I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events
As soon as Kyle Kirkwodd and Andretti Autosport announced their deal for 2023, I knew Kirkwood would win a pole and possibly a race this season. The first two races gave me pause, but so far this weekend has restored my faith.
Kirkwood won the pole for tomorrow’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, beating Marcus Ericsson by 0.0375 seconds.he took the lead on his final lap. Kirkwood led the first qualifying group and was third in Round 2. . .
Kirkwood has now won at least one pole on every level of American open wheel racing., beginning with F1600. He is also the first driver to win championships on each level of the Road to Indy. Is his first Indycar victory in the cards for tomorrow? He has stiff competition just in the fast Six, let alone Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin who didn’t advance.
Notes
Why did Pato O’Ward not save his tires as his crew requestedon the final hot lap of Round 2? he was secure in the Fast Six. O’Ward was the fastest a;; weeken, but will start sixth.
Andretti Autosport has won the pole at both street races in 2023.
Do not dismiss the chances of the Chip Ganassi racing cars tomorrow. They were in the top 10 all weekend, and Scott Dixon, Marcus ericsson, and Alex palou all made the Fast Six. Ericsson starts second.
If today and esterday are precursors of how the race will go, we could see another yellow filled race.
Pato O’Ward retained first place in practice two at long Beach this morning. O’Ward turned the only lap under1:06 of the the weekend with a 1;05.9982 late in the session.
Three minutes into todays practice Callum Ilott hit a new curb and sailed into the tires. Three minutes after practice resumed, Rinus Veekay had the same thing happen to him. The extra curb was not in place during prctice yesterday. It was removed for the IMSA practice and qualifying. The curb was in place for Indycars in 2022. Drivers were not informed of the curb’s placement before the session began.
Andretti Autosport continues to show speed, with Kyle Kirkwood second, Romain Grosjean third, and Colton Herta fourth.
TScott Dixon led the Ganassi cars in seventh, followed by Marcus Ericsson in eightth and Alex Palou in tenth.
There were several wall brushes and some traffic issues during the practice round, which is not surprising with n27 cars on track. The best moment was Kyle kirkwood giving David malukas the tumbs up for ruining his lap.
As first reported by mny friends at trackside Online yesterday and confirmed by notgher sources, Abel motorsports, currently running an Indy NXT team with driver Jacob Abel, will enter the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 with driver R C Enerson.
The car will likely have Chevrolet power, giving each manufacturer 17 entries.
Enerson is a veteran of five Indycar races with a best finish of ninth at Watkins Glen driving for Dale Coyne.
Enerson failed to qualify for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 with Top Gun Racing.
Abel Motorsports is rumored to be looking to field a full time Indycar effort, possibly as early as next year.
The 34th entry sets up the possibility of bumping to set the grid for the 2023 race. I will have some thoughts on that next week.
Pato O’Ward posted the quickest lap in Friday’s first prcatice for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The session saw a lot of slidin, especiay in the bewly paved areaHel;io Castrnv=eves and Agustin canapino brought out the only red fla when they each stalled in different areas the track at nearly the same time.
Andretti Autosport showed its expected streng with Romain Grosjean and Colton Herta leading at various times. Kyle Kirkwood also had some time in the top five.
In addition to O’ward, Arrow McLaren placed Alexander Rossi seventh and Felix rosenqvist ninth.
Chip Ganassi Racing also had a strong day with Scott Dixon second, Marcus Ericsson fourth, and Alex Palou sixth.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing demonstrated sopme improvement with Christian Lundgaard 10th and Jack harvey 12th. Graham Rahal finished 16th.
If I could only go to one race a year besides the Indianpolis 500, it would be the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The city embraces the race, the event oozes history and prestige, and I always have a great time there,
The 48th Grand Prix of Long Beach will be a pivotal early season test for a couple of teams in the Indycar series. Will the Newgarden-O’Ward duel continue? Can Andretti get their act tofether? Will Rahal have a breakthrough weekend?
I am on the way back to summer headquarters so my coverage will be on a bit of a delyed basis today and possibly tomorrow. But back to this weekend’s questions.
Newgarden vs. O’Ward- More Please
After their stirring battle for the win at Texas, their seventh such duel over the past three years, I would not mind seieing this type of fight all year. Newgarden is the defending race winner. O’Ward showed a strong street course package at St. Pete. It will be funb to follow these two through qualifying and the race. The one who comes out ahead may set the tone for the championship.
Andretti Blues
Colton Herta won Long Beach in 2021and won the pole last year. Alexander Rossi won Long Beach twice for Andretti. The team knows how to win here, Could this be the weekend the team gets back on track? Seven wrecked cars in two races is about as bad a start as they could have.
There is hope, however. Romain Grosjean finished second in 2022 and Kyle Kirkwood had his best 2022 finish, 10th, at Long Beach. Rossi was quick, but got stuck in traffic in the middle of the race.
I look for a strong weekend from the entire team.
A Rahal Turnaround?
If there’s a team more frustrated than Andretti, it has to be Rahal Letterman Lanigan. Poor qualifying, struggling to find the answer aqt Texas, and just one top ten for 2023, the team g=has started the season behind and needs a good weekend just for their iwn oeace of mind.
I would like to see what Graham Rahal could do if ge qualified well and didn’t have to spend the first half of the race passing cars.
Other Teams to Watch
Can Juncos Hollinger Racing keep their great start going? Callim Ilott has two top tens and rookie Augustin Canapino has finished twelfth in bothe races this year.
Is Ed Carpenter Racing as good as they are going to be? The team has been underwhelming so far.
I would not be surprised to see Scott Dixon on the podium Sunday.
The race is on NBC and Peacock Sunday, Green flag is 3:30 Eastern.
Race weekend: Friday, April 14 – Sunday, April 16T rack: 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course (clockwise) in Long Beach, California Race distance: 85 laps / 167.28 miles Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, five sets alternate. Rookie drivers are allowed one extra primary set for Practice 1. Twitter: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCARInstagram: @GPLongBeach, @INDYCAR, #AGPLB, #INDYCARFacebook: @GrandPrixLB, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @grandprixlongbeach, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR\\ Event website: www.gplb.com INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2022 race winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet )2022 NTT P1 Award: Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda), 1:05.3095, 108.480 mph Qualifying lap record: Colton Herta, 1:05.3095, 108.480 mph, April 9, 2022 NBC Sports race telecast: 3 p.m. ET Sunday, April 16, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters .Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions, qualifying and races will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton and turn announcers Nick Yeoman, Jake Query and Michael Young. Ryan Myrehn, Alex Wollf and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 160 and SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio 85 (Race only), racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.\At-track schedule (all times local): , April 143-4:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (75-minute session), Peacock (live)\ Saturday, April 158:45-9:45 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45-minute session), Peacock (live)12:05 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock (live) Sunday, April 169-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock (live)Noon – Driver introductionsNoon – NBC on air12:38 p.m. – Start engines command12:45 p.m. – Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (85 laps/167.28 miles), NBC and Peacock (live) “3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR” AT LONG BEACH: 1. Newgarden on repeat?: Since 2008 only Alexander Rossi has ever been able to back up one Long Beach win with another – he did it in 2018-19. Josef Newgarden has the potential to double down after scoring his first victory at Long Beach last season. Newgarden won that race coming off a thrilling win at Texas Motor Speedway.He enters 2023 looking in the same situation after his win at Texas on April 2. Can the Team Penske star score back-to-back races at Texas and Long Beach for the second year in a row? 2. It’s not where you start…: With the exception of Rossi’s wins in 2018-19, the pole has not been the place to start at Long Beach. Just five drivers have ever won Long Beach from the top spot, and while pole sitters have scored podium finishes in recent races – Newgarden was second in 2021 –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: Pato O’Ward and Scott Dixon are the only drivers so far this season to sweep the top five this season. O’Ward has back-to-back second-place finishes at St. Petersburg and Texas, while Dixon has finishes of third (St. Pete) and fifth (Texas).Keeping that mark could be a challenge for both. O’Ward has only one top-five at Long Beach (third in 2022) in three previous starts while Dixon has six top-five finishes in 15 previous races at Long Beach. Race Notes:This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will mark the 39th INDYCAR SERIES event on the historic Long Beach street circuit. Mario Andretti won the first INDYCAR SERIES race there in 1984. Josef Newgarden won the race in 2022.There have been two winners in as many races in 2023 – Marcus Ericsson (St. Petersburg) and Josef Newgarden (Texas). Since 2012, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has averaged just under nine different race winners per season, including a record-tying 11 winners in 2014. There were nine different winners in the 17 races in 2022, with equally tight competition projected for this season. Two California natives are entered: 2021 Long Beach race winner Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport hails from Valencia while 2018 and 2019 Long Beach race winner Alexander Rossi of Arrow McLaren is a native of Nevada City. Herta has won three of the last five INDYCAR SERIES races held in the Golden State (Laguna Seca 2019, Laguna Seca 2021 and Long Beach 2021). Al Unser Jr. has won the most times at Long Beach (six). Will Power and Alexander Rossi are the only entered drivers with multiple wins. Power won in 2008 and 2012, and Rossi won in 2018 and 2019. Other former race winners scheduled to compete are Helio Castroneves (2001), Takuma Sato (2013), Scott Dixon (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Colton Herta (2021) and Josef Newgarden (2022). Five 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) and Alexander Rossi (2018-19). Twenty-three of the 27 drivers entered have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races at Long Beach. Will Power has 16 starts, the most among all entered drivers. Eleven entered drivers have led laps: Helio Castroneves 194, Power 172, Alexander Rossi 151, Scott Dixon 104, Colton Herta 71, Josef Newgarden 54, Simon Pagenaud 54, Alex Palou 22, Graham Rahal 4, Devlin DeFrancesco 1 and Jack Harvey 1. Four NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookies – Marcus Armstrong, Agustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb – are expected to compete. All will be making their first Long Beach INDYCAR SERIES start.Milestones – Conor Daly will attempt to make his 100th INDYCAR SERIES start at Long Beach… Alex Palou will attempt to make his 50th INDYCAR SERIES start at Long Beach…Scott Dixon will look to extend his consecutive starts streak to 308 – the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
Alexander Rossi’s car for the Indianapolis 500 will look sinmilar to the 1974 500 winner
Arrow McLaren announced today that on Friday, April14, they will unveil special liveries for their three full time cars for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. The lib=veries represent the McLaren cars that won racing’s Triple Crown- Indianapolis, Monaco, and LeMans.
Some fans have asked for an Indycar throwback race. I think the 500 would be the perfect venue for this. The car of Alexander Rossi will replicate the 1974 Indianapolis 500 winning McLaren of Johnny Rutherford. While not a 500 throwback, Felix Rosenqvist’s car will resemble the Penske Matlboro cars as it represents Alain Prost’s 1984 Monaco winner.
The full text of Arrow mcLaren’s release:
“In our 60th year, we are shining a light on the legacy of the team Bruce built”
McLaren Racing today announced a special livery series for Arrow McLaren in the 2023 Indianapolis 500, celebrating the team’s historic Triple Crown accolade as part of its 60th anniversary.
The livery series will be unveiled at an open event for fans and media at the Lifestyle Expo at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday 14 April.
Widely considered the greatest accomplishment in racing, the Triple Crown is achieved through winning the three most prestigious races in motorsport: the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. McLaren’s Triple Crown is comprised of victories at the Indy 500 in 1974 with Johnny Rutherford, the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix with Alain Prost, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya.
For the 107th Running of the Indy 500 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Arrow McLaren, with the support of Arrow Electronics, NTT DATA and SmartStop, will field four Chevrolets, each carrying a unique commemorative livery. Three of these will represent the individual race wins from McLaren’s Triple Crown, and one will reflect the collective achievement.
The livery series forms a part of McLaren’s 60th birthday celebrations in 2023, honoring iconic moments throughout its history, celebrating some of the team’s greatest achievements and the proud legacy built by team founder Bruce McLaren.
For the April 20-21 IMS Open Test and Indy 500 practice rounds, qualifying and the iconic race itself at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet piloted by Pato O’Ward will run in an all-black livery in tribute to the F1 GTR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on McLaren’s first attempt.
The No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet piloted by Felix Rosenqvist will carry a representation of the iconic MP4/2 livery, in which Alain Prost earned McLaren’s inaugural Monaco Grand Prix victory.
Alexander Rossi’s No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will race in full papaya to commemorate the M16C/D in which Johnny Rutherford claimed McLaren’s maiden Indy 500 victory in 1974.
The liveries for the No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolets will be unveiled at an open event for fans and media at the Lifestyle Expo, Friday 14 April at 09:00am PST, ahead of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The reveal will be attended by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, Arrow McLaren Racing Director Gavin Ward, and Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi. Tony Kanaan, who will pilot the team’s fourth car entry for the Indy 500, will emcee the Long Beach event.
Earlier this year, Tony announced that this will be his last ever Indy 500. Tony’s No. 66 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet livery will be unveiled ahead of the April Open Test date. This car will be inspired by the collective achievement that is the Triple Crown.
Further celebrations will be revealed throughout the Month of May across McLaren’s other race series to commemorate the prestigious Triple Crown achievement.
Fans will be able to join the team in celebrating the campaign with limited-edition Triple Crown merchandise, with select pieces available for purchase onsite in Long Beach. The collection will also be available online from the McLaren Store in May, and on-site at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through the Indy 500 race week. The special range will feature collaborations with popular brands Mitchell & Ness, New Era and Castore, with items including caps, jerseys and hoodies in the bespoke Triple Crown style.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:
“We are proud to have achieved motorsport’s prestigious Triple Crown as a constructor. In our 60th year, we are shining a light on the legacy of the team that Bruce McLaren built and role this plays in fueling our ambitions for the future of the team.
“As a life-long McLaren fan, I fondly remember watching Alain Prost’s dramatic 1984 Monaco victory and the incredible moment when the team conquered Le Mans on its debut entry. Meanwhile Johnny Rutherford’s first Indy 500 win in papaya is one of the most important moments in McLaren Racing history. I can’t wait to see our four-car, star-studded lineup flying the colors of our Triple Crown victories at this year’s Indy 500.”
Gavin Ward, Racing Director, Arrow McLaren, said:
“I like to encourage the team, every time they pull on a Papaya race shirt, to think about the incredible achievements of this team and what it means to play our part in adding to that rich history. That significance will be even greater in May when we roll our cars to the grid for the Indianapolis 500 with these stunning liveries honoring McLaren Racing’s Triple Crown legacy.”
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 