IndyCar Series teams return to action this weekend for the premiere street race event in North America, the Long Beach Grand Prix. While other events like St. Petersburg, Toronto and the new race in Boston this year use Long Beach as the model, the original is still the master.
The Southern California setting certainly has something to do with the four decades of success that this event has enjoyed. Beautiful sightlines, tremendous atmosphere and enthusiastic crowds all contribute to the event.
There are two keys to success for drivers and teams this weekend on the concrete-lined street circuit: 1) qualify near the front of the grid, and 2) have good pit stops. The 11-turn 1.968-mile temporary street circuit is tight and challenging with turn one being the best passing zone.
A good qualifying run should be easier for Chevrolet-powered teams as once again they have been superior to Honda cars this season. We saw a glaring difference on the Phoenix oval on April 2, though it wasn’t quite as dramatic at the season-opener in St. Pete.
This disparity also shouldn’t be used as an excuse for poor performance. Ryan Hunter-Reay came home third at St. Pete, and if not for some ill-timed caution flags would have been on the podium in Phoenix as well.
Last year the top three Long Beach qualifiers all finished on the podium, but it was the efficient pit work of Scott Dixon’s Ganassi team that got him out of his stall in front of then-leader Helio Castroneves during the first round of pit stops while Helio was forced to wait for another car to clear before exiting.
Once in front, Dixon never looked back and his first podium finish at Long Beach came in the form of a victory. With the win he moved into fifth on the all-time wins list. Two weeks ago at Phoenix his victory moved him into a tie for fourth overall.
The “lightning bolt” is definitely back this season, both in the design on his #10 racecar and in his early-season performance.
Another to watch this weekend is Simon Pagenaud, who leads Dixon in the overall point standings after back-to-back podium finishes. Only a small mistake kept him from victory at St. Petersburg (teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who holds the third spot in the overall standings, got the checkered flag), and it won’t be long before he’s claiming his first win for Roger Penske’s outfit.
All IndyCar fans and Canadians in particular are anxious for a good result from Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe. After his practice crash when his #5 machine backed hard into the wall at Phoenix we held our breath for a moment. Hinchcliffe was uninjured, but from that point on his was another weekend of frustration in this comeback season.
“Hinch” has scored a podium finish previously at Long Beach, though, and if he can muster a decent qualifying, this could be the weekend he and the SPM team get moving in the right direction.