The IZOD IndyCar Series is attacking its first road course of the season this afternoon at Barber Motorsports Park (3 p.m. ET, Versus). Here are a few storylines to keep an eye on today.
1. A historic day for Will Power? Only three drivers in IZOD IndyCar Series history have been able to win three races in a row, but no one has been able to start a season doing that. Power has been the class of the field in the early going and he’ll look to etch his name into the record books today from the pole (his second straight). Considering how important track position is at Barber, he seems to be in prime position to claim the top of the podium again. Another victory for Power can also turn his 44-point lead in the championship into something much bigger.
2. Tangled in her web. Barber Motorsports Park has been tagged as a tough track to pass on, but there is one potential major passing zone — the left-hand hairpin of Turn 5, known as “Charlotte’s Web” due to the nearby spider sculpture. Expect some action in this spot today, which comes after a blind Turn 4 and a short straightaway that connects the two corners.
3. Pit road trouble? Where to start? The pit-in is at Turn 14 and requires a sharp right turn and then a sharp left before you reach the road itself. Gotta pay attention there. The pit lanes at Barber are only 12 feet wide (according to IMS Radio), which will make it critical for drivers to be precise hitting their marks and careful coming out of their boxes. Finally, the pit-out dumps you at Turn 2, which could be problematic if another car is coming out of Turn 1 and stays on the inside. In this morning’s warmup, Graham Rahal came out of the pits and went down to the bottom of T2 — only to find Mike Conway already there. Rahal wound up getting clipped and spun by the Englishman.
4. Dangerous risks. The lack of passing zones may make some drivers impatient and have them force the issue in trying to get by other cars. This could lead to more than a few wrecks today on the Alabama road course. Let’s see if they can resist temptation and wait until either Charlotte’s Web or the pits to make up positions.
5. Alternate tire/fuel strategies. Raphael Matos was P2 in this morning’s warmup, but due to his dismal qualifying session (18th place), he told IMS Radio that he and his team have no choice but to go off normal strategy and hope it works in getting him up front. Helio Castroneves also said yesterday that a bigger fuel window at Barber could induce others to try something different. It’ll be interesting to see how this aspect plays out.
