Alex Palou clinched a dramatic pole position at Barber Motorsports Park during the qualifying session for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, held on Saturday. With only seconds remaining, the NTT P1 Award changed hands multiple times, but it was Palou, the series points leader, who emerged on top with a lap time of 1 minute, 7.2918 seconds in his No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. This marks his first pole of the season and the seventh of his career, setting a thrilling tone ahead of Sunday’s 90-lap race on the demanding 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural-terrain road course.
Palou’s performance continues to underline his dominance this season, having won two of the first three races while finishing second in the other, propelling him to a 34-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global in the championship standings.
What an amazing day for the 10 car,
Palou reflected after qualifying.
This is such a special place for us here. We got our first race win in INDYCAR back in 2021. It was super close. I don’t think my first lap was very good. I was just hoping to get a perfect lap on the second one on the alternates (Firestone Firehawk tires). So, yeah, cannot wait for tomorrow now.
The intensity of the qualifying battle was clear as the Firestone Fast Six segment saw rapid changes in positions, with multiple drivers pushing their limits. Palou’s ultimate lap secured him the crucial front spot on the grid, punctuating a session filled with tension and speed. Following him will be two-time reigning Barber winner Scott McLaughlin, who recorded a best lap of 1:07.4387 in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet to start second, narrowly missing out on consecutive poles for the event.
Starting third is Colton Herta, driving the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global with a lap time of 1:07.4576, while Will Power claimed fourth place with his best effort of 1:07.5616 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. This qualifying result marked Power’s best of the season, significantly improving from his previous top of 13th at St. Petersburg and Long Beach. Close behind, Rinus VeeKay qualified fifth with a 1:07.9103 in the No. 18 askROI Honda, also making it to the Firestone Fast Six at a road circuit for the first time since his pole-winning effort at Barber in 2022.
Nolan Siegel rounded out the third row with a career-best sixth place, clocking 1:08.0470 in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. It was Siegel’s first time reaching the Firestone Fast Six since joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES midway through last season, highlighting a notable milestone in his young career.
Despite the fierce competition, two prominent contenders did not advance beyond the first qualifying round. Kyle Kirkwood, last month’s pole sitter and winner at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, will start 18th in the No. 27 PreFab Honda after failing to reach the later stages of qualifying. Moreover, six-time series champion Scott Dixon ran off track into a gravel trap during his final flying lap and could not progress, relegating him to a season-low starting position of 26th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. This is Dixon’s worst qualifying result since August 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
This pole position for Alex Palou is more than a personal achievement; it signals his unwavering consistency and keen edge in pressure-packed moments. With the 90-lap race scheduled for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET and live coverage on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network, Palou aims to convert this prime starting position into a commanding win at a track where he famously earned his first series victory in 2021 during his rookie year with Chip Ganassi Racing. As the race unfolds, the intense rivalry and high stakes promise an electrifying showdown among the field, underscoring Palou’s determination to extend his championship lead and further cement his legacy in the series.
