12 cut.

With dry conditions throughout the session, the stage is set for a fiercely competitive race as Palou looks to extend his championship lead on Sunday.

Result Summary: