An unexpected name was atop the NTT IndyCar Series results and points standings at Barber Motorsports Park, where Alex Palou scored the first victory of his career.
It was the Spaniard’s debut in the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, which scored its first victory at Barber and its 114th in IndyCar.
Palou became the 14th driver to win for Ganassi, joining an illustrious list that includes six-time series champion Scott Dixon (who finished third Sunday), Dario Franchitti, Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Palou finished 0.4016 seconds ahead of two-time Barber winner Will Power in the closest margin of IndyCar’s 11 races at the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course.
.@12WillPower 🤝 @AlexPalou #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/VqYleaCu0j
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 18, 2021
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson started 21st and finished 19th, three laps down, in his IndyCar debut.
Here are the IndyCar final results and points standings from the Honda IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama:
RESULTS
--Click here for the box score from the Honda IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama. Click here for the lap leader chart.
Here is the finishing order with starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out:
1. (3) Alex Palou, Honda, 90, Running
2. (4) Will Power, Chevrolet, 90, Running
3. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 90, Running
4. (1) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 90, Running
5. (16) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 90, Running
6. (14) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 90, Running
7. (18) Graham Rahal, Honda, 90, Running
8. (6) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 90, Running
9. (2) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 90, Running
10. (7) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 90, Running
11. (11) Jack Harvey, Honda, 90, Running
12. (15) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 90, Running
13. (19) Takuma Sato, Honda, 90, Running
14. (12) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 90, Running
15. (13) Ed Jones, Honda, 90, Running
16. (10) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 90, Running
17. (24) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 89, Running
18. (23) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 89, Running
19. (21) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 87, Running
20. (20) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 86, Running
21. (22) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 62, Contact
22. (9) Colton Herta, Honda, 25, Contact
23. (8) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 0, Contact
24. (17) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 0, Contact
Winner’s average speed: 110.025 mph; Time of race: 1:52:53.0361; Margin of victory: 0.4016 of a second; Cautions: 2 for 8 laps; Lead changes: 10 among 5 drivers
Lap Leaders: Pato O’Ward 1-17; Alex Palou 18-30; Will Power 31-33; Sebastien Bourdais 34-36; O’Ward 37-41; Palou 42-60
Power 61; Bourdais 62; Rinus VeeKay 63; O’Ward 64-66; Palou 67-90
POINTS
Click here for the points tally in Sunday’s race.
Palou is ranked first in the standings with 53 points, followed by Power 41, Dixon 35, Pato O’Ward 34, Sebastien Bourdais 31, Rinus VeeKay 29, Graham Rahal 26, Marcus Ericsson 24, Alexander Rossi 22 and Romain Grosjean 20.
NEXT: The NTT IndyCar Series will hold the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, April 25. The race on the streets of St. Pete will begin at noon ET on NBC.