Indycar returns this weekend (Friday, April 11th – Sunday, April 13th) at the 1.968-mile, clockwise, 11-turn temporary street course in Long Beach, California. With a total race distance of 90 laps (177.12 miles), there’s plenty to keep an eye on at Long Beach this weekend.
1. Palou on a Winning Streak: After securing wins in the first two races of the season, Alex Palou aims to extend his winning streak and become just the fourth driver since 1979 to start the season with three or more victories.
Scott Dixon was the last driver to achieve this feat, capturing the first three races of the 2020 season. Sebastien Bourdais also accomplished this in the first four races of the 2006 Champ Car season, while Paul Tracy achieved it in the first three wins of the 2003 CART season. All three of these drivers went on to win INDYCAR SERIES titles after starting the season with a winning streak.
2. Long Beach: Not Where You Start, But Where You Finish: Except for Alexander Rossi’s wins in 2018-19 and Kyle Kirkwood’s pole position win in 2023, pole position hasn’t been the key to success at Long Beach.
Only six drivers have managed to secure wins from the pole position at Long Beach. While pole winners have often achieved podium finishes in recent races, they’ve also finished 15th or worse on multiple occasions. Colton Herta (23rd in 2022), Ryan Hunter-Reay (20th in 2014), Dario Franchitti (15th in 2012), and Justin Wilson (19th in 2008) are all examples of pole position winners who didn’t secure top finishes.
3. Palou’s Consistent Performance: Alex Palou stands out as the only driver to have finished in the top five in both of this season’s events. Palou, who secured victories at St. Petersburg and Thermal, is one of only six drivers to have finished in the top 10 in each race so far. The other drivers who have achieved this feat are Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, Felix Rosenqvist, and Alexander Rossi.
There are also lots of other things to get excitred about this weekend including
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrates 50th Auto Racing Event
Long Beach, CA – The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is set to mark a significant milestone this weekend as it hosts its 50th auto racing event and its 41st INDYCAR SERIES event on the historic street circuit. The event, steeped in racing history, will see a mix of legendary drivers and promising newcomers take to the track.
Mario Andretti, who made history by winning the inaugural INDYCAR SERIES race in 1984, will be remembered as the event’s first champion. Fast forward to 2024, Scott Dixon secured his victory, adding to the event’s storied past.
This year’s race will feature three California natives: Alexander Rossi, a two-time winner in 2018 and 2019, hails from Nevada City. Colton Herta, the 2021 race winner, is from Valencia, while Nolan Siegel, who debuted at Long Beach in 2024, is a Palo Alto native.
Al Unser Jr. remains the record holder for the most wins at Long Beach, with six victories. Other drivers with multiple wins include Scott Dixon, Will Power, and Alexander Rossi. Dixon’s previous wins were in 2015 and 2020, Power in 2008 and 2012, and Rossi in 2018 and 2019. Former race winners such as Colton Herta (2021), Josef Newgarden (2022), and Kyle Kirkwood (2023) are also set to compete.
Six drivers have won the race from the pole position: 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).
Among the 27 drivers entered, 24 have previously competed in INDYCAR SERIES races at Long Beach. Will Power leads with the most starts at 18. Nine drivers have led laps, with Power leading 187, Rossi 151, Dixon 146, Newgarden 100, Herta 78, Kirkwood 54, Palou 24, Rahal 4, and Rosenqvist 1.
Several milestones are on the horizon: Alexander Rossi aims for his 150th INDYCAR SERIES start at Long Beach, while Marcus Ericsson seeks his 100th. Scott Dixon is on the brink of extending his consecutive starts streak to 342, which would set a new INDYCAR SERIES record. Additionally, Dixon’s next top-10 finish will be his 300th career top-10.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach promises to be a thrilling event, celebrating its rich history and the excitement of INDYCAR racing.
To watch the drama unfold Indycar has the following coverage
FOX Sports telecast: Practice 1, 6 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1 (live); Practice 2, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Warmup, Noon ET Sunday, FS1 (live); Race, 4:30 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. 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 (4 p.m. ET on April 13) 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.
Also don’t forget to check out www.indycar.com for all of the latest news.
