Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin in the No.3 Good Ranchers Chevrolet took advantage of more push to pass to claim victory over Roman Grosjean in Sunday’s Children’s Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The Kiwi fought a great battle to beat Grosjean, making it four different race winners from the opening four races of the season and sets things up nicely as we head into the month of May.
Defending series champion Will Power in the No.12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet who started the race from 12th on the grid came through the field to claim his first podium finish of the season in third place.
Pato O’Ward who started the race from third place found himself battling wheel to wheel once again with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and finished the race in fourth place following a clean battle with the Iceman. Alex Palou who started the race on the front row in the No.10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing finished the race in fifth place.
It was a great race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard in the No.45 Hy Vee Honda as he started the race from sixth place and there is where he would finish just ahead of six-time series champion Scott Dixon in the No.9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda who came home in seventh place and will be looking to have a strong GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis next month following two difficult races.
Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist ended the race in eighth and ninth place respectively while Marcus Ericsson in the No.8 Huski Chocolate Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing rounded out the top ten just ahead of his teammate Marcus Armstrong who did a great job in the No.11 AMerican Legion Honda coming home in P11.
Long Beach race winner Kyle Kirkwood came home in 12th place just ahead of the flying Callum Ilott who continues to show that Juncos Hollinger Racing are really making progress now as a two-car programme.
Colton Herta had a disappointing race as he ended the event in 14th place just ahead of Josef Newgarden in the No.2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet after suffering damage early on in the race which caused him to move back down the order.
Rinus VeeKay finished his 50th race in 16th place for Ed Carpenter Racing just ahead of Graham Rahal in the No.15 One Cure Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda while Simon Pagenaud who had a few trips onto the grass-finished the race 18th place just ahead of David Malukas and Santino Ferrucci.
Helio Castroneves was 21st just ahead of AJ Foyt Racing’s Benjamin Pedersen and Devlin DeFrancesco while Jack Harvey was 24th just ahead of Conor Daly and Agustin Canapino. There was just one retirement from the race with Sting Ray Robb in the No.51 Biohaven Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with RWR stopping on track with a suspected mechanical issue.
Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson holds a three-point lead in the championship over Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward heading into the Month of May which begins in two weeks time and the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis.