BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK PREVIEW
FRIDAY, MAY 2 – SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025
RACE: Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
TRACK: Barber Motorsports Park
LOCATION: Leeds, Alabama, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.3-mile, 17-turn permanent road course
RACE LENGTH: 90 laps
PRACTICE:
Friday – 2:30-4 p.m. CT (FOX Sports 2)
Saturday – 10:30-11:30 a.m. CT (FOX Sports 1)
Sunday – 9-9:30 a.m. CT (FOX Sports 1)
QUALIFYING: Saturday – 1:30-3 p.m. CT (FOX Sports 1)
RACE: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. CT (FOX)
ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 20 JAVA HOUSE CHEVROLET
ALEXANDER ROSSI, No. 20 Java House Chevrolet: “Barber is such an amazing facility and the weather this weekend looks nothing short of perfect to take advantage of that! ECR has had some very fast cars here in the past and we had a strong test a couple months ago, so we will look to roll off the truck strong and carry that throughout the entirety of the weekend. I can’t wait to get back out there!”
BIRTHDAY: September 25, 1991
HOMETOWN: Nevada City, CA
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN
BARBER STATS
NUMBER OF STARTS: 8
TOP 5 FINISHES: 2
TOP 10 FINISHES: 5
BEST START: 2nd (2021)
BEST FINISH: 5th (2017, 2019)
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 10th
STARTS: 150
WINS: 8
POLES: 7
TOP 5 FINISHES: 50
TOP 10 FINISHES: 92
LAPS LED: 996
OF NOTE:
- Alexander Rossi will return to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend looking to add to his tally of strong finishes at the road course. In eight starts in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, he has six finishes of 11th or better, including two 5th place results. Rossi’s first year with ECR has been off to a strong start as he earned to Top 10 finishes in his first two starts with the team. He started sixth in the second race of the season at the Thermal Club, placing ECR in the Firestone Fast 6 for the first time since mid-2022. In the most recent event in the streets of Long Beach, Rossi once again advanced in qualifying and started 8th.
- Rossi is now in his 10th season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver and made his 150th career start in Long Beach. Rossi, 33, has 30 career podium finishes, including eight victories, most notably the 2016 Indianapolis 500. The Nevada City, California native was the first American rookie to win since 1928. Rossi’s talent has taken him worldwide, with wins in F2, World Series by Renault, and the 24 Hours of Daytona along with starts in a Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Baja 1000 and the Bathurst 1000.
- Java House made its on-track debut on Rossi’s No. 20 Chevrolet during his first test with ECR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2024. The innovative cold brew coffee brand will now serve as Rossi’s primary sponsor at select races throughout the 2025 season, including at Barber Motorsports Park. In addition to its versatile Peel n Pour™ single serve beverages, Java House owns and operates cafes in the Indianapolis and Lafayette, IN markets.
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 21 SPLENDA CHEVROLET
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet: “Barber is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar! It’s fast and flowing with plenty of elevation changes. We had a very promising test there earlier this year where we showed good speed, so I’m excited to see what we can do there this weekend.”
BIRTHDAY: June 29, 2000
HOMETOWN:
Copenhagen, Denmark
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN
BARBER STATS
NUMBER OF STARTS: 1
BEST START: 14th (2024)
BEST FINISH: 24th (2024)
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 2ndSTARTS: 17
OF NOTE:
- In early March, ECR participated in a test at Barber Motorsports Park and Christian Rasmussen concluded the day with the third-fastest time on the speed charts. Despite a tough NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut at Barber last year, Rasmussen is no stranger to success at the road course. In the 2023 INDY NXT event, he set the track record in qualifying, started from the pole position and led every lap before winning the race. His victory was the first of five wins on his way to claiming the 2023 INDY NXT championship. This season, Rasmussen led the 27-car field in passes for position through the second round at The Thermal Club, executing 24 overtakes in just two events.
- Rasmussen, 24, is in his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The Danish driver joined ECR after winning three championships in four years, including the 2023 INDY NXT title. He completed an impressive first year in the No. 20, including earning the distinction of the highest finishing rookie in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 field. Rasmussen’s performance in his debut season resulted in his being elevated to the No. 21 Chevrolet for the entirety of the 2025 season and beyond.
- Splenda®, the most recognizable low-calorie sweetener brand in the world, will be featured on Rasmussen’s No. 21 Chevrolet at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. Since Splenda’s launch in 1991, more than 100 billion yellow packets have been sold. Coincidentally, Splenda’s packaging facility and ECR’s race shop are both on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis with locations less than one mile apart.