LEEDS, Ala. — IndyCar’s Month of May kicks off at Barber Motorsports Park, not the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the demands on the drivers and teams are already hitting the limit in terms of demands.
The season started with a series of three-week breaks between races, but beginning this weekend with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park begins one of the most hectic, and pressure-packed portions of the schedule.
It starts with this weekend’s road course race, shifts to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix next Saturday, before kicking into high gear the following week for practice and qualifications for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
After a practice session on Monday, May 19 and Carb Day on Friday, May 23, the biggest race of the year is set for Sunday, May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
So, how does one of IndyCar’s top drivers prepare and compartmentalize for such a busy and demanding stretch of the season?
“Learn how to say no,” Arrow McLaren start Pato O’Ward said after Friday’s practice session. “This is my sixth year here. I can’t believe it, but if the six years that I’ve been here have taught me something, it’s learn how to say no and don’t feel bad about it, because you’re the one driving the car.
“If someone is asking something, say, ‘Do you want me to win the race or not?’
“Everybody wants a piece of you at the end of the day, and they want you here and here and bah, bah, bah.
“Ultimately, why are we doing this? We do this to win races. We do this because we want to win the Indy 500. That’s the most important one on the calendar. I mean, I guarantee you they will forgive you if you win that race (the Indy 500).”
O’Ward was the 14th fastest driver in Friday’s practice session at 1:08.2134 for a speed of 121.384 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global was the fastest driver of Friday’s session with a fast lap of 1:07.7470 around the 2.3-mile, 17 turn road course at Barber Motorsports Park in the No. 28 Honda.
Three-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion and 2021 Barber winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing was second at 122.196 mph in the No. 28 HRC Honda followed by Colton Herta’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global at 122.173 mph.
“This is obviously one of the more important sessions of the weekend just because it sets up the weekend, and also you get to run both compounds,” Herta said. “It was good to get a run in on both, get the experience, see what the tire deg was going to be like get a feeling of the balance change between the two.”
Rain is expected later Friday evening and for much of Saturday in Central Alabama. That could change the nature of the race course as well as the setups of the cars.
But the teams and drivers will adapt because the situation is the same for everyone.
And one of the things they all share is the start of a demanding, intense, stressful and exhilarating time of year that continues into the first weekend of June with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix – just one weekend after the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25.
“I love it,” Herta said. “If it was up to me, I would love the NASCAR schedule for us to be able to race every weekend, but I think the job that the drivers have and the job that the truckles and mechanics and engineers have is vastly different. They just wouldn’t have the time for it in a series.
“I think it’s about to get crazy for them, but for me it’s a welcoming thing. The more races that we can do, the happier I’ll be.”
Defending Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix winner Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske was all over the track at Barber Motorsports Park in Friday’s practice.
He ended up eighth on the speed chart, proof that he was testing the limits of speed at the 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham.
“Pretty good day, but it was up and down for us,” McLaughlin said. “Initially, the car feels pretty good, but I had a few moments out there and made some mistakes. Overall, it’s good and happy to be back at Barber.
“I love golf, so this is my happy spot.”
At one point, Felix Rosenqvist went wide in Turn 2, went through the gravel trap, and then did a rim-ride in the upper grass to keep traction under his No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda without hitting the wall.
“There was more grip in the Reds, and I needed a bit more,” Rosenqvist said. “I think the car is decent. I didn’t feel super confident with it, but I think we are in the mix.
“I think we will have some rain at some point in the weekend, but I don’t see it will change the track much. If it rains, we will adapt and see when it comes.”
Palou scored his first career IndyCar victory here in 2021. He isn’t concerned if the race course is a little wet during Saturday’s practice and qualifications as Sunday’s forecast calls for cooler and sunny conditions.
“If it rains tomorrow, it will be tough, but it will be the same for everybody,” Palou said. “I got my first win here in 2021, and it is one of my favorite places.”
