Scott McLaughlin will start from the front row in Monday morning’s (NZT) IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama after a strong qualifying performance at Barber Motorsports Park. Marcus Armstrong also impressed with a solid run to 11th, while Scott Dixon endured a rare off-track moment that left him near the back of the grid.
McLaughlin looked quick from the outset in his No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet. He went second fastest in Group 1 of Round 1 with a 1:07.243 — just 0.07 seconds behind eventual polesitter Alex Palou.
Armstrong, racing for Meyer Shank Racing, also advanced from the session with the third-fastest time in the group, three-tenths back from McLaughlin.
Dixon featured in Group 2 but struck trouble on his final flying lap, sliding off into the gravel trap and ending any hopes of progressing. The six-time series champion will start 26th in the 27-car field — his worst qualifying result since 2021.
In the Fast 12, McLaughlin again delivered when it mattered, setting the fourth-fastest time of the session to progress to the Firestone Fast Six. He was the only Kiwi to advance, with Armstrong unable to match his earlier pace and ending the session in 11th — three positions ahead of teammate Felix Rosenqvist.
McLaughlin remained firmly in the hunt during the Fast Six. His first flyer put him just 0.014 seconds behind Colton Herta, and on his second run he improved again — clocking a 1:07.438 to temporarily move to the top. But Palou soon fired back with a blistering 1:07.291 to snatch pole in the dying seconds.
“Made some changes over the weekend and got this Meat Wagon feeling pretty sporty,” McLaughlin shared on social media after qualifying. “Front row start and we know the #Thirsty3’s show up for Sunday!”
The result marks Palou’s first pole of the season and the seventh of his IndyCar career. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has already taken two victories and a runner-up finish in the opening three rounds, and now leads the championship by 34 points.
The 90-lap Grand Prix of Alabama gets underway Monday morning at 5:30am NZT, with McLaughlin looking to add to his back-to-back wins at Barber in 2023 and 2024.
Qualifying Results:
| # | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 01:07.2918 |
| 2 | Scott McLaughlin | 01:07.4387 |
| 3 | Colton Herta | 01:07.4576 |
| 4 | Will Power | 01:07.5616 |
| 5 | Rinus VeeKay | 01:07.9103 |
| 6 | Nolan Siegel | 01:08.0470 |
| 7 | Christian Lundgaard | 01:07.6950 |
| 8 | Pato O’Ward | 01:07.7056 |
| 9 | Josef Newgarden | 01:07.7684 |
| 10 | Kyffin Simpson | 01:07.8806 |
| 11 | Marcus Armstrong | 01:08.2031 |
| 12 | Louis Foster | 01:08.4427 |
| 13 | Santino Ferrucci | 01:07.8228 |
| 14 | Felix Rosenqvist | 01:07.7483 |
| 15 | Alexander Rossi | 01:07.8807 |
| 16 | Callum Ilott | 01:07.7733 |
| 17 | Christian Rasmussen | 01:07.8874 |
| 18 | Kyle Kirkwood | 01:07.8239 |
| 19 | Conor Daly | 01:08.0017 |
| 20 | David Malukas | 01:07.8459 |
| 21 | Graham Rahal | 01:08.0106 |
| 22 | Sting Ray Robb | 01:08.1802 |
| 23 | Marcus Ericsson | 01:08.0146 |
| 24 | Robert Shwartzman | 01:08.2584 |
| 25 | Jacob Abel | 01:08.3762 |
| 26 | Scott Dixon | 01:08.8715 |
| 27 | Devlin DeFrancesco | 01:09.0373 |
Header Image: Scott McLaughlin Facebook
