IndyCar heads to Birmingham for the next race on the calendar — the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. The race, hosted at the scenic Barber Motorsports Park, is one of several permanent road course events on the 2025 season schedule.
Since its debut on the series calendar in 2010, the Alabama race has developed into one of the most technically demanding and strategic events in IndyCar. The 2.38-mile road course, which features elevation changes of up to 80 feet, is often laced with bold overtakes, crucial tire strategies from the pit wall, and several impressive performances from drivers on track.
In recent years, several drivers — including Scott McLaughlin — have masterfully navigated the 17 turns of the track to take the checkered flag in first place. The Team Penske driver is among the most successful in the history of IndyCar racing at this circuit.
With the 2025 edition of the event on the horizon, we shift the spotlight to a list of previous winners at the venue.
#5 Takuma Sato — 2019
In the 2019 edition of the event, Takuma Sato delivered an impressive performance to clinch victory at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Japanese racer, who was driving for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team, started on pole and executed his race flawlessly, leading 74 laps to finish the Grand Prix ahead of Scott Dixon—despite making an error on Turn Eight with five laps to go. The win was Sato’s fourth in his IndyCar career.
#4 Alex Palou — 2021
With the Grand Prix returning for the 2021 season after being left out of the 2020 calendar due to the coronavirus, Alex Palou made sure to treat fans to a racing spectacle.
The Spanish driver, who was making his debut for the Chip Ganassi team, started the race in third and executed a two-stop strategy to perfection to claim his first-ever IndyCar race win. The race kicked off his run to clinching his first IndyCar Series Drivers’ Championship.
#3 Pato O’Ward — 2022
Pato O’Ward is another driver to have stood on the top step of the podium at the Barber Motorsports track. The Arrow McLaren driver, who was locked in a fierce battle with pole-sitter Rinus VeeKay, executed a bold pass at Turn Five to get past the then Ed Carpenter Racing driver and clinch victory.
The win for the Mexican was his third since venturing into the American open-wheel racing series.
#2 Scott McLaughlin — 2023
Scott McLaughlin and his Team Penske outfit proved to have their race strategy locked in during the 2023 edition of the event, as they opted for the unorthodox three-stop strategy.
The New Zealander, who had the luxury of fresh tires toward the tail end of the Grand Prix, was able to make the pass on Romain Grosjean to clinch victory on the night, as well as his fourth career win.
#1 Scott McLaughlin — 2024
Scott McLaughlin made it two victories in a row at Barber when he clinched the win at the 2024 edition of the race. The 31-year-old, who started on pole, led 58 of the 90 laps during the Grand Prix to seal his fifth career IndyCar win.
The race featured four cautions, including one toward the end of the race, which set up the final two laps for a dash between McLaughlin and teammate Will Power.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl
