Long Beach, CA – There was a first-time winner of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, although it was a familiar face to INDYCAR victory lane. Alex Palou topped the podium thanks not to superior speed or even a pass on track, but rather his second and final pit stop, where he edged out the pole winner and leader Felix Rosenqvist. Scott Dixon finished in third, followed by Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward.
“This is huge,” exclaimed Palou, earning his third win of the season, through five races. “I’m super proud of everybody. My crew gave me the win today. That pit stop was executed to perfection. We didn’t know what the tires would be like. I was struggling a little bit on the soft (red, alternate) tires but was more confident on the harder (black, primary) tires. Felix did more mileage (better fuel saving) than us. It would have been really tough to beat him.
“We wanted to make the two-stop strategy work,” continued Palou, whose final pit stop was a full second faster than Rosenqvist’s. “I needed to be aggressive to get to the front (started third). Felix was fast and pulling away. We had to get the fuel mileage and wait for the right time. We were trying to figure out if I could go one lap longer on fuel. Then the yellow came out. This team gives me the opportunity every single weekend to fight for wins.”
Palou’s first Long Beach win in the NTT INDYCAR Series brings his career wins total to 22, tying Emerson Fittipaldi and Tony Bettenhausen for 20th on the all-time win list. The victory earned Chip Ganassi Racing it’s 148th win.
“This is definitely a mix of emotions,” explained Rosenqvist, who drives for Meyer Shank Racing, having led 51 laps to Palou’s 32. “All in all, I must be happy (to finish second). Earned the pole yesterday. Wanted to win when you have the opportunity. We had really strong, incredible pace on the reds and a 2.3-second cushion. Our first stop was excellent but the last pit cycle was the defining moment. At the end of the day, Alex and his crew did a better job and nailed their last pit stop.”
While Rosenqvist lost the lead to Palou during the only race caution, which came on Lap 57 for a piece of carbon fiber on the track, it set up a perfect situation for everyone using a two-stop strategy to pit. Dixon gained two spots, moving up from fifth to third.
“This was a nice, smooth weekend,” said Dixon, who earned his 146th podium, his first of the season. “I was so pumped about St. Pete and a few other weekends but just had a few misses. My last pit stop was great. It’s a huge weekend for the Ganassi cars and best qualifying for all of us. Glad to just have a clean weekend. The race was a bit blah as I sat in the same position. Everyone has caught up.”
Teams had a choice of two or three pit stops. The 90-lap distance (177 miles) on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course offered a very simple strategy. Pit on Lap 30 and 60 by getting 3.2 mpg of E85 fuel. But a three-stop strategy would require a driver to create a gap of at least 40 seconds, the time it would take to enter pit lane, take on tires and fuel, and exit back onto the track, without losing a position.
Penske driver Josef Newgarden was the only driver to take the gamble, but the caution on Lap 57 benefitted all of those on two stops at just the right time, creating a tremendous shootout among the pit crews.
While the harder, black primary tires would last as long as the fuel capacity, a distance of 30 laps, the bigger question was how long the softer, red alternate tires could last. Firestone provided different construction and compounds used in their tires, making it up to the driver’s skill to finesse their longevity. This season, INDYCAR’s street course policy requires the use of two sets of alternates and one set of blacks in the race (each for a minimum of two laps).
“I had no idea how the blacks were going to be when I got on them because I hadn’t seen any blacks (tires) around me,” revealed Rosenqvist, having led from the pole. “For me, the alternates held on really well. We actually did our fastest lap on the final lap of the stint. In the Warm-up (Sunday morning’s 30-minute final practice), we had no idea. We all thought the alternates were going to go to pieces. That’s why you had so many drivers starting on blacks.”
Of the 25 starting drivers, the first two rows (Rosenqvist, O’Ward, Palou and Kirkwood) chose the red, softer tires, along with four others deeper in the field. The remaining 13 drivers started on blacks.
“Everybody was waiting for the top four to struggle a bit (those starting on reds),” stated Dixon. “Nobody (the tires) really degraded. The first stint can be a bit iffy because the track is not rubbered in. The alternates seemed to be fine. We hurt the left-front quite a bit but only lost half a second (a lap), which then still makes it pretty much impossible for anybody to pass.
“It was a pretty big fuel save throughout,” added Dixon, who’s exceptional at saving fuel. “Everybody was getting the number. I tried to go long and had great fuel mileage. But my balance had a lot of understeer, having to roll off the corner to get that mileage. My car had speed at moments. I wanted to push harder but wasn’t sure about the last 10 laps, afraid to push the tires too much.”
Leaving Long Beach, Palou returns to lead the title fight with 205 points, followed by Kirkwood at 188, David Malukas 142, O’Ward 136 and Christian Lundgaard 131. The next race is the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in two weeks, on Saturday, May 9.
Officiating Update
The INDYCAR officials determined that during the Long Beach Grand Prix, the Push to Pass (PTP) feature was not disabled as it should have been during the restart on Lap 61, due to a software issue. Twelve drivers had used their PTP. After a review, the only change in position was when Marcus Armstrong passed Santino Ferrucci, but because both drivers used the same duration of PTP, no penalties were issued.
Remembering Jim Michaelian
When the NTT INDYCAR Series returned to compete at the Grand Prix of Long Beach for its 42nd race (51st event overall since 1975), there was one important person missing. Jim Michaelian, 83, passed away four weeks earlier. Michaelian served as Controller, Chief Operating Officer and was named President & CEO in December 2001, when founder Chris Pook took the helm as President and CEO of CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams).
“Leading the Grand Prix Association and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Michaelian had said about his role with the marquee event. “This event and this community mean a great deal to me, and I’m proud of what our team has built together. For 50 years, I have been given the unique opportunity to merge my passion for motorsports with involvement with the longest-running street race in America.”
Although Michaelian was to retire effective June 30, he planned to remain involved as a consultant for Penske Entertainment Corporation.
“Jim (Michaelian) will be missed,” said driver Graham Rahal. “He did it the right way all the time. The promotion and vibe behind the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was second to none. The vibe, the energy and the notoriety that the race has had over the years is unbelievable. We certainly appreciate everything that he did for our sport. He’s absolutely a legend and may he rest in peace.”