IndyCar extends stay at Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — IndyCar is staying at Barber Motorsports Park at least through 2027.

The series and ZOOM Motorsports announced an extension to continue racing at the permanent road course on Sunday, a few hours ahead of the 13th running.

The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix has been held at the track since 2010. Medical Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust, reached a five-year sponsorship agreement for the naming rights earlier this year and gifted them to the Birmingham children’s hospital.

“With its unique layout and dramatic features, this beautiful facility is a favorite with our fans and within our paddock,” Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Andretti Autosport’s Romain Grosjean starts on the pole Sunday for the second time this year and third overall. The Swiss-born Frenchman is seeking his first IndyCar win. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing also starts up front after finishing first and second the past two years.

Defending champion Pato O’Ward qualified third, followed by Scott McLaughlin, six-time series champion Scott Dixon and Christian Lundgaard. Dixon has six runners-up finishes at Barber but is still seeking his first win at the course.