SIMON WINS AT LONG BEACH– After back-to-back second place finishes to start the year, Simon Pagenaud became the third winner of 2016 as he claimed the victory at Long Beach on April 17. It was the first win for Pagenaud as a member of Team Penske and helped him build a 14-point lead over Scott Dixon in the Verizon IndyCar Series point standings heading into this weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Chris Jones/IMS Photo
WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEKEND: TEAM PENSKE LOOKS TO CONTINUE BARBER DOMINATION: Team Penske has won three of the previous Verizon IndyCar Series races at Barber Motorsports Park. Team owner Roger Penske will look to add another trophy to his team’s collection during the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama with strong cars that have been dominant through the first three races, including wins in two of the three races this season.
HUNTER-REAY GOES FOR A ALABAMA HAT-TRICK: Ryan Hunter-Reay is one of two drivers to keep Team Penske out of victory lane at Barber Motorsports Park with his wins in 2013 and 2014. Hunter- Reay goes for his third win in four years at the track this weekend.
NEWGARDEN’S HOME TRACK: Josef Newgarden isn’t from Alabama, but he considers Barber Motorsports Park to be his home track. The defending Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama winner hails from Hendersonville, Tenn., a few hours away from the track, where he claimed his first Indy car win. Can Newgarden repeat in front of friends and family and score some more home cooking for Ed Carpenter Racing?
2016 SCHEDULE
WINNER: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WINNER: SCOTT DIXON WINNER: SIMON PAGENAUD STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY STREETS OF LONG BEACH
APRIL 24, 3:00PM ET MAY 14, 3:30PM ET (ROAD COURSE) MAY 21, 4:00PM ET (QUAL DAY 1) BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
MAY 22, 4:00PM ET (QUAL DAY 2) MAY 29, 11:00AM ET (OVAL) JUNE 4, 3:30PM ET (RACE 1) INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY 100TH RUNNING OF INDIANAPOLIS 500 THE RACEWAY AT BELLE ISLE PARK
JUNE 5, 3:30PM ET (RACE 2) JUNE 11, 8:00PM ET JUNE 26, 12:30PM ET THE RACEWAY AT BELLE ISLE PARK TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD AMERICA
JULY 10, 5:00PM ET JULY 17, 2:30PM ET JULY 31, 2:00PM ET IOWA SPEEDWAY STREETS OF TORONTO MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
AUGUST 21, 3:00PM ET SEPTEMBER 4, 2:00PM ET SEPTEMBER 18, 6:30PM ET POCONO RACEWAY STREETS OF BOSTON SONOMA RACEWAY Ladies and gentlemen, start your phones.
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2016 VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS (TOP 5 AFTER 2 OF 16 EVENTS)
1. SIMON PAGENAUD Team Penske 134
2. SCOTT DIXON Chip Ganassi Racing 120
3. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA Team Penske 106
4. HELIO CASTRONEVES Team Penske 92
5. TONY KANAAN Chip Ganassi Racing 82 5
EVENT SCHEDULE All times local. Schedule subject to change. 7:30 am Gates Open 8:00 am Pirelli World Challenge GT/GTA/GT Practice 8:45 am Pro Mazda Practice 9:30 am USF2000 Qualifying 10:15 am Legacy Indy Lights Practice 11:00 am Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 12:30 pm Pirelli World Challenge GT/GTA/GT Practice 1:15 pm Pirelli World Challenge GTS Race 1 2:25 pm Pro Mazda Qualifying 3:00 pm Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 4:30 pm USF2000 Race 1 5:25 pm Legacy Indy Lights Practice
FRIDAY APRIL 22 6:05 pm Parade Laps
7:30 am Gates Open 8:00 am Legacy Indy Lights Qualifying 8:45 am Pirelli World Challenge GT/GTA/GT Qualifying 9:45 am Pirelli World Challenge GTS Race 2 10:00 am/12:00 pm/2:00 pm Monster Energy FMX Stunt Show (Located in Lot E next to Car Corral) 10:00 am Wine Down at Indy (Located in the TNT Fan Zone) 11:00 am Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 11:30 am Pirelli World Challenge Autograph Session (Located in the in the Kamtek Garage) 12:00 pm Legacy Indy Lights Race 1 1:15 pm Verizon IndyCar Series Driver Autograph Session (Located in the TNT Fan Zone) 1:30 pm Pirelli World Challenge - GT/GTA/GT Race 1 3:00 pm Verizon IndyCar Series Qualifying/Firestone Fast 6 4:30 pm Pro Mazda Race 1 5:35 pm USF2000 Race 2
SATURDAY APRIL 23 6:05 pm Parade Laps
7:30 am Gates Open 9:05 am Pirelli World Challenge - GT/GTA/GT Race 2 10:00 am/11:30 am/1:00 pm Monster Energy BMX Stunt Show (Located in Lot E next to Car Corral) 10:00 am Wine Down at Indy (Located in the TNT Fan Zone) 10:30 am Verizon IndyCar Series Warm Up 11:15 am Pro Mazda Race 2 12:20 pm Legacy Indy Lights 100 Race 2 2:00 pm Driver Introductions: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama 2:30 pm Country Music Star & Race Grand Marshal Sara Evans to Sing National Anthem 2:38 pm Verizon IndyCar Series Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama SUNDAY APRIL 24
During the tire building process, heat and pressure are applied in a mold to cure the tire’s rubber components in a process known as vulcanizing. This process is named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. In Birmingham, a 56-foot statue of Vulcan, the world’s largest cast iron statue, overlooks downtown from Red Mountain.