IndyCar results, points after Barber Motorsports Park: Scott McLaughlin scored the fourth victory of his career and first of the 2023 season, winning by 1.7854 seconds over Romain Grosjean at Barber Motorsports Park.
The 2023 IndyCar season has started with four winners in four races: McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson (St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas) and Kyle Kirkwood (Long Beach).
McLaughlin won by making three pit stops to Grosjean’s two, taking the lead from the pole-sitter for the final time on Lap 72 of 90.
“I call it a ‘happy driver strategy,’ ” McLaughlin told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider of the tactics. “I was a lot happier doing that. We went past Grosjean there on a little bit of strategy, and I feel really good about it.”
Will Power finished third for his first podium this season, giving Team Penske two of the top three. Pato O’ward and Alex Palou rounded out the top five.
It was the fifth runner-up finish for Grosjean, who led a race-high 57 laps but remained winless in 34 IndyCar starts.
“It hurts,” Grosjean told NBC Sports’ Dave Burns. “The three-stop never wins at Barber, but today the pits stayed open. That gave McLaughlin and Power the edge on the three-stop. We had an incredible car, drove really well, gave it 100 percent, but we just got unlucky with that yellow.”
Here are the IndyCar results and points standings Sunday after the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix:
RESULTS
Click here for the official box score from the 90-lap race on a 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course in Birmingham, Alabama.
Here is the finishing order in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix with starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (4) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 90, Running
2. (1) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 90, Running
3. (11) Will Power, Chevrolet, 90, Running
4. (3) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 90, Running
5. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 90, Running
6. (6) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 90, Running
7. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 90, Running
8. (10) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 90, Running
9. (8) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 90, Running
10. (13) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 90, Running
11. (26) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 90, Running
12. (12) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 90, Running
13. (15) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 90, Running
14. (14) Colton Herta, Honda, 90, Running
15. (7) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 90, Running
16. (9) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 90, Running
17. (19) Graham Rahal, Honda, 90, Running
18. (16) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 90, Running
19. (17) David Malukas, Honda, 90, Running
20. (27) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 90, Running
21. (21) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 90, Running
22. (25) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 90, Running
23. (18) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 90, Running
24. (24) Jack Harvey, Honda, 90, Running
25. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 90, Running
26. (22) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 90, Running
27. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 36, Mechanical
Winner’s average speed: 115.019 mph; Time of Race: 1 hour, 47 minutes, 58.9401 seconds; Margin of victory: 1.7854 seconds; Cautions: 1 for 3 laps; Lead changes: 7 among 4 drivers; Lap Leaders: Grosjean 1-30; Newgarden 31-36; McLaughlin 37-38; Grosjean 39-59; McLaughlin 60-62; Power 63-65; Grosjean 66-71; McLaughlin 72-90.
POINTS
Click here for the points tally in Sunday’s race.
Here are the points standings after Barber:
Top 10 in points: Ericsson 130, O’Ward 127, Palou 121, McLaughlin 119, Grosjean 115, Newgarden 105, Power 104, Dixon 98, Kirkwood 92, Herta 85.
Rest of the standings: Ilott 80, Lundgaard 77, Malukas 74, Rossi 72, Rosenqvist 66, Rahal 65, Armstrong 62, Canapino 47, VeeKay 47, Pagenaud 45, Castroneves 45, Ferrucci 44, Harvey 43, Daly 38, Robb 37, Pedersen 34, DeFrancesco 33, Ed Carpenter 17, Takuma Sato 5.
Next race: May 13, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course