IndyCar Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix 2026 | Schedule & Sessions | MotorSportRadar

IndyCar - Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix

Dunlaing Watches
Event Start

Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix

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27 - 29 Mar

Completed
Barber Motorsports Park

Barber Motorsports Park

Practice 1
20:30 - Fri, 27 Mar
Practice 2
16:00 - Sat, 28 Mar
Qualifying
19:30 - Sat, 28 Mar
Warm Up
15:00 - Sun, 29 Mar
Race (Broadcast Start)
18:00 - Sun, 29 Mar

Where To Watch IndyCar in United States

Where To Watch IndyCar in United States
FOX English; primary U.S. TV home for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026, with live races and race-weekend coverage.
FOX One English; U.S. streaming access for live INDYCAR coverage alongside FOX broadcasts where supported.
INDYCAR LIVE Official INDYCAR streaming service outside selected local broadcast markets; includes live races, practice, qualifying, highlights and INDY NXT access, with some territories subject to delays by session type.
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Upcoming in IndyCar

Upcoming in IndyCar
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8 - 9 May
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22 - 24 May
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29 - 31 May
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Track Info

Barber Motorsports Park - Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Permanently built road course in a landscaped park - clockwise - fast, flowing elevation with the famous 'Charlotte’s Web' hairpin

First Race
2003
The 2.38 mile road course opened to the public in September 2003. IndyCar arrived in 2010.
Circuit Length
3.83 km
2.38 miles - compact lap with constant direction changes and elevation.
Turns
17
Designed by Alan Wilson - signature corners include T1-2 sweeps, T5 'Charlotte’s Web' and the blind, fast final sector.
Lap Record (Race)
1:06.8182 - Pato O’Ward (IndyCar), 2021
IndyCar Series - fastest official race lap on the 17 turn, 3.83 km layout. Qualifying track record: 1:05.5019 (O’Ward, 2021).
On-site Museum
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Guinness-certified world’s largest motorcycle museum overlooking the circuit with 1,600+ bikes and the largest Lotus collection.

When was the track built?

Ground broke in 2002 and the park opened in 2003 as an 880 acre motorsport campus wrapped in sculpture gardens and wooded banks. The track’s flowing geometry favors momentum and precision over brute power. Facilities include the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, manufacturer experience centers and year-round testing.

The circuit has seen resurfacing and safety refinements but its rhythm remains the same: fast entries, linked medium-to-high speed corners and cresting brake zones that punish poor balance.

When was its first race?

The venue’s first race events ran in 2003 with AMA Superbikes and sports cars. The IndyCar Series made its racing debut here in 2010 and the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix has become a spring fixture ever since.

What's the circuit like?

  • Flow and elevation: High-speed direction changes through T1-2 and the back side reward aero efficiency and a planted front end. Cresting entries mean tiny mistakes snowball.
  • 'Charlotte’s Web' hairpin (T5): The heaviest stop on the lap and Barber’s prime overtaking zone. Good exits here set up attacks several corners later.
  • Technical finales: Blind kinks and compressions from T12 to the final turn make track limits and car placement critical, especially on worn tyres.
  • Strategy themes: Long green-flag runs are common. Undercuts work if you rejoin into clean air; traffic through the middle sector can decide outcomes.
  • Benchmark pace: IndyCar race lap record 1:06.8182. The outright qualifying record sits at 1:05.5019 from 2021 after a repave helped reset the books.

Lap records and benchmarks (by series)

  • IndyCar (race lap): 1:06.8182 - Pato O’Ward, 2021.
  • IndyCar (all-time qualifying): 1:05.5019 - Pato O’Ward, 2021.
  • MotoAmerica Superbike (all-time): 1:23.202 - Cameron Beaubier, recent record weekend benchmark.
  • GT World Challenge America GT3 (race fastest lap): 1:22.161 - Tom Sargent, 2024 Barber round.
  • Rolex Sports Car Series history: Porsche 250 headlined 2003-2013, establishing GT and DP references on the same 2.38 mile course.

Why go?

A beautiful parkland setting with amphitheater viewing, a world-class museum, and constant on-track action. IndyCar’s spring visit pairs strategy with genuine passing at T5, while bikes and GTs showcase very different lines through the same fast arcs.

Where's the best place to watch?

  • T5 'Charlotte’s Web': Biggest braking zone and Barber’s classic divebomb corner. Great for starts and restarts.
  • Museum complex (T8-T10): Panoramic hillside views of mid-lap rhythm and traffic management beneath the museum.
  • T1-T2 sweep: High-speed commitment where front-end grip is obvious and small errors balloon.
  • Final sector: Blind kinks and elevation into the last corner decide launches onto the pit straight and photo finishes.
  • Main grandstand: Grid, pit stops, podium and a broad view of the opening complex.

Not just IndyCar: Alabama's headline events at Barber

MotoAmerica: Premier superbikes since 2015 with record-breaking laps and intense slipstreaming to T5.

GT World Challenge America: Returned in 2024 with GT3 fields setting low 1:22 race laps.

Porsche Track Experience: Year-round OEM programs and schools based on site.

Historic and regional series: From Trans Am to FR Americas, the calendar is packed between major weekends.

Hotels & Accommodation

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