Armstrong to start 11th, Rosenqvist 14th for Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
Birmingham, Ala. (3 May 2025) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is setting its sights on a forward push through the field after qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday, setting the grid for Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (1:30 PM ET, FOX, SiriusXM Channel 218).
Practice sessions one and two saw both Felix Rosenqvist – No. 60 SiriusXM Honda and Marcus Armstrong – No. 66 SiriusXM / Root Insurance Honda clock laps in preparation for Saturday afternoon qualifying.
The final moments of Practice two saw rain come through, giving both cars a sense for running in wet conditions with rain also predicted for qualifying just two hours later. But clear skies returned just in time for qualifying, setting the stage for an intense battle around the scenic 2.3-mile racetrack nestled in the rolling hills of Alabama.
Marcus Armstrong, driver of the No. 66 SiriusXM / Root Insurance Honda, was the first MSR machine to head on head on track in Group 1. The New Zealander closed out the qualifying session third fastest, posting a 1:07.568-second lap – his quickest time of the weekend so far and enough to transfer into the Top 12.
With the track evolving rapidly, Armstrong fought to replicate his earlier pace in the Top 12 round. but ultimately settled for 11th on the starting grid.
Rosenqvist, who is making his 100th INDYCAR SERIES race start this weekend, took to the track in Group 2 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda. Rosenqvist came up just 0.01-seconds shy of advancing, finishing seventh in his group and securing a 14th-place starting position for Sunday’s race.
Meyer Shank Racing has shown consistent race-day strength this season with four top 10 race results in the books, and both drivers will look to make the most of the 90-lap race.
Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix will go green at 1:47 PM ET and will be broadcast live on FOX and SiriusXM Channel 218.
Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:
Marcus Armstrong: “The car felt good in Q1 but Q2 we clearly had something different going on with the tires, I just had no grip, and we made a bit of a meal of it. But on the plus side, we saved some tires for the race which I think is good. The car had good pace on reds so that’s promising.”
Felix Rosenqvist: “I’m not super happy to be P7 in our group. At least we have a bit of a better tire situation than some people. I’m a little bit disappointed, I didn’t feel that I had much more to be honest. I struggled a lot on the blacks and then it felt a bit better on the reds – and I think it’s going to be a red race. I didn’t really feel like I had another 10th so we have to review it and see what we can do.”