Andretti Reloads for Barber After Arlington Domination
Following a week off, Andretti Global’s INDYCAR and INDY NXT teams return to action this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park for the first permanent road course race of the 2026 season. The team carries strong momentum after sweeping the inaugural race weekend on the Streets of Arlington, where Kyle Kirkwood and Max Taylor claimed victories, and Marcus Ericsson earned his first career INDYCAR pole. Now, both squads aim to carry that form into Barber’s 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit, where 80 feet of elevation change and a narrow, technical layout reward precision and patience in overtaking.
Race Details
| Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix – Barber Motorsports Park |
| Round | 4/18 |
| Track Type | Road Course |
| Turns | 17 |
| Laps | 90 |
| Track Length | 2.3 Miles |
| Grand Prix of Alabama Races 1 & 2 – Barber Motorsports Park |
| Round | 3/17 |
| Track Type | Road Course |
| Turns | 17 |
| Laps | 35 (Race 1)/30 (Race 2) |
| Track Length | 2.3 Miles |
Fast Facts
INDYCAR
- Dating back to 2010, Andretti Global’s INDYCAR team has made 15 appearances at Barber Motorsports Park scoring two wins (Hunter-Reay – 2013 + 2014), two poles (Hunter-Reay – 2013, Grosjean – 2023), five podiums, 10 top-five finishes and 213 laps led.
Will Power
- After earning his first podium with Andretti Global with a third-place finish on the Streets of Arlington, Will Power makes his 16th start at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend.
- The Australian driver is no stranger to success at Barber with consecutive wins in 2011 and 2012, three poles including one in his debut at the track, along with five podiums and 11 top-five finishes.
- Starting from the second row, Power spent much of last year’s race inside the top five. As others moved up the field on pit strategy, the race ran without any yellow flags or caution laps, and Power ultimately finished fifth.
Kyle Kirkwood
- Following his sixth career INDYCAR victory at the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, Kyle Kirkwood is set to make his fifth start at Barber Motorsports Park looking to capture his first road course win.
- His best result on the Alabama circuit came in 2024 when he took the checkered in 10th.
- During last year’s race, Kirkwood faced front wing damage from contact on the opening lap but still gained four positions within the first 10 laps. He carried that momentum and ultimately took the checkered just outside the top 10 in 11th.
Marcus Ericsson
- With his first career INDYCAR pole position and a fourth-place finish on the Streets of Arlington last weekend, Marcus Ericsson returns to Barber Motorsports Park for his seventh career start sporting the new Allegra colors.
- In his six prior appearances, the Swede has collected three top-10 finishes at the Alabama circuit.
- Last year, Ericsson made contact with the No. 76 in the second half of the race, resulting in front-wing damage to the No. 28. He ultimately finished the day in 20th.
| Andretti INDYCAR Championship Standings |
| Will Power | 59 points | 12th |
| Kyle Kirkwood | 126 points | 1st |
| Marcus Ericsson | 77 points | 8th |
INDY NXT
- Following a debut win on the Streets of Arlington two weeks ago by Max Taylor, the Andretti Global INDY NXT team returns to the track this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park for their 15th appearance at the Grand Prix of Alabama.
- This will be an action-packed weekend for the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, featuring a doubleheader race for the first time on the Alabama road course since 2021. Since the team’s first outing at Barber Motorsports Park in 2010, Andretti INDY NXT has collected seven wins (Saavedra – 2012, Munoz – 2013, Veach – 2014, Jamin – 2017, C. Herta – 2017, O’Ward – 2018 Race 1 & 2, Hauger – 2025), seven poles, 20 podiums, 28 top-five finishes and 267 led laps.
- The Andretti INDY NXT team is currently only one win away from the 100-win milestone, with Race 1 of the Grand Prix of Alabama representing their first opportunity to secure this historic result.
Lochie Hughes
- Lochie Hughes will make his second INDY NXT appearance at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend, following a strong top-five finish on the streets of Arlington.
- Hughes has built a solid foundation on permanent road courses, with one of his two career wins occurring at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. He also holds five total podium finishes on permanent road courses, including one earned at Barber last season.
Seb Murray
- Seb Murray returns to the Grand Prix of Alabama this weekend seeking to build on his debut at the track last year, where he finished 16th.
- The Scottish driver’s career-best INDY NXT finish came on a road course at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last season, where he secured a fifth-place finish in Race 2.
Max Taylor
- Following an impressive weekend at the Grand Prix of Arlington, where he secured his first-ever INDY NXT victory, Max Taylor will take on Barber Motorsports Park for the second time in the development series.
- Last season, Taylor produced a standout performance at Barber, vaulting from 17th to 7th place to take the checkered flag.
Josh Pierson
- Josh Pierson will make his third INDY NXT appearance at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. Last year, he scored his best result on this circuit, finishing in fifth place.
- Pierson’s career-best results have been on permanent road courses, highlighted by two podium finishes during the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca doubleheader weekend last year.
| Andretti INDY NXT Driver Championship Standings |
| Lochie Hughes | 60 points | 4th |
| Seb Murray | 58 points | 5th |
| Max Taylor | 92 points | 1st |
| Josh Pierson | 33 points | 16th |
INDYCAR Team Quotes
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
“Barber is one of my favorite road courses. It’s an amazing facility and always really well presented. The track itself is a fun, technical layout and one I’ve always enjoyed driving. I’ve had some good success there in the past, so coming off my first podium with the team in Arlington, we’ll look to carry that momentum into the weekend.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda
“I’m excited to get to Barber for our first road course of the year. We’ve had a lot of success so far this season on street courses and short ovals, including the win at Arlington. Now we’re getting to road courses where a lot of our championship points come into play. We just want to have a solid weekend and come away with a good result at Barber with the JM Bullion / Gold.com crew.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Allegra® Honda
“Barber is a beautiful track and one of the best road courses we go to all year, so I’m looking forward to getting back there. We’re coming off a strong weekend in Arlington, so there’s a lot of momentum within the team and the No. 28 crew. Getting our first pole position together was really special, and we’re looking to carry that into Barber. It’s also great to have Allegra back on board. We had a lot of fun with them last year, so it should be a great weekend ahead.”
Ron Ruzewski
Team Principal
“Barber Motorsports Park is a wonderful facility that has produced some great action in recent years. One of the best parts of the INDYCAR SERIES is the diversity of the types of circuits we race on, and we look forward to our first permanent road course of the season and the challenges it presents. Our teams look to carry the momentum from Arlington and the first few events into Barber weekend with the goal of getting our cars at the front again.”
INDY NXT Team Quotes
Lochie Hughes
No. 26 Andretti Global Dallara
“I can’t wait to go racing around Barber this weekend! It’s very important that we execute, as it’s our first doubleheader of the year. This hasn’t been the start of the season we wanted so far, so it’s a good thing there are a lot of points on the table up for grabs.”
Seb Murray
No. 27 Prosperity Dallara
“I’m really looking forward to Round 3 at Barber Motorsports Park. It’s one of my favorite tracks. We didn’t get the best results last season, so I’m looking forward to bouncing back strong this year. It’s a special weekend for me as well, as I have two new partners coming on board with me for the rest of the season: Megatron and Nivada. I’m excited to have their name on the car and will be pushing for some podiums this weekend.”
Max Taylor
No. 28 Susan G. Komen Dallara
“We’re coming off a really strong weekend in Arlington, where I won my first race and am now leading the Championship. So, going into Barber this weekend for the doubleheader is really exciting. It’s another opportunity to show our pace and the hard work that this team puts in. We want to go win.”
Josh Pierson
No. 28 Starchive Dallara
“Barber is a fresh opportunity to get back on the right track and continue working towards my goals. This circuit has a lot of character, and putting a lap together can be challenging, but it’s an exciting Alabama roller coaster when executed well. I’m ready to tackle the challenge and create some positive momentum heading into the rest of the season.”
Don Lambert
Team Principal
“Barber Motorsport Park is a beautiful facility, but it is also a technical track that demands the highest driver focus and precision. To add to that, this weekend is INDY NXT’s first doubleheader event of the season, so we need to keep our heads down and execute. The win in Arlington by Max was great for the team’s momentum, so it is important that we stay focused and continue to build on that.”
