All times eastern
Friday, April 26
3:40 pm-4:55 pm Practice 1 Peacock, Indycar Radio
Saturday April 27
12:15 pm-1:15 pm Practice 2 Peacock, Indycar Radio
3:30 pm-5:00 pm Qualifying Peacock, Indycar Radio
Sunday, April 28
10:15 am- Final Warmup (30 minutes) Peacock, Indycar Radio
1 pm-4 pm television window NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
1:40 Green Flag NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
Indy NXT is also racing this weekend. USF Juniors, featuring Sebastian Wheldon, also is on the schedule.
Photo by Kyle McInnes
What words are left to describe Scott Dixon’s mastery of fuel strategy? I have used alchemist, wizard, miser, and a bunch of other nouns I can’t remember over the last 20 years. Today’s triumph at Long Beach was one of the top five wins of his 57 victories.
Dixon had to hold off a fast closing Josef Newgarden, then a hungry Colton Herta while making sure he had enough fuel to get to the end. he was one of the drivers who pitted on lap 17 during the only caution of the day and cycled to the front when the rest of the field took their stops 14 laps later. Dixon made his last stop on lap 51 and squeezed 34 laps out of the tank.
The Dixon File:
57 wins puts him just 10 behind A. J. Foyt.
Dixon has won at least one race each season for the past 20 years. This is NOT a typo.
Dixon has won 4 of the last 6 Indycar races dating back to the Gallagher Grand Prix at IMS in August 2023.
I said in my review that Indycar needed to have a good show this weekend, and they delivered. I thought this was a fascinating race with the split fuel and tire strategies before the dramatic fight at the end. It’s a while since four cars were in contention for the win with less than 10 laps to go. Today provided great momentum heading to Barber and the seven week stretch after that.
Theo Pourchaire would have been the start of the show today had it not been for the dramatic finish. The F2 champion, who’s first time in an Indycar was Friday afternoon, finished 11th. He drove a steady race. I hope we see him again soon. Maybe next weekend?
Arrow McLaren once again had trouble staying out of their own way. Pato O’Ward ran into teammate Alexander Rossi on lap, forcing Rossi to pit. O’Ward received a drive through penalty and was virtually not heard from the rest of the day. Rossi fought back to earn a 10th place finish.
Don’t count Alex Palou out of the title hunt. In 2023 Palou finished eighth at St. Petet and fifth at barber. In 2024 he was sixth at barber and he finished third today. Palou is fourth in the standings, just 24 points behind Newgarden.
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Graham Rahal turned the fastest lap in the final session before the Grand prix of Long Beach. Pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist was sixth.
Starting Tires and official lineup:
Photo by Kyle McInnes
It was only a matter of time before Felix Rosenqvist would win a pole this season. That time was 39 ten thousandths of a second. Rosenqvist nipped Will Power by that much and will start the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the front of the field.
In the three Indycar events in 2024, Rosenqvist started second at St. Pete, Was on the pole for his heat race and the front row of the feature at Thermal, and now has his third front row start of the season. Rosenqvist now has six career poles. Today’s pole is the first for Meyer Shank Racing
It has been quite a resurgence for Rosenqvist this year. He has been in contention in every event. His switch to Meyer Shank Racing after some frustrating years at Arrow McLaren has rejuvenated the Swedish driver.
Will Power came back after a disastrous morning practice session. He brushed the wall and damaged the left rear tire and underwing. Power returned only to make nose first contact with the wall and cause a red flag with a bit less than nine minutes left.
The anticipated three Penskes versus three Andrettis didn’t materialize. Team Penske had just Will Power and Josef Newgarden in the final round. Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson made the fast Six for Andretti.
Rosenqvist and Alex Palou were the only preliminary round leaders to make the final session.
Team Penske did not lead any sessions this weekend, but they could lead the one that counts the most tomorrow.
Pato O’Ward’s fade from leading Friday’s practice is puzzling. Are we looking at another year of unfilled promise from Arrow McLaren? Alexander Rossi is the team’s highest starter tomorrow in 13th.
The Long Beach Grand Prix released a notice announcing that all reserved seats for tomorrow’s race have been sold. Only general admission is available.
Tomorrow’s schedule in Eastern time:
Noon- Warm up (30 Minutes) Peacock
3 pm- Televison network coverage USA, Peacock
3:30- Green flag
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Results
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Pato O’Ward ended up with the fastest lap in a tightly bunched practice session to kick off the Grand prix of Long Beach weekend. O’Ward’s lap of 1:06.6874 in his 10 minute segment nipped Will Power by nine hundredths of a second. The top fifteen cars were separated by less than one second.
The three Team Penske teammates finished second (Power), third (Scott McLaughlin), and fifth (Josef Newgarden).
Felix Rosenqvist continued his early season strength with a fourth place result.
2023 race winner Kyle Kirkwood came back from gearbox issues early in the session to finish the day eighth quickest.
The split segment format- 45 minutes all cars followed by two 10 minute segments for half the field-seemed to be much smoother and less confusing than the schedule Indycar used at St. Pete. I’m interested to hear what the drivers thought of it. It definitely looked better on television.
From what I could tell, the new aeroscreen appears to be sleeker than the original screen. It did not look as large from the head on shots.
Chevrolet had seven of the top 10 speeds. Christian Lundgaard and Kirkwood were the other Hondas after Rosenqvist in the top 10.
Theo Pourchaire had an impressive Indycar debut, finishing his first ever session in 21st.
Colton Herta was near the top most of the afternoon, but a vibration in the second part of practice prevented his getting a clean lap on the alternate tires.
Indycar photo
Indycar awakens from its long spring nap today as practice begins for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The series will be on track for seven of the next eight weeks, ending at Road America June 9.
If I had to limit the number of races I go to in a season, this event is one that would stay on my calendar. The entire city embraces the event, and I enjoy walking around the downtown area.
The Long Beach Grand Prix is the second longest consecutive race on the calendar. Milwaukee has run more races, but there have been several years where there were no races.
The future of Indycar at this venue was secured earlier this spring when Part owner Gerry Forsythe purchased the other half of the event from the estate of Kevin Kalkhoven.
The first two outings- St. Pete and Thermal- were not great races. The tire compound which was designed for the heavier hybrid system,which is not in the cars yet, hindered the racing at the season opener. Thermal was a format that did not work.
I hope the series has made adjustments to provide a better race. If not, the racing may not improve until Mid-Ohio when the hybrid debuts.
Can Felix Rosenqvist continue his strong start to the season? Rosenqvist started second at St. Pete, won the pole and his heat race at Thermal, and finished second in the feature at Thermal.
He appears to be enjoying his new home at Meyer Shank Racing, and so far has looked like the driver I felt he could be all along.
Andretti Global has won this crown jewel race four of the last four years. The team excelled at street courses in 2023. At St. Pete in March, they weren’t as solid, but Colton Herta finished fifth.
Herta has won at Long Beach, and teammate Kyle Kirkwood won from the pole in 2023.
I can see Herta winning Sunday.
Momentum is hard enough to keep week to week, but after a 6 week gap, can Team Penske, which finished first, third, and fourth at St. Pete, come out with another dominant team showing?
Josef Newgarden is the only driver to break up the Andretti streak here, winning in 2022. He and Scott McLaughlin have to be considered contenders.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 