Will Power Finds Speed To Lead Opening Long Beach Practice
INDYCAR
Will Power is back on track after the opening practice for the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, taking the top spot Friday afternoon under sunny Southern California skies.
Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Power, also a two-time winner on the streets of Long Beach, led with a top time of 1 minute, 7.3227 seconds in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. His top lap came on his final lap of the session when his car carried Firestone's grippier, faster alternate Firehawk tires.
SEE: Practice Results
"It was pretty good,' Power said. 'Definitely determined to get qualifying right. Haven't for the last couple races. Got to work on that. It's going to be really tight.'
Up next on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit is another practice session at 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network), followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET (FS2, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The 90-lap race is at 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network)
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson ended up second overall at 1:07.3503 in the No. 28 Bryant Honda of Andretti Global. 2023 Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood was third at 1:07.3523 in the No. 27 PreFab Honda as Andretti Global put two cars in the top three.
Meyer Shank Racing also enjoyed a strong session, with its two drivers rounding out the top five. Marcus Armstrong was fourth at 1:07.3602 in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda, with 2024 Long Beach pole winner Felix Rosenqvist fifth at 1:07.3875.
As Power said, the race for the pole in the Firestone Fast Six during qualifying tomorrow should be taut and tense. Just .0648 of a second separated the top five drivers today in practice.
Three-time and two-time reigning series champion Alex Palou, who won the first two races of the season, was seventh at 1:07.5306 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
The strong outing for Power came after a tough weekend for Team Penske at the last event, The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on March 21-23. Power was the top team finisher, salvaging sixth in a strong drive after qualifying a dismal 21st. Josef Newgarden finished 13th after qualifying 17th, and Scott McLaughlin qualified 25th and finished 27th and last in one of the most challenging events of his career.
Power also had trouble today early in the 80-minute session, divided into three groups, when his rear brakes locked and caused him to spin into a runoff area. He continued without contact.
'I had a bit of an issue with rear brakes,' Power said. 'Something weird. I almost crashed twice, but the car is in a reasonable window.'
Power wasn't the only driver dancing on the limit during the session. A handful of other drivers also went into runoff areas without contact, including Colton Herta in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global and rookie Louis Foster in the No. 45 Mi-Jack Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Pato O'Ward did make left-side contact with the concrete barriers lining the front straightaway after he exited the famous hairpin corner at the end of the lap in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The contact, which came on O'Ward's sixth lap, bent a left-rear toe link and forced extended repairs in the pits. O'Ward was able to make one shakedown lap at speed after the fix and before the session ended.
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