Álex Palou set the pace in IndyCar Practice 2 at Barber Motorsports Park, with a competitive field close behind, before a late crash for Scott McLaughlin brought the session to an end.
After a closely contested opening session at the IndyCar Series Barber round, Scott McLaughlin set the early benchmark in Practice 1, narrowly edging Kyle Kirkwood at Barber Motorsports Park. The field remained tightly packed at the front, with small margins separating the leading drivers and setting up a competitive Practice 2.
Drivers improved lap times throughout the session as the track evolved, with several names moving to the top of the timesheets. McLaughlin delivered the quickest lap late on to secure P1, while Kirkwood consistently challenged at the front. Teams continued to refine their set-ups, and the order behind the leaders changed frequently as drivers searched for performance.
Attention then turned to Practice 2, where teams looked to build on their early data and refine their set-ups further.
Lights out for IndyCar Barber Practice 2
The lights went green for Practice 2 at the IndyCar Series Barber round, and all drivers headed out except four-time champion Álex Palou, who remained in the pits. The rest of the field immediately pushed to make gains, with Scott McLaughlin, a two-time winner at Barber Motorsports Park, setting the early benchmark.
Mick Schumacher soon moved ahead with a 1:12.268, although the session had only just begun. Pato O’Ward briefly led before Schumacher’s fellow rookie Caio Collet went fastest. Schumacher then responded immediately, reclaiming the top spot with a 1:07.341, the quickest time of the weekend so far, while providing positive feedback to his team. Despite some underwhelming results across the previous three races, he continued to show clear signs of pace as he adapted to new circuits and the demands of IndyCar.
Meanwhile, Palou joined the session and climbed to third, as drivers ran cleanly with no immediate issues across the field.
Although Caio Collet and Mick Schumacher showed strong pace, fellow rookie Dennis Hauger struggled further down the order in P19. Will Power then moved to the top of the timesheets, improving by two tenths as he pushed hard and explored the limits.
Red flag
The session came to a halt when Nolan Siegel ran off the road and slid sideways, stopping just short of the barrier without making contact. He avoided damage, although the incident frustrated the frontrunners, who had worked to build momentum. Marshals assisted Siegel back onto the circuit, and he returned to the pits to check for any hidden issues.
With 20 minutes remaining, the session resumed, and Christian Lundgaard led the field with a 1:06.972. Behind him, Rinus VeeKay continued to show consistency in P8. Josef Newgarden and David Malukas ran in P9 and P7 respectively, while Marcus Ericsson climbed to fourth. Romain Grosjean also moved forward, rising to seventh and pushing Newgarden out of the top 10.
In the pits, Lundgaard told his Arrow McLaren crew that the car had an issue with shifting, although it still felt strong overall. Grosjean then set the pace with a 1:06.609, while Kyffin Simpson and Christian Rasmussen both broke into the top 10.
With 12 minutes remaining, Álex Palou reminded the field of his pace as he moved to the top of the timesheets, leading a Honda 1-2-3 ahead of Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson.
Maintaining his consistency, Rinus VeeKay then climbed to third in the closing 10 minutes.
Final moments of the Practice 2 of IndyCar’s Barber round
Rinus VeeKay then climbed to P2, although the Honda-powered cars continued to show strong pace, with Marcus Armstrong moving into fourth and Graham Rahal into fifth, just ahead of fellow Honda driver Marcus Ericsson.
A minor incident occurred between Louis Foster and Santino Ferrucci when Foster moved in close and nearly forced Ferrucci off the track. Earlier in the session, Christian Rasmussen locked up into Turn 5 and ran slightly wide.
Scott Dixon improved marginally but remained outside the top 10, while Kyle Kirkwood moved up to P2. Álex Palou continued to lead comfortably.
In the final three minutes, Scott McLaughlin lost control of his car heading into Turn 1, hit the wall, and went over the barrier and through the catch fencing. He confirmed over the radio that he was unhurt and climbed out unaided.
Officials halted the session, and Palou finished Practice 2 on top at Barber Motorsports Park, ahead of Kirkwood and VeeKay.
Armstrong, Rahal, and Collet completed the top positions behind them, while both Arrow McLaren drivers, Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard, rounded out the top 10.
McLaughlin went to the medical centre for checks, while the No. 3 crew need to assess the car. He confirmed that he dropped the right rear and lost control. The rear of the No. 3 car appeared largely intact, leaving open the possibility of returning for qualifying.
