We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
The first three races of the 2018 IndyCar season have already enjoyed some dramatic moments, whether it was Alexander Rossi and Robert Wickens crashing in St. Petersburg or Sebastien Bourdais making the pass of a lifetime only to be penalized for it in Long Beach, but the Grand Prix of Alabama was like “hold my beer” and took things to a new level.
The first go-around at Barber Motorsports Park only lasted 22 laps and was ultimately postponed to Monday due to heavy rain and standing water on the race track. The second go-around of the Grand Prix of Alabama took place on Monday afternoon, and what initially looked like a bone-dry race ended up turning into a wet mayhem towards the end of it, just like the day before. Of course, this caused a few tempers to flare, more specifically those of Gabby Chaves and Simon Pagenaud, as you’ll see on our social media recap below.
Josef Newgarden—First Place
Newgarden’s driving was pure masterclass this weekend, but it wasn’t completely error-free. The Tenessee native had a couple of “oh-crap” moments due to standing water or putting a wheel on the grass, but his skills allowed him to recuperate and overcome. This marks the third win at Barber for Newgarden.
Ryan Hunter-Reay—Second Place
Hunter-Reay benefitted from a spot-on pit strategy, which saw him move up the field when everyone else was still confused about what to do with the incoming rain. The American salvaged what otherwise would’ve been a disastrous race for Andretti Autosport.
James Hinchcliffe—Third Place
We called this one! When we shared our story about James Hinchcliffe having peed his driving suit during Sunday’s delayed race, we said that such act of silliness would most likely bring him good luck on Monday. Well, we’re not fortune tellers, but we surely got this one right. Sadly, the terrorist attack that took place in Toronto soured Hinchcliffe’s near-victory.
Simon Pagenaud and Gabby Chaves—Ninth and 17th Place
The heavy rain that attacked the track in the closing laps and Pagenaud’s attempt to save fuel while charging to the middle of the field didn’t mix well with Chaves, who even though was two laps down, was still fighting Tony Kanaan and Rene Binder for position. Pagenaud felt like Chaves blocked him unnecessarily and confronted Chaves about it. Tempers flared, and well, the rest you can watch on the NSFW video.
