Graham Rahal Eager for Sunday Fight at Front Alex Palou secured the pole position for Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, starting first at Barber Motorsports Park. The four-time series champion, including three consecutive titles, earned the NTT P1 Award last year and converted it into his second victory at the track, finishing 16.0035 seconds ahead of the field. Rahal, meanwhile, finds himself in unfamiliar territory, starting third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Rahal and points leader Kyle Kirkwood were the only drivers to qualify on used sets of the softer Firestone Firehawk alternate tires in the Firestone Fast Six, leaving them with two fresh sets for Sunday’s race. Kirkwood starts a season-best fifth in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda for Andretti Global. Rahal acknowledged the challenge of adapting to the tire strategy, stating, “We’re not here all that often, so we don’t really know the strategy too much.” Despite his recent form, Rahal believed his qualifying effort at Barber fell short of perfection. He reached the Firestone Fast Six four times last season, including two appearances on natural road courses. His best result at the track was a second-place finish in the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and a sixth-place showing at Road America. However, Rahal questioned whether he has enough to challenge Palou, who led 81 of 90 laps in last year’s race at the 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit. The 90-lap race, airing at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One, the FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls, presents a critical opportunity for Rahal. If the tire strategy breaks his way, he may be well-positioned to contend for the win.#alex_palou #graham_rahal #barber_motorsports_park #fifth_third_bank_honda
