BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Thursday, April 25, 2024) – Nearly two months after the opening race of the INDY NXT™ by Firestone season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Irish driver James Roe is poised to get his season reignited at Barber Motorsports Park for round two of the INDY NXT by Firestone championship chase.

After a mechanical issue impacted their initial outing of the season at St. Pete, Roe and his team look to rebound with the pace and precision they found at the 2023 Grand Prix of Alabama which saw Roe’s No. 29 Topcon Dallara notch a 5th place finish. 

Well rested and well prepared, Roe is ready to ride the Alabama rollercoaster – taking on the 2.3-mile permanent road course’s 17 flowing turns and 80 feet of elevation. With two full course cautions and a red flag in 2023, this year’s event is sure to offer action and excitement on a course that challenges engineers and driver’s alike.

“Barber is, without a doubt, one of the quickest tracks that we race on. It’s a super physical track with limited passing opportunities,” noted Roe, “so it’s important that we bring our best to the qualifying session to be able to start the race near the front of the grid. We finished in the top five last year, so I’m hoping we can bring home some good results again.” 

 Bringing a close to his INDY NXT “Spring Break” which included a visit to Topcon’s Tokyo headquarters and an appearance at the University of Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game, Roe is ready to be back in his racing seat proudly representing partners Topcon, Ring Power Corporation, CES Power, Strong Roots, Trintech, Tourism Ireland, and The Ireland Funds as he chases a podium in Alabama. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Event: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama

Season: Race 2 of 14

Race Info: Sunday, April 28 (11:15 a.m. ET) 

Track: Barber Motorsports Park (2.3-mile, 17-turn permanent road course)

Other Sessions: Practice 1 – Friday, April 26 (2:30 p.m. ET); Practice 2 – Saturday, April 27 (11:05 a.m. ET); Qualifying – Saturday, April 27 (2:35 p.m. ET)

Broadcast: Race – Live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network (U.S.), INDYCAR Live! (outside of U.S.). Practice/Qualifying – Live on INDYCAR Live!, INDYCAR Radio Network (globally). Sky F1 (UK/Ireland/Northern Ireland).

ABOUT JAMES ROE

Hometown: Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland

Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana

Age: 25

2024 Car: No. 29 Topcon Andretti Global Dallara

Social: X –@jamesroe_IE; FB – @JamesRoeJr, IG – @jamesroe_ie