Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Message Points

Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park, Leeds, AL
April 18, 2021
3 p.m. EDT
NBC and NBC Peacock
IndyCar Radio Network

HONDA MESSAGE POINTS

  • Honda will be seeking a fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship when the 2021 season kicks off this weekend with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.
  • NBC will provide live network television coverage of the race.
  • Seven wins in 2020 brought Honda the company’s ninth INDYCAR Manufacturers’ Championship, and third consecutive title, with Honda driver Scott Dixon prevailing to win his sixth Drivers’ Championship, highest among all active drivers in the series.
  • This weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama will be the 11th INDYCAR event at the scenic, 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park circuit; and the ninth year American Honda has served as title sponsor of the event.
  • Seven Indy car race winners, four Indianapolis 500 champions and two former series title holders make up the talented Honda-powered lineup for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
  • Honda will present an impressive lineup at Barber, all utilizing the Honda HI21TT twin-turbo V6 engine and Dallara chassis. It begins with six-time, defending series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 victor Scott Dixon, and includes two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato; 2012 series and 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay; 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi; multi-race winners Colton Herta, Graham Rahal and James Hinchcliffe. 
  • Following his remarkable run in NASCAR Cup competition, seven-time stock car racing champion Jimmie Johnson will make his official INDYCAR SERIES debut this weekend at Barber Motorsports park in his #48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
  • Accomplished Formula One racer Romain Grosjean will also be making the move to INDYCAR racing this year, driving the Honda-powered Dale Coyne Racing with RWR effort.
  • Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as both a Manufacturers’ Championship competitor and single engine supplier, with a record that includes eight Manufacturers’ Championships.  Honda’s Indy car total of 252 wins in 27 years of North American open-wheel racing – including 13 Indianapolis 500 victories since 2004 – is unmatched by any other manufacturer in the same period. 
  • Since the return of multi-manufacturer competition in 2012, Honda has scored five more Indy 500 triumphs, by Dario Franchitti in 2012, Hunter-Reay in 2014, Rossi’s dramatic victory in 2016’s historic 100th race and Sato’s popular victories in 2017 and 2020. The 13 wins by Honda at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway lead all other major automobile manufacturers. 

2021 Honda IndyCar Lineup: Barber Motorsports Park

Andretti Autosport                           #27 Alexander Rossi (W)

                                                            #28 Ryan Hunter-Reay (C) (W)

                                                            #29 James Hinchcliffe (W)

Andretti-Steinbrenner Autosport   #26 Colton Herta (W)

Chip Ganassi Racing                       #  8 Marcus Ericsson

                                                            #  9 Scott Dixon (C) (W)

                                                            #10 Alex Palou

                                                            #48 Jimmie Johnson (R)

Dale Coyne Racing:

    -with Vasser-Sullivan                   #18 Ed Jones

    -with RWR                                      #51 Romain Grosjean (R)

Meyer Shank Racing                        #60 Jack Harvey

Rahal Letterman LanigaRacing           #15 Graham Rahal (W)

                                                #30 Takuma Sato (W)

(W) – Indy car race winner

(C) – Current/former series champion

(R) – Indy car series rookie