IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama: preview, odds and tips

Sky Sports F1, 9pm Sunday

Canadian James Hinchcliffe is one of the most colourful characters in the IndyCar paddock but he could show some serious speed in the Grand Prix of Alabama tonight.

The self-styled Mayor of Hinchtown was runner-up in the 2016 series of Dancing With The Stars - the US version of Strictly Come Dancing - and he has been pretty nimble around the track in Birmingham all weekend.

Hinchcliffe was third in practice one, topped the times in the second and third sessions and was fastest again in the second round of qualifying on Saturday. A mistake on his first effort in the Fast Six has left him fourth on the grid behind surprise pole-sitter Takuma Sato, but at 10-1 he is a decent price.

Hinch has finished seventh, seventh, sixth, sixth and third in the last five runnings of this race and could improve again this year.

Sato was cut from 33-1 to 10-1 after his impressive qualifying performance, having picked a perfect time to have his best session of the weekend, but the 2017 Indy 500 winner might have a tough time keeping the pack at bay.

Experienced road-course performers Graham Rahal and Sebastien Bourdais are also in the leading group on the grid, along with favourite Scott Dixon, who qualified third.

The surprise face in the Fast Six to many was the unheralded Spencer Pigot. He has been cut from 100-1 to 25-1 but that could look a fair price after the race as he has been a solid performer all weekend. Pigot was seventh in second practice, sixth in the third session, fastest in his first qualifying group and second in qualifying round two.

It should not be beyond him to hang around in the top six at least.

Teenage sensation Colton Herta, winner of his second career race last time out, is 12-1 - the same price he was for his maiden victory - after qualifying ninth.

Josef Newgarden, winner of this race in three of the last four years, has had a troubled weekend and the pre-qualifying favourite is 8-1 after qualifying only 16th.

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