Ryan Hunter-Reay gives a thumbs up to fans along the backstretch after he wins the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama auto race on today in Birmingham, Ala.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ryan Hunter-Reay coasted to his second straight victory at Barber Motorsports Park when the rain-shortened IndyCar race finished under caution.
A full-course caution came out for the final seven minutes of the timed race after rookie Mikhail Aleshin lost control and went off the track. That left Hunter-Reay unchallenged, with Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti finishing second.
Scott Dixon was third, followed by Simon Pagenaud and pole-sitter Will Power, a two-time winner at Barber who was among the drivers dealing with a slippery track in spots.
“He was out there cutting the grass,” Hunter-Reay said. “I had to take advantage of that. It was so easy to do that today. I almost lost this race three times.”
There was some slipping and sliding after the field switched from the wet tires with several drivers leaving the track.