NTT IndyCar Series Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama: Schedule, times, weather, entry list 

IndyCar fans' six-month wait for the 2021 season to get underway will end this Sunday, Apr. 18, but they'll be watching the action unfold with a feeling of déjà vu. That's because, for the second straight year, the traditional season opener in St. Petersburg was skipped because of COVID-19 concerns.

Last season, America’s premier single-seater racing series had to scramble to put together a makeshift schedule. There was just one adjustment this time around: IndyCar moved St. Petersburg to Race No. 2, and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park will run as scheduled.

So will the rest of the 17-race calendar.

In an interview with @JennaFryer of the AP about his new @CarvanaRacing ad campaign, @JimmieJohnson says he and his wife, Chani, are open to him racing in the Indy 500 next season as he makes the transition to #IndyCar https://t.co/pKjp7VBvtV

— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 13, 2021

One of the big storylines leading up to the IndyCar opener will be the open-wheel debut of future NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson. The California native will be piloting his familiar No. 48 for Chip Ganassi Racing, but instead of being in a Chevrolet stock car, he will steer a Dallara IR-12 Honda chassis.

Johnson, 45, will handle every IndyCar road and street course - 13 in all - while series veteran Tony Kanaan will drive the car on the four ovals. Kanaan will be the oldest and most experienced active IndyCar racer this season. Johnson’s teammate Scott Dixon has made 272 consecutive starts heading into the weekend - the second-longest streak in IndyCar. Kanaan holds the mark at 318, which ended last year.

Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Takuma Sato are the only entered drivers who have wins at Barber Motorsports Park. Kanaan, Graham Rahal, Dixon, Hunter-Reay and Sato have started every IndyCar race at Barber.

Sato won at Barber two seasons ago, which makes him the defending champion since IndyCar canceled the 2020 event due to the pandemic. The Japanese driver also won the NTT P1 Award at 1:08.5934 / 120.711 mph

Anticipation continues to build for the season opener Sunday, April 18 @BarberMotorPark. Check out a look at the year ahead and what's new below. Read: https://t.co/2GUB3doxow#INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/EBPFkcfKhB

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) April 13, 2021

Read more IndyCar: Two-time IndyCar champ Josef Newgarden tops 226 mph in Indy 500 test

Here's all you need to know about the 2021 IndyCar Series Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama:

INDYCAR RACE NUMBER: No. 1 of 17

WHAT: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

WHERE: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama

WHEN: Sunday, April 18 at 2:42 p.m.

TV/RADIO: NBC, Sirius 211, XM 205, indycar.com, and the INDYCAR Mobile app

TRACK SIZE: 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course (clockwise)

RACE LENGTH: 90 laps / 207 miles

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Six sets primary, four sets alternate, one additional set available for rookies for use in first practice.

PUSH TO PASS PARAMETERS: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.

INDYCAR WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 17

10-10:45 a.m.: IndyCar practice #1, Peacock Premium

1:40-2:25 p.m.: IndyCar practice #2, Peacock Premium

4:55-6:10 p.m.: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama qualifying (Three rounds of knockout qualifications), Peacock Premium (live), NBCSN (Tape delayed at 10 p.m. ET). Sebastien Bourdais holds the qualifying record at 1:06.6001, 124.324 mph, on April 23, 2016.

6:15 p.m.: NTT P1 Award Presentation (pit lane)

Sunday, April 18

10:30-11 a.m.: IndyCar warmup, Peacock Premium

2:00 p.m.: NBC on air

2:35 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”

2:42 p.m.: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (90 laps/207 miles), NBC (live)

WEATHER

Saturday: Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 67F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Sunday: Partly to mostly cloudy. High 69F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.

TRACK HISTORY

FIRST INDYCAR RACE: April 11, 2010. Winner: Helio Castroneves

OWNER: Barber Motorsports Park

INDYCAR ENTRY LIST

Car Number / Driver

2 Josef Newgarden

3 Scott McLaughlin (R)

4 Dalton Kellett

5 Pato O'Ward

7 Felix Rosenqvist

8 Marcus Ericsson

9 Scott Dixon

10 Alex Palou

12 Will Power

14 Sebastien Bourdais

15 Graham Rahal

18 Ed Jones

20 Conor Daly

21 Rinus Veekay

22 Simon Pagenaud

26 Colton Herta

27 Alexander Rossi

28 Ryan Hunter-Reay

29 James Hinchcliffe

30 Takuma Sato

48 Jimmie Johnson (R)

51 Romain Grosjean (R)

59 Max Chilton

60 Jack Harvey