Long Beach Tire Selections
Long Beach Race Day
Today’s schedule: Times Eastern
1 PM Warmup FS1
5:30 PM FOX on Air
5:57 PM Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Qualifying produced an interesting starting grid which should make for a good race today. The polesitter wins less than 20% of the time4 at Long Beach. Since Kyle Kirkwood won from pole in 2025, Felix Rosenqvist’s chances are somewhat diminished. I think the winner comes from the first two rows.
From last night:
Things to watch for:
Remembering Jim Michaelian
Take a moment before the race to remember Jim Michaelian, who helped found the Long Beach event and guided it to the prestigious spot it holds on the IndyCar schedule as one the series’ Crown Jewels.
Kirkwood vs. Palou
If the pair is not contending for the win, keep an eye on where they are. Kirkwood leads the points by just 2, so where this duo finishes will determine the leader heading the IMS road course race in 20 days.
Another Charge for Lundgaard?
Lundgaard has not qualified particularly well this season, but he has made his way into the top 10 by the end of the day. From 1th on the grid, a top 5 result is very likely. He is my race sleeper.
Pato Vindication Tour
Pato O’Ward used very blunt terms to describe h at Barber, and he seems to be on a mission to avenge an embarrassing showing. From his front row spot, I give him the nod to park in Victory Lane today.
Pit Strategy
The race is very likely to be a three stop event, barring a mid-first stint yellow. The requirement to use two sets of the alternate tire could dictate the amount of pit visits.
Notes
Word I’m hearing is that A. J. Foyt Racing will be home for the 33rd entry for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. Katherine Legge will drive the entry. Number and sponsor will probably be announced next week.
Rosenqvist Pole Caps Big Day for MSR
Mike Shank would have left IndyCar qualifying happy regardless of the outcome after one of his entries won the IMSA race at: Long Beach this afternoon. It was MSR’s first win at the prestigious track. But Felix Rosenqvist wasn’t ready to end the celebration there.
“That was nerve-wracking to watch,” Rosenqvist said. “My old buddy Pato there at end, that was close. That was a good lap.”
Rosenqvist tied his career best by finishing sixth in the standings last season, his second year with MSR. But he has endured a slow start to 2026, 14th in the standings after four races, which he said gave the team extra focus this weekend.
“It’s been a tough start of the year,” Rosenqvist said. “We said we wanted to do a little bounce-back here, and we did. Phenomenal day for us.”
In a dramatic Fast Six qualifying, Rosenqvist knocked defending series champion off the pole, then he watched nervously out as Pato O’Ward just missed beating him on the final run of the day. O’Ward missed by 0.04 seconds.
The former teammates will share the front row, while the top two in the standings, Palou and leader Kyle Kirkwood, will roll off in row 2. Full results are at the end of this post.
Tweaks Worked
At Arlington the debut of the single car qualifying was a flop in my opinion. The sixth fastest in Round 2 went first, a distinct advantage as his tires were still warm from the previous run. The other five drivers had little chance of catching Marcus Ericsson.
For Long Beach, the fastest driver had first choice of when to make his run, and the other drivers chose a spot in order of their Fast 12 finish. The only driver to pick out of order was O’Ward, who chose to go last instead of fifth.
Teams had the option of changing tires, but most stuck with the Round 2 set.
The result was a dramatic round with the top spot changing hands three times.
The format worked the way it was intended to.
FOX Still Not There
FOX displayed sector times, but only occasionally and infrequently during the Fast Six. In the final round, they had a running timer which switched from red to green depending on where the car was in relation to the driver on pole at the time. That was okay, but I want to know how far off the fastest pace the driver is.
I want to see running sector times for all six drivers and each driver’s deficit or advantage as they run. The network has the capability, I don’t understand why they are shortchanging the broadcast of a sport they partly own.
A Black Day for Racing
This morning we learned of the of sports car driver Juha Miettinen as a result of injuries sustained in a crash involving seven cars during a race at the Nürburgring in Germany. Any driver sport in any racing category is a tough blow to all racing fans. I’m thankful that racing fatalities are so few and far between in this era, but somehow it makes each one hurt more.
If you are going to a race tomorrow, or just watching at home, please take a moment to honor Juha Miettinen’s memory.
Results
Qualifying Groups- Long Beach
Saturday at Long Beach- Will Redemption Weekend Continue?
Friday was a day of comebacks. Will Power led the one IndyCar practice. Former IndyCar driver Robert Wickens won the pole for the GTD class We’ll see if the momentum continues today.
Today’s schedule: Times are Eastern
1:35-2:55 pm: Practice (same format as PRAC 1) FS2
IUMSA race, 4 pm Peacock
6:30 pm: IndyCar qualifying FS1
Practice Groups. Qualifying groups will be announced after practice.
Stories You May Have \Missed.
From my series on the Indianapolis 500 relating to the 2026 race:
:
Power Fastest in Long Beach Opener
Will Power led Practice 1 for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and his Andretti teammates placed in the top six. Points leader Kyle Kirkwood finished third, and Marcus Ericsson was sixth fastest.
Scott McLaughlin had the second quickest time before he made contact with the turn 9 tire barrier.
Alex Palou led his small group and placed fourth.
Mick Schumacher continued his rocky start in IndyCar as his car stalled in turn 2 just 9 mi9nutes into the session. The crew told him not to restart the car. He did not return to the track.
Could this be the weekend Power regains his form? The first four races were difficult for him, but he had his best on track session of the season today.lFrom what I saw of the crowd on television, Sunday will have an enormous crowd. It looked like a race day crowd today, and I received word from a friend on site that it felt like race day.
Tomorrow’s schedule, in Eastern time:
1:35-2:55 pm: Practice FS2 (40 mins all skate, 12 mins per 2 groups
4 pm: IMSA Race Peacock
6:40 pm: IndyCar Qualifying FS1
Results
Long Beach Preview
Today’s schedule: Eastern Times
6:05 pm- IndyCar practice FS1
The second half century of racing at Long Beach begins today with a single practice. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is the crown jewel of street courses. The expected three day attendance could reach 200,000.
Long Beach is my second favorite event of the season- beautiful setting, car crazy fans, an IMSA race, and a first class presentation. This is a city that completely embraces the event.
This weekend will be the first without Jim Michaelian, one of the founders of the Grand Prix, along with Dan Gurney Michaelian, who died suddenly last month, grew the event into a world class attraction. he will be missed, but I don’t think the event will suffer much.
Kyle Kirkwood comes to Long Beach as the defending race winner, and he is heavily favored to win for the third time on the streets of Southern California. While Alex Palou is expected to put up a stiff challenge, Kirkwood also needs to be wary of his teammates Will Power and Marcus Ericsson.
Andretti Global is strong on the street courses, and they are formidable at Long Beach. One team that may spoil the party is McLaren and Christian Lundgaard. Lundgaard has been close all season, and he was one bad pit stop from winning at Barber.
Qualifying
The qualifying format which debuted at Arlington returns with some tweaks. The Fasy Six will use the single car qualifying format, but there will be some different procedures.
Per IndyCar, the Fast Six procedures beginning tomorrow and for the remaining street races are :
“Choice of qualifying order based on Segment 2 results.
The fastest qualifier from Segment 2 will be the first to choose which position they would like to make their Fast Six qualifying run with subsequent choices made for the remaining positions based on the order of Segment 2 results.
Lining up at pit out following tire declaration.Once the qualifying order is determined, teams will make their tire selection – primary or alternate tires – prior to lining up in single-file and in order of their qualifying run, at pit out to await their qualifying attempt.
During Firestone Fast Six single-car qualifying, drivers will leave pit lane and get an opportunity for one lap – starting and ending at the alternate start/finish line. Once the car enters pit lane following that driver’s attempt, the next car will be released for its attempt. As in the streets of Arlington event, tire allotments and tire rules will remain unchanged.”
I like the changes. The fastest in Round 2 deserves the choice of when to qualify. The rule doesn’t specifically say the teams must change tires, although I hope it’s required. That will take away some of the advantage of being the first car out with tires that are still warm.
I would also like to see a longer break before the Fast Six. If the television window is an issue, shave4 a minute from Round 2.
Now that IndyCar has made a great effort to improve the new format, FOX needs to step up their qualifying game. At Barber, the network briefly displayed sector times during an IND NXT practice. Sector times should be mandatory on screen for Fast Six qualifying, if not for the entire session.
Race Strategy
Two sets of alternates are required during the race, and when to use them will be key. The 90 lap race should be a three stop affair, but who will gamble on a two stop race?
While I wish no driver ill, a caution or two would greatly enhance the strategy of the race.
I’m going with Kyle Kirkwood to keep his Long Beach crown, but I would not be surprised if Will Power puts all the issues that he’s encountered this season behind him and stand atop the podium.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Teams To Participate in Indy 500 Open Test April 28-29 at IMS
| From IMS: |
| In preparation for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers will participate in an Open Test from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, April 28 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday, April 29 on the famed 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On Tuesday, veterans will take to the oval from 10:05 a.m.-noon, with Rookie Orientation Program and refresher tests from noon-2 p.m. and all participants on track from 2-6 p.m. All cars are scheduled to be on track from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Wednesday. The Southeast Vista grandstands and the Turn 2 Viewing Mounds will be open for public viewing. Guests will park across 16th Street in Lot 3P and will enter through Gate 3. Guests with an ADA parking placard will park in the Front Museum Lot and sit in South Terrace East. Security will be on site to assist fans with crossing 16th Street. Concessions and merchandise will be available for purchase. The test will be streamed on the INDYCAR YouTube channel. Live timing will be available on INDYCAR.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. |
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Fast Facts
From IndyCar
| Race weekend: Friday, April 17 – Sunday, April 19 Track: 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course (clockwise) in Long Beach, California Race distance: 90 laps / 177.12 miles Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 415 kilojoules (kj) per lap Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary (hard) and five sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and two sets of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race for at least two laps in the race. X: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCAR Instagram: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCAR Facebook: @GrandPrixLB, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR TikTok: @grandprixlongbeach, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR YuTube: @INDYCAR Event website: www.gplb.comI NDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2025 race winner: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda) 2025 NTT P1 Award: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda), 1:06.1921, 107.034 mph Qualifying lap record: Colton Herta, 1:05.3095, 108.480 mph, April 9, 2022 FOX Sports telecast: Practice 1, 6 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1 (live); Practice 2, 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup, 1 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live); Race, 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. A Spanish-language telecast of the race will be available on FOX Deportes.INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Jonathan Grace and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race (5 p.m. ET on April 19) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all local times): Friday, April 17 3:05-4:25 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (split group format), FS1 (live) Saturday, April 18 10:35-11:55 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (split group format), FS2 (live) 3:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (two rounds of knockout qualifying followed by single-car Firestone Fast Six showdown), FS1 (live) Sunday, April 19 10:10-10:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (live) 12:59 p.m. – Driver introductions 2:30 p.m. – FOX on air 2:50 p.m. – Start engines command 2:57 p.m. – Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (90 laps/177.12 miles), FOX, FOX ONE, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network (live). Spanish telecast on FOX Deportes (live) WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT LONG BEACH: 1. Hold or break serve: The pursuit of the Astor Challenge Cup early in this NTT INDYCAR SERIES season could mirror a top-flight Grand Slam tennis match.Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou head to this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with nearly the same point totals atop the standings. Kirkwood holds a two-point advantage. Sure, there are other contenders for the season championship as only four of the 18 events have been staged, but already there is a theme. Kirkwood has established himself as a leading candidate to win any street race, and the organization that employs him has consistently been strong on such circuits. He has six wins in his three-plus seasons with Andretti Global, and five of the wins have been on street circuits. Kirkwood has won two of the past three Long Beach races from the pole, including last year, and he finished seventh in the other. He also has won on such circuits in Nashville (2023), Detroit (2025) and Arlington (2026). This would be a good weekend to hold serve. Palou is one who could break Kirkwood’s serve. The reigning series champion has enjoyed a distinct advantage on the road courses. He has won 16 times on those circuits since joining Chip Ganassi’s organization for the 2021 season. Yes, he has won three street races, including this year’s race in St. Petersburg, where he won for the second straight year. He finished second to Kirkwood last year at Long Beach, and he has five consecutive top-five finishes on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile course. In succession, Palou has finished fourth, third, fifth, third and second in a Ganassi car at Long Beach. 2. It’s not where you start…: Except for Alexander Rossi’s wins in 2018-19 and Kyle Kirkwood’s wins from pole in 2023 and 2025, the pole position has not been the place to start at Long Beach.Just six drivers have won Long Beach from the top spot. While pole winners have scored podium finishes in recent races, they’ve also finished 15th or worse just as often (Colton Herta – 23rd in 2022, Ryan Hunter-Reay – 20th in 2014, Dario Franchitti – 15th in 2012, and Justin Wilson – 19th in 2008).3. …It’s where you finish: Kyle Kirkwood is the only driver to finish in the top five in all four of this season’s events. Kirkwood, who won at Arlington, is one of nine drivers to finish in the top 10 in three of the four races so far. The other drivers are Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Christian Lundgaard, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou. Race Notes:This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will mark the 51st auto racing event and the 42nd INDYCAR SERIES event on the historic Long Beach street circuit. Mario Andretti won the first INDYCAR SERIES race in 1984. Kyle Kirkwood won the race in 2025, his second win in Long Beach in the last three seasons.Two California natives are entered: 2018 and 2019 race winner Alexander Rossi is a native of Nevada City, while Nolan Siegel, who made his INDYCAR SERIES debut at Long Beach in 2024, hails from Palo Alto.Al Unser Jr. has won the most times at Long Beach (six), while Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are entered drivers with multiple wins. Power won in 2008 and 2012, Dixon won in 2015 and 2024, Rossi won in 2018 and 2019 and Kirkwood won in 2023 and 2025. One other former race winner is scheduled to compete, Josef Newgarden (2022). ACTIVE RACE WINNERS WINSSEASONSWill Power2 2008, 2012 Scott Dixon 2 2015, 2024 Alexander Rossi 2 2018, 2019 Kyle Kirkwood 2 2023, 2025 Josef Newgarden 1 2022 Six drivers have won the race from the pole – Mario Andretti (1984, 1985 and 1987), Al Unser Jr. (1989-90), Helio Castroneves (2001), Sebastien Bourdais (2006-07), Alexander Rossi (2018-19) and Kyle Kirkwood (2023 and 2025). ACTIVE POLE WINNERS Will Power 3 2009, 2010, 2011 Alexander Rossi 2 2018, 2019 Kyle Kirkwood 2 2023, 2025 Josef Newgarden 1 2021 Twenty-two of the 25 drivers entered have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races at Long Beach. Will Power has 19 starts, the most among all entered drivers. Twelve entered drivers have led laps: Power 187, Alexander Rossi 151, Scott Dixon 148, Kyle Kirkwood 100, Josef Newgarden 100, Christian Lundgaard 26, Alex Palou 24, Sting Ray Robb 12, Graham Rahal 4, Kyffin Simpson 3, Marcus Armstrong 1 and Race weekend: Friday, April 17 – Sunday, April 19 Track: 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course (clockwise) in Long Beach, California Race distance: 90 laps / 177.12 miles Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 415 kilojoules (kj) per lap Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary (hard) and five sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and two sets of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race for at least two laps in the race. X: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCAR Instagram: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCAR Facebook: @GrandPrixLB, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR TikTok: @grandprixlongbeach, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR YuTube: @INDYCAR Event website: www.gplb.comI NDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2025 race winner: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda) 2025 NTT P1 Award: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda), 1:06.1921, 107.034 mph Qualifying lap record: Colton Herta, 1:05.3095, 108.480 mph, April 9, 2022 FOX Sports telecast: Practice 1, 6 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1 (live); Practice 2, 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup, 1 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live); Race, 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. A Spanish-language telecast of the race will be available on FOX Deportes.I NDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Jonathan Grace and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race (5 p.m. ET on April 19) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all local times): Friday, April 17 3:05-4:25 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (split group format), FS1 (live) Saturday, April 18 10:35-11:55 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (split group format), FS2 (live) 3:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (two rounds of knockout qualifying followed by single-car Firestone Fast Six showdown), FS1 (live) Sunday, April 19 10:10-10:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (live) 12:59 p.m. – Driver introductions 2:30 p.m. – FOX on air 2:50 p.m. – Start engines command 2:57 p.m. – Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (90 laps/177.12 miles), FOX, FOX ONE, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network (live). Spanish telecast on FOX Deportes (live) WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT LONG BEACH: 1. Hold or break serve: The pursuit of the Astor Challenge Cup early in this NTT INDYCAR SERIES season could mirror a top-flight Grand Slam tennis match.Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou head to this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with nearly the same point totals atop the standings. Kirkwood holds a two-point advantage. Sure, there are other contenders for the season championship as only four of the 18 events have been staged, but already there is a theme. Kirkwood has established himself as a leading candidate to win any street race, and the organization that employs him has consistently been strong on such circuits. He has six wins in his three-plus seasons with Andretti Global, and five of the wins have been on street circuits. Kirkwood has won two of the past three Long Beach races from the pole, including last year, and he finished seventh in the other. He also has won on such circuits in Nashville (2023), Detroit (2025) and Arlington (2026). This would be a good weekend to hold serve. Palou is one who could break Kirkwood’s serve. The reigning series champion has enjoyed a distinct advantage on the road courses. He has won 16 times on those circuits since joining Chip Ganassi’s organization for the 2021 season. Yes, he has won three street races, including this year’s race in St. Petersburg, where he won for the second straight year. He finished second to Kirkwood last year at Long Beach, and he has five consecutive top-five finishes on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile course. In succession, Palou has finished fourth, third, fifth, third and second in a Ganassi car at Long Beach. 2. It’s not where you start…: Except for Alexander Rossi’s wins in 2018-19 and Kyle Kirkwood’s wins from pole in 2023 and 2025, the pole position has not been the place to start at Long Beach.Just six drivers have won Long Beach from the top spot. While pole winners have scored podium finishes in recent races, they’ve also finished 15th or worse just as often (Colton Herta – 23rd in 2022, Ryan Hunter-Reay – 20th in 2014, Dario Franchitti – 15th in 2012, and Justin Wilson – 19th in 2008).3. …It’s where you finish: Kyle Kirkwood is the only driver to finish in the top five in all four of this season’s events. Kirkwood, who won at Arlington, is one of nine drivers to finish in the top 10 in three of the four races so far. The other drivers are Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Christian Lundgaard, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou. Race Notes:This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will mark the 51st auto racing event and the 42nd INDYCAR SERIES event on the historic Long Beach street circuit. Mario Andretti won the first INDYCAR SERIES race in 1984. Kyle Kirkwood won the race in 2025, his second win in Long Beach in the last three seasons.Two California natives are entered: 2018 and 2019 race winner Alexander Rossi is a native of Nevada City, while Nolan Siegel, who made his INDYCAR SERIES debut at Long Beach in 2024, hails from Palo Alto.Al Unser Jr. has won the most times at Long Beach (six), while Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are entered drivers with multiple wins. Power won in 2008 and 2012, Dixon won in 2015 and 2024, Rossi won in 2018 and 2019 and Kirkwood won in 2023 and 2025. One other former race winner is scheduled to compete, Josef Newgarden (2022).ACTIVE RACE WINNERWINSSEASONSWill Power22008, 2012Scott Dixon22015, 2024Alexander Rossi22018, 2019Kyle Kirkwood22023, 2025Josef Newgarden12022Six drivers have won the race from the pole – Mario Andretti (1984, 1985 and 1987), Al Unser Jr. (1989-90), Helio Castroneves (2001), Sebastien Bourdais (2006-07), Alexander Rossi (2018-19) and Kyle Kirkwood (2023 and 2025).ACTIVE POLE WINNERPOLESSEASONSWill Power32009, 2010, 2011Alexander Rossi22018, 2019Kyle Kirkwood22023, 2025Josef Newgarden12021Twenty-two of the 25 drivers entered have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races at Long Beach. Will Power has 19 starts, the most among all entered drivers. Twelve entered drivers have led laps: Power 187, Alexander Rossi 151, Scott Dixon 148, Kyle Kirkwood 100, Josef Newgarden 100, Christian Lundgaard 26, Alex Palou 24, Sting Ray Robb 12, Graham Rahal 4, Kyffin Simpson 3, Marcus Armstrong 1 and Felix Rosenqvist 1. |
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 