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McLaughlin Leads Barber Practice as Penske, Arrow McLaren Shine
New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin tops opening session at Barber Motorsports Park
Mar. 28, 2026 at 12:48am
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Scott McLaughlin led the opening practice session for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, turning the fastest lap of 1 minute, 7.7245 seconds in his Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet. Series points leader Kyle Kirkwood was second, followed by Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren, as Team Penske and Arrow McLaren cars took five of the top six spots.
Why it matters
Barber Motorsports Park has become one of McLaughlin's strongest tracks since joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES full-time in 2021, with wins in 2023 and 2024. The tight competition at the top of the practice session suggests an exciting qualifying and race ahead as teams and drivers continue to jockey for position in the early stages of the 2026 season.
The details
McLaughlin, a three-time Supercars champion in Australia and New Zealand, has found success at the picturesque, 17-turn, 2.3-mile Barber road course, finishing sixth or better in four of his five starts at the track. In today's 64-minute practice session, he edged out series points leader Kyle Kirkwood, who has struggled at Barber in the past, and Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard, who rounded out the top four.
- The opening practice session took place on Friday, March 27, 2026.
- Qualifying is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
- The 90-lap race will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET.
The players
Scott McLaughlin
A three-time Supercars champion from New Zealand who joined the NTT INDYCAR SERIES full-time with Team Penske in 2021. He has won the Barber race in 2023 and 2024.
Kyle Kirkwood
The current points leader in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, driving for Andretti Global. Barber has not been one of his strongest tracks, with a best finish of 10th in 2024.
Pato O'Ward
The 2022 Barber race winner, driving for Arrow McLaren.
Christian Lundgaard
An Arrow McLaren driver who finished fourth in the opening practice session.
Josef Newgarden
A three-time Barber race winner, driving for Team Penske.
What they’re saying
“Pretty good start for us on the Odyssey Battery Chevy. We were all strong, which is a good sign for the team. We've done a lot of hard work in the offseason to figure out where we can be better. We've still got a lot to learn and be better and stronger.”
— Scott McLaughlin, Driver, No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet
What’s next
Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by the 90-lap race on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. McLaughlin will look to continue his strong performance at Barber and secure another victory, while Kirkwood aims to improve on his past results at the track and maintain his points lead.
The takeaway
The opening practice session at Barber Motorsports Park showcased the strength of Team Penske and Arrow McLaren, with their drivers occupying five of the top six positions. However, the tight competition at the top, with less than two-tenths of a second separating the top six, suggests an exciting weekend of racing ahead as drivers and teams continue to jockey for position in the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.
