Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Encyclopedia
The Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is an IndyCar Series
race held at Barber Motorsports Park
, a 16-turn 2.3 miles (3.7 km) road course
, in Leeds
, Alabama
, United States
. Officially announced on July 27, 2009, the inaugural event was on the weekend of April 9–11, 2010. The event is under contract through the 2012 season and under the management of the local group Zoom Motorsports. The venue is designed to allow for nearly 100,000 spectators and will have an estimated economic impact on Greater Birmingham
of $30 million.
. By July 2008, IRL revealed its 2009 schedule with new races being held at Long Beach
and Toronto
, but not at Barber. However local officials indicated that Barber was under strong consideration for a 2010 date.
Due to the success of the testing session in 2007, Barber was selected for a full-field, three-day testing session in March 2009. Officials remained confident that the track would gain a race in the future due to the desire of the IRL to expand into The South
in addition to the location of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
at plant in nearby Lincoln
, the official engine of IRL.
The opportunity to pursue the event came after the Detroit Indy Grand Prix
was discontinued. Initially, Zoom Motorsports looked to have the Detroit race moved to Alabama for the 2009 season; however, the league decided in February 2009 to not replace the event on its schedule. With an open date available for 2010, Birmingham made its pitch to IRL officials and was selected to hold the event over Cleveland
(Burke Lakefront Airport), Houston
, Baltimore
, Nashville
, Charlotte
and Portland
. IRL cited both strong support from both local and state government in addition to the large crowd the attended an IRL training session in March 2009 as factors in Birmingham being selected for the race.
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
race held at Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park
The Barber Motorsports Park is a multi-purpose racing facility located on the eastern fringes of Birmingham, Alabama, USA near Leeds. The facility was the vision of George Barber, and includes the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. In July 2009 officials announced that Barber will be the site of...
, a 16-turn 2.3 miles (3.7 km) road course
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
, in Leeds
Leeds, Alabama
Leeds is a tri-county municipality located in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of Birmingham. As of the 2009 population estimate, the population of the city is about 11,474.-History:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Officially announced on July 27, 2009, the inaugural event was on the weekend of April 9–11, 2010. The event is under contract through the 2012 season and under the management of the local group Zoom Motorsports. The venue is designed to allow for nearly 100,000 spectators and will have an estimated economic impact on Greater Birmingham
Greater Birmingham
Greater Birmingham can be one of two areas:*In the United Kingdom it is an informal term referring to Birmingham and the area surrounding it, the West Midlands conurbation....
of $30 million.
History
Having an IRL race at Barber became a possibility in 2007 when the league had testing session at the facility on October 12, 2007. The test would also serve in evaluating the track as a potential site for a race beginning in the 2009 season2009 IndyCar Series season
The 2009 IndyCar Series season was the 14th season of the IndyCar Series. The 17-race season began on April 5, and its premier event, the 93rd Indianapolis 500 was held May 24. All races were broadcast on ABC or Versus in high-definition...
. By July 2008, IRL revealed its 2009 schedule with new races being held at Long Beach
Long Beach Grand Prix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...
and Toronto
Honda Indy Toronto
The Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...
, but not at Barber. However local officials indicated that Barber was under strong consideration for a 2010 date.
Due to the success of the testing session in 2007, Barber was selected for a full-field, three-day testing session in March 2009. Officials remained confident that the track would gain a race in the future due to the desire of the IRL to expand into The South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in addition to the location of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is an automobile manufacturer located in Lincoln, Alabama. It builds vehicles for Honda sales in North America. Production began on November 14, 2001, with the plant producing its two millionth vehicle on September 3, 2010...
at plant in nearby Lincoln
Lincoln, Alabama
Lincoln is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,577. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War.-Geography:...
, the official engine of IRL.
The opportunity to pursue the event came after the Detroit Indy Grand Prix
Detroit Indy Grand Prix
The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com is a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Renaissance Center and later the Belle Isle in Detroit, United States. It has been held from 1989-01, 2007–08, and is scheduled for 2012 and beyond...
was discontinued. Initially, Zoom Motorsports looked to have the Detroit race moved to Alabama for the 2009 season; however, the league decided in February 2009 to not replace the event on its schedule. With an open date available for 2010, Birmingham made its pitch to IRL officials and was selected to hold the event over Cleveland
Grand Prix of Cleveland
The Grand Prix of Cleveland was an open wheel automobile racing event in the Champ Car World Series, held annually at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America. The 2006 race, held on June 25, marked the 25th anniversary of the event...
(Burke Lakefront Airport), Houston
Grand Prix of Houston
The Grand Prix of Houston was an annual auto race on the Champ Car World Series circuit. It was held in a street circuit located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States of America for four years, then returned for two years on a course laid out in the parking lot of the Reliant Park Complex...
, Baltimore
Baltimore Grand Prix
The Baltimore Grand Prix is an IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series race held on a street circuit in Baltimore, Maryland. The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix was held September 4, 2011. The races are contested on a temporary street circuit around the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore...
, Nashville
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
, Charlotte
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
and Portland
Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway is located in Portland, Oregon, USA's, Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It is west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5....
. IRL cited both strong support from both local and state government in addition to the large crowd the attended an IRL training session in March 2009 as factors in Birmingham being selected for the race.
Past winners
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine | Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 IndyCar Series season The 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 15th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 99th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. It was the series' first of six planned seasons under Izod title sponsorship, a multi-million dollar deal which was announced on November 5, 2009... |
April 11 |  Hélio CastronevesHélio Castroneves Hélio Castroneves is a Brazilian auto racing driver currently competing in the North American IndyCar Series. In IndyCar competition, Castroneves has 14 wins and 28 poles, and has never placed lower than sixth in the standings in a complete season of racing... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... |
Team Penske Penske Racing Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske... |
report 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama was the third race of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The race took place on April 11, on the road course in Birmingham, Alabama, and was telecast by Versus in the United States.-Race:... |
| 2011 2011 IndyCar Series season The 2011 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 100th season of American open wheel motor racing. The season consisted of seventeen events over the course of a seven–month season. Its premier event was the 95th Indianapolis 500, run on Sunday, May 29. It was the final season running the IR–05 Dallara... |
April 10 |  Will PowerWill Power William Steven Power is an Australian motorsport driver, who currently competes in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske.-Australian Racing:... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... |
Team Penske Penske Racing Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske... |
report 2011 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama The 2011 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama was the second race of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The race took place on April 10, on the road course in Birmingham, Alabama, and was telecast by Versus in the United States.-Qualifying:... |
Indy Lights winners
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 Indy Lights season The 2010 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season was the 25th Indy Lights season. It was contested over thirteen races beginning on March 28 on the streets of St... |
April 11 |  Jean-Karl Vernay |
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Sam Schmidt Motorsports Sam Schmidt Motorsports is an auto racing team in the IndyCar IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series owned by quadriplegic former driver Sam Schmidt.... |
| 2011 2011 Indy Lights season The 2011 Indy Lights season is a season of open wheel motor racing in which cars' drivers will compete against each other using cars which conform to the Indy Lights set of motor racing regulations. It is the 26th season of the Indy Lights series and the tenth sanctioned by IndyCar where the... |
April 10 |  Víctor GarcíaVíctor García (racing driver) Víctor García is a professional racing driver from Spain.-Karting:García began his karting career in the late 1990s, starting out in the cadet ranks before working his way up to Spanish and European Championship ICA status... |
Team Moore Racing Team Moore Racing Team Moore Racing is an auto racing team that competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series. It is owned by former racer Tom Wood and Mark Moore and is based in Pittsboro, Indiana.The team was formed in 2007 with Wood driving... |
IndyCar Television History
| Season | Date | American TV Television in the United States Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one... |
Lap by lap | Driver Analyst Color commentator A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the... (s) |
Pit Reporter Sideline reporter A sideline reporter, also known as a field reporter, courtside reporter , clubhouse reporter or dugout reporter , rinkside reporter or inside-the-glass reporter , on-court reporter , hole reporter , or boundary rider , is a member of the... (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 IndyCar Series season The 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 15th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 99th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. It was the series' first of six planned seasons under Izod title sponsorship, a multi-million dollar deal which was announced on November 5, 2009... |
April 11 | Versus Versus (TV channel) Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports... |
Bob Jenkins Bob Jenkins Bob Jenkins is an American television and radio sports announcer with NBC Sports Network, also known for his work at ABC and ESPN calling IndyCar and NASCAR telecasts. He is currently the lead commentator for the IndyCar Series on NBC Sports Network.-ESPN and ABC:Bob Jenkins was born in Richmond,... |
Jon Beekhuis Jon Beekhuis Jon Beekhuis is a former race car driver from Zurich, Switzerland. The 1988 Indy Lights champion, he drove in 9 CART races in 1990 and a handful more in 1989, 1991, and 1992. His best finish was an 8th at Michigan International Speedway... & Robbie Buhl Robbie Buhl Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series... |
Jack Arute Jack Arute Jack Arute, Jr. currently covers the NFL and college sports for Sirius XM Radio. He is the president of the Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut... , Robbie Floyd, & Lindy Thackston |