IndyCar Highlights from Long Beach Streets

A Rich History of the Grand Prix of Long Beach

The Grand Prix of Long Beach has a long and storied history in the world of motorsports. It didn’t start as the IndyCar staple we know today. The race first took place in 1975 and was briefly part of the Formula 1 calendar until 1983. In 1984, it made a switch to American open-wheel racing, which ultimately shaped its identity.

Over the years, the race has grown into one of the crown jewels of not just IndyCar racing but also American racing. The circuit winds through downtown Long Beach and along the harbor, often referred to as the “Monaco” of the IndyCar Calendar due to its challenging and scenic layout.

Alex Palou’s Dominant Victory at Long Beach

During the last time out at Barber Motorsports Park, Alex Palou secured a dominant victory. However, at Long Beach, Palou had never stood on the top step of the podium until this year. The honor of winning at Long Beach had belonged to Kyle Kirkwood two out of the last three years, and to Scott Dixon, Palou’s Chip Ganassi teammate, in the third.

Felix Rosenqvist Starts on Pole, But Palou Takes the Win

Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist started on pole after a difficult start to his season. He was leading a formidable group that included O’Ward, Palou, Kirkwood, Malukas, and Dixon. After 90 laps, however, it was Alex Palou who took home the victory – his first at Long Beach.

Challenges for the Andretti Team

Kyle Kirkwood, a two-time race winner on the Streets of Long Beach, finished in P4. This was not the story for his other teammates on the Andretti Team, or even for Kyle before the race.

The team faced several challenges during the day. First, they were forced to replace a water pump and the hybrid system on Kirkwood’s #27 car after issues were spotted during the morning warmup. This was not the only hybrid issue that the Andretti Team faced throughout the day.

Marcus Ericsson’s Retirement and Will Power’s Penalty

Marcus Ericsson, who has had an extremely strong start to the IndyCar season, was forced to retire from the race just before lap 40. It appeared that his hybrid system was unable to deploy energy above 25%, causing the car to slow dramatically.

Their difficult day wasn’t over. During the pit cycle triggered by the caution for debris on the track, every car entered the pits simultaneously. Long Beach features the most difficult pit lane of the season, which is not only narrow but also banked and curved.

Will Power, driving the #26, exited his pit in a flurry of other cars and ran over what appeared to be the legs of the rear left tire changer on the AJ Foyt #4 Car of Caio Collet, Ryan Marzec. This triggered a penalty for Power, dropping him from the top five to P24 after a drive through penalty. He finished the race in 18th.

IndyCar Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Results

Here are the final results of the race:

Race Off Pit Road Wins Race for Palou

Alex Palou and the Chip Ganassi #10 crew came into the weekend with expectations of a P2 or P3, but not a win. The team acknowledged several times that this is not their best track. That almost held true with Palou sitting in P2 behind Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist until the late race caution.

When all cars pitted during the caution for their final tire change and refuel of the race, Palou and Rosenqvist both exited the pits on hard tires, but the #10 car was simply faster. With that clean air, as Rosenqvist displayed throughout much of the race, it was not difficult for Palou to rocket ahead of the #60 car.