2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Palou Wins at Long Beach for First Time, Retakes Championship Lead

A decisive pit stop under the race's only caution flag gave Alex Palou his first career victory at Long Beach, as the reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion drove away from pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist in the closing laps to win the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Palou's No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda crossed the finish line 3.9661 seconds ahead of Rosenqvist's No. 60 SiriusXM / Acura Meyer Shank Racing Honda, with Scott Dixon completing an all-Honda podium sweep for Chip Ganassi Racing and Meyer Shank Racing.

The victory is Palou's third of the 2026 season, his 22nd career IndyCar win and the 148th all-time for Chip Ganassi Racing. It ties him with Emerson Fittipaldi and Tony Bettenhausen for 21st on the all-time wins list. In six starts at Long Beach, Palou has never finished worse than fifth.

"Incredible work by the team today," Palou said. "This full-course yellow put everything on that pit stop. The guys did an incredible job once again."

Opening Laps

Rosenqvist took the lead cleanly into Turn 1 from the pole and settled into a controlled early pace. Behind him, Palou — starting third — moved quickly. Using a strong run off the final corner, he slipped past front-row starter Pato O'Ward's No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to grab second before the top five had sorted themselves.

"I got a really good run out of last corner," Palou said. "I don't know if he was going to block or not. I think he probably wasn't expecting it."

Rosenqvist built a steady advantage over Palou through the first stint, holding a gap that varied between just over a second and just under two seconds through the opening 30 laps. The alternate tire runners — Rosenqvist, Palou, Kirkwood and O'Ward among them — were strong, with the soft compound holding up better than many anticipated on a circuit that has historically chewed through rubber.

First Pit Cycle

O'Ward was the first of the leaders to pit at the end of Lap 30. The bulk of the lead-lap cars poured onto pit road at the end of Lap 31, leaving Will Power's No. 26 TWG AI Andretti Global Honda briefly at the front of the field before he pitted at the end of Lap 32. Josef Newgarden, who had stopped earlier in the race, inherited the lead and led five laps — posting the fastest leader lap of the race, a 1:09.2730, on Lap 32 — before pitting at Lap 37. Rosenqvist was officially scored the race leader from Lap 38.

Rosenqvist Commands the Middle Stint

Resuming his lead with fresh tires, Rosenqvist pulled clear of Palou through the race's middle portion. At halfway — Lap 45 — Rosenqvist led Palou by 2.4024 seconds, with Kirkwood third, Malukas fourth and O'Ward fifth. Rosenqvist continued to extend his margin, leading Palou by 3.0087 seconds at Lap 55. The Meyer Shank Racing driver led a race-high 51 laps in total and appeared to be in full control of the afternoon.

Then came Lap 58.

The Caution That Decided Everything

A debris caution at the exit of Turn 3 — the fountain — bunched the field with Rosenqvist, Palou, Kirkwood, Malukas and O'Ward running in the top five. Pits opened at Lap 59, and the lead cars filed in for their final stops. Palou's crew executed a quicker stop, and the No. 10 emerged ahead of Rosenqvist.

"That last pit cycle was kind of the defining moment," Rosenqvist said. "I don't even think we had that bad of a stop. Details like that matter."

Palou was equally candid: "I know without that pit stop I would probably not be here now."

Palou was officially scored the leader at Lap 60. Rosenqvist pushed hard on the restart but could not find a way past, and Palou steadily extended his lead. By Lap 70 he was 3.6840 seconds clear; by Lap 80, 5.5442. Rosenqvist was managing Dixon behind him in the closing laps and admitted the final stint on primary tires did not favor him.

"I was more worried about losing Scott, to be honest," Rosenqvist said. "He had reds. He was in my gearbox for three, four laps."

Palou took the white flag with a 4.5775-second advantage and the checkered flag with a margin of 3.9661 seconds, his longest-running rival closing slightly over the final lap but never threatening.

Dixon's Milestone, Honda Sweeps the Podium

Dixon's third-place finish in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was also historically significant. His podium extends his all-time record to 146 career podium finishes in the IndyCar Series. The next-highest active driver, Will Power, has 109.

The Honda sweep — Rosenqvist's Meyer Shank Racing entry alongside the two Ganassi cars — carried added significance for the manufacturer at its own branded event.

"They do a tremendous job," Dixon said. "Huge weekend for them here with the Acura Grand Prix."

Dixon acknowledged a less-than-ideal balance through the race, noting understeer made fuel conservation more difficult, but credited a clean final pit stop for preserving third.

Penalties and Incidents

Power's race was complicated by a drive-through penalty issued at Lap 63 for his car making contact with another team's personnel during the Lap 31 pit stop. He finished 19th after leading two laps. Caio Collet's No. 4 Combitrans Amazona AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet received a back-of-field penalty for a pit lane speed violation at the pit entrance, ultimately completing the race 22nd.

Marcus Ericsson retired from the race at Lap 38 when a hybrid issue ended the day for the No. 28 Allegra Andretti Global Honda. Marcus Armstrong ran as high as the top five during the race's opening phase before an unscheduled stop on Lap 82 for a tire puncture dropped the No. 66 Remax Meyer Shank Racing Honda to 24th.

Among the strong drives from the back of the field, Nolan Siegel recovered from his Practice 2 crash to start 25th and work his way to 12th in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, the session's most positions gained. Alexander Rossi advanced nine spots from 18th to ninth for the No. 20 Liquid Science Orange Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

Fastest lap of the race was a 1:08.8328 by Newgarden on Lap 18.

Championship Implications

Palou's victory reshapes the championship standings significantly. He leads at 205 points, with Kirkwood now 17 back at 188 after finishing fourth. Kirkwood had entered the weekend ahead by two points; he now trails by 17. Malukas is third at 142, O'Ward fourth at 136 and Lundgaard fifth at 131. The series next convenes for the Indy 500 open test before the stretch run toward Indianapolis.

Newgarden Sets the Pace in Quiet Long Beach Warm-Up

A clean, uninterrupted 30-minute warm-up Sunday morning offered the 25-car field a final look at their race setups before the afternoon's Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, with Josef Newgarden topping the session at a 1:07.9685 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. The Phoenix race winner's best lap came on Lap 19 of 22, suggesting a measured build through a race-simulation program rather than an early qualifying-style push.

Scott Dixon was second at 1:08.1479 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist third at 1:08.2157 in the No. 60 SiriusXM / Acura Meyer Shank Racing Honda. Rosenqvist's best came on Lap 15 of 24. Alex Palou was fourth at 1:08.4126 — his best lap arrived on Lap 7 of 21, indicating the Ganassi squad used much of the session for longer-run work rather than time attack. Graham Rahal rounded out the top five at 1:08.4944 in the No. 15 One Cure Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.

The session's most notable numbers may be what wasn't shown. Championship leader Kyle Kirkwood completed just 12 laps in the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Andretti Global Honda and finished 20th at 1:09.5215, while front-row starter Pato O'Ward ran only 13 laps and was 24th at 1:09.8382 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Both results reflect issues with their race cars, with O'Ward spending considerable time on pit lane and Kirkwood reportedly unable to engage his hybrid system.

Across the combined practice standings, Kirkwood remains the overall benchmark at 1:07.5417 from Practice 2, with Power second at 1:07.6053 and Malukas third at 1:07.7750. Newgarden's warm-up effort slots him eighth in the combined order at 1:07.9685, the only driver to set his weekend best in Sunday morning's session.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach goes green at 2:57 p.m. local time, live on FOX. Rosenqvist leads the field to the green from the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, with O'Ward alongside on Row 1 and Palou and Kirkwood directly behind on Row 2.

Rosenqvist Claims NTT P1 Award in Single-Car Fast Six Showdown at Long Beach

Felix Rosenqvist delivered one of the laps of his career Saturday afternoon, posting a 1:07.4635 in the updated single-car Firestone Fast Six to claim the NTT P1 Award for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It is the seventh career pole for the Swedish driver and his second at Long Beach, his first coming in 2024, 37 starts ago. Rosenqvist will lead Sunday's 90-lap race from the front row in the No. 60 SiriusXM / Acura Meyer Shank Racing Honda, joined on the outside of Row 1 by Pato O'Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Qualifying began at 3:40 p.m. in warm conditions — 74 degrees ambient with sunny skies and a track temperature of 120.5 degrees — following a brief delay to allow the IMSA field to clear pit lane after their race. The session played out across three segments, with the knockout format narrowing the 25-car field before the six remaining drivers made single-lap runs for pole.

Segment 1: Group 1

The first group of 12 took to the circuit at 3:40 p.m. Rosenqvist set the session's early benchmark with a 1:07.4691 on Lap 7 of 8 to lead the group, with O'Ward second at 1:07.6365 and David Malukas third at 1:07.6933 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard and Scott McLaughlin were separated by just 0.0021 seconds — 1:07.6942 and 1:07.6963, respectively — in fourth and fifth, with Rinus VeeKay completing the group's six advancing positions at 1:07.7679 in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet.

Eliminated from Group 1 were Marcus Armstrong (seventh, 1:07.7709), Marcus Ericsson (eighth), Louis Foster (ninth), Dennis Hauger (10th), Mick Schumacher (11th) and Romain Grosjean (12th). Armstrong's exit was a notable result — the No. 66 Remax Meyer Shank Racing Honda had been among the weekend's pace-setters through practice.

Segment 1: Group 2

Group 2 took the green at 3:57 p.m. in what proved to be an exceptionally tight session. Scott Dixon led the group at 1:07.5230 on Lap 7 of 8, with Alex Palou second at 1:07.5464, Will Power third at 1:07.5522 on his final lap and championship leader Kyle Kirkwood fourth at 1:07.5756, also on his last lap. Kyffin Simpson and Graham Rahal advanced in fifth and sixth at 1:07.6859 and 1:07.7105 — both on their final laps — to complete the group's transfer spots.

Among those eliminated: Josef Newgarden (seventh, 1:07.7274), Christian Rasmussen (eighth), Alexander Rossi (ninth), Caio Collet (10th), Santino Ferrucci (11th), Sting Ray Robb (12th) and Nolan Siegel (13th), still feeling the effects of his practice crash. Newgarden's exit in Segment 1 was a significant development given his 113-point standing — the Phoenix winner will start 14th.

Segment 2: The Road to the Fast Six

The 12 survivors reconvened at 4:16 p.m. for a single combined session. Malukas moved to the top of the order with a 1:07.2447 on his final lap — the quickest time posted in any segment all afternoon. Palou was second at 1:07.2564, Rosenqvist third at 1:07.2827 and Kirkwood fourth at 1:07.3473. O'Ward and Dixon rounded out the Fast Six in fifth and sixth at 1:07.4153 and 1:07.4891, respectively.

Power was the fastest driver not to advance, his 1:07.5163 good for seventh and a seventh-place starting position. McLaughlin (eighth), Simpson (ninth), Rahal (10th), Lundgaard (11th) and VeeKay (12th) also missed the Fast Six cut.

The Firestone Fast Six

Under the format introduced at the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington and updated for Long Beach, Malukas — the Segment 2 pace-setter — earned the right to choose his preferred run order in the single-car shootout. He elected to go first. Palou chose second, Rosenqvist third, Kirkwood fourth, Dixon fifth, and O'Ward — by design — last.

Malukas opened the session with a 1:07.6508, setting the early benchmark. Palou then improved the mark to 1:07.5289. Rosenqvist followed and immediately went to the top with a 1:07.4635, a lap he described as clean if imperfect through the final corner. Kirkwood was third at 1:07.6199, unable to match the pace of the front two. Dixon posted a 1:07.8566 in fifth. O'Ward, choosing to benefit from the data of five preceding attempts, closed the session with a 1:07.5076 — quick enough for second on the grid but 0.0441 seconds shy of Rosenqvist's pole time.

"We actually didn't change anything during qualifying," Rosenqvist said. "The first run we had a real good run. We kind of nailed our tire prep. Then we just focused on executing what I could do in the car."

Rosenqvist noted that both he and his front-row rivals left time on the table at the hairpin in Turn 11, yet his margin held.

"It's just so tight, man. One little mistake and you're out of the mix."

For O'Ward, who had struggled at Long Beach in previous seasons, the front-row result capped what he called his best qualifying day at the circuit. He was direct about the strategy behind his run order.

"I like going further in the back because you have the deltas to kind of base yourself off of," O'Ward said. "I was pretty happy I was going last."

He acknowledged the hairpin cost him at the critical moment: "That's where I lost it."

Grid and Championship Implications

Palou, second in the championship by two points to Kirkwood, will start third beside Kirkwood, who qualified fourth. The reigning champion holds a grid advantage over his closest rival, a dynamic that could prove significant in a race where track position matters enormously. Rosenqvist, seventh in points entering the weekend, earned a result that both he and the team acknowledged was exactly what a struggling 2026 campaign needed.

"A lot, yeah," Rosenqvist said when asked how much he needed this. "It was exactly what we were looking for."

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach goes green Sunday at 2:57 p.m. local time, live on FOX.

Kirkwood Leads the Way Through a Turbulent Practice 2 at Long Beach

Championship leader Kyle Kirkwood set the fastest lap of the weekend on his final tour of the all-cars segment Saturday morning, steering the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Andretti Global Honda to a 1:07.5417 to top Practice 2 at Long Beach. The session was defined as much by attrition as by lap times, with a chaotic Group B segment that limited several drivers to minimal meaningful running.

Kirkwood's benchmark — 104.895 mph on the 1.968-mile circuit — came at the end of a productive all-cars segment and stood as the fastest practice time of the weekend. David Malukas was second overall at 1:07.7750 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, followed by Pato O'Ward at 1:07.7919 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and Alex Palou at 1:07.8339 in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Marcus Armstrong rounded out the top five at 1:07.8817 for the No. 66 Remax Meyer Shank Racing Honda.

All-Cars Segment

The session opened at 10:35 a.m. with 69 degrees ambient and sunny skies, the track temperature sitting at 92.7 degrees — cooler and more representative conditions than Friday afternoon. Kirkwood clocked the quickest time in the 40-minute all-cars segment with his Lap 21 effort, with O'Ward second at 1:07.7919 and Rosenqvist third at 1:08.0510 for the No. 60 SiriusXM / Acura Meyer Shank Racing Honda. Palou was 10th in the segment at 1:08.2198, with Armstrong 18th at 1:08.4708, both improving significantly in their subsequent Group A running.

Group A

Group A took to the circuit at 11:23 a.m., and Malukas wasted little time establishing himself, setting his best lap of 1:07.7750 on Lap 5 of 9 — good for the fastest time of the group session. Palou was second in the group at 1:07.8339, set on Lap 7 of 8, with Armstrong third at 1:07.8817, Scott Dixon fourth at 1:08.0800 and Christian Lundgaard fifth at 1:08.1521.

The session came to a premature end at 11:34 a.m. when Nolan Siegel made contact in Turn 8 and stopped on course with damage in Turn 10, bringing out the red flag and drawing a five-minute time penalty for the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Race Control allowed one timed lap when the session resumed at 11:41 a.m. before the checkered flag fell at 11:43 a.m. Siegel was seen and released from the INDYCAR Medical Unit. Graham Rahal, who logged no time in the group segment, was left without a meaningful Group A run.

Group B: Chaos on the Circuit

Group B's 12-minute session, which opened at 11:49 a.m., was derailed almost immediately. One minute in, Mick Schumacher made contact with the barrier in Turn 3, drawing a red flag. The session resumed at 11:57 a.m., but Romain Grosjean hit the wall in Turn 1 at 12:03 p.m., ending the session for good. Both Schumacher and Grosjean were seen and released by INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer.

The disruptions meant that Kirkwood and Power — who had been on track during the stoppages — did not complete flying laps in the group segment. Foster and Schumacher also recorded no time in the session.

Despite the turbulence, Marcus Ericsson made the most of the limited running, posting a 1:08.3736 in the No. 28 Allegra Andretti Global Honda on Lap 5 of 6 to lead Group B. O'Ward was second in the group at 1:08.7501.

Combined Standings and the Championship Picture

Kirkwood's 1:07.5417 leads the combined two-session standings at 104.895 mph, with Power second overall at 1:07.6053 — the Group B benchmark he set Friday — followed by Malukas, McLaughlin and O'Ward rounding out the top five. Palou is sixth combined at 1:07.8339 and Armstrong seventh at 1:07.8817.

The two-point championship gap between Kirkwood and Palou is reflected on the timing sheets: both are in the top six combined, with Kirkwood holding the edge heading into qualifying. Lundgaard, third in points, is 12th in the combined order at 1:08.1521.

Qualifying begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on FS1, with the two-round knockout format setting the field for the Firestone Fast Six, where the single-car format debuts at Long Beach with the updated run-order selection based on Segment 2 results.

Power Leads the Way as IndyCar Opens Long Beach Practice

Will Power set the fastest lap of the day as the NTT IndyCar Series opened the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend with Practice 1 Friday afternoon, clocking a 1:07.6053 in the Group B session to top the 25-car field on the 1.968-mile Long Beach street circuit. The session was interrupted by a pair of red flags and produced a penalty for each car that caused one, adding a note of caution to an otherwise productive opening afternoon.

Power's benchmark came in the second segment of the session, giving the No. 26 TWG AI Andretti Global Honda a strong start to his 20th Long Beach weekend. Scott McLaughlin was second overall at 1:07.7914 in the No. 3 AAA Travel Team Penske Chevrolet, followed by championship leader Kyle Kirkwood at 1:07.9861 in the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Andretti Global Honda. Alex Palou was fourth at 1:08.0030 in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with Marcus Armstrong fifth at 1:08.1215 for No. 66 Remax Meyer Shank Racing Honda.

Session Flow

Practice opened at 3:05 p.m. with all 25 cars on track for a 40-minute segment. Palou was the pace-setter in that opening run, posting a 1:08.4489 with Felix Rosenqvist second at 1:08.5397 and Pato O'Ward third at 1:08.5721 — an eye-catching early showing from the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda and the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

The session was interrupted at 3:14 p.m. when Mick Schumacher stopped on course at the exit of Turn 3 and required assistance, bringing out the red flag. Race Control assessed the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda a five-minute time penalty for causing the stoppage. The session resumed at 3:20 p.m. before a second red flag at 3:43 p.m. for debris on the frontstretch. With time running short, cars were allowed one additional lap upon the 3:46 p.m. restart before the checkered flag ended the all-cars segment. Schumacher, who had barely turned a lap before his stoppage, did not participate in either group session and finished the day 25th overall with a 1:23.3246 — set during those early minutes.

Group B took to the track at 3:54 p.m. for their 12-minute session. The group had barely found rhythm when McLaughlin made contact with the barrier in Turn 9 at 4:06 p.m., bringing out a third red flag. He climbed from the No. 3 Chevrolet without assistance from the AMR IndyCar Safety Team, and Race Control issued a five-minute time penalty to Penske's entry. The session was extended to allow each car in the group one timed lap on the restart.

Group A ran cleanly from 4:21 p.m., with Palou topping the segment at 1:08.0030 ahead of Armstrong at 1:08.1215.

Rosenqvist, Armstrong Shine Early

Among the notable performers, Rosenqvist's second-place finish in the all-cars segment — and seventh overall — underscored Meyer Shank Racing's optimism heading into the weekend. The No. 60 rolled off the truck with a strong balance, and Rosenqvist said afterward he and Armstrong are feeding off each other's momentum.

"We expect to be up front," Rosenqvist said. "We know we're fast."

Armstrong backed that up with a fifth-place overall result, his 1:08.1215 second fastest in the Group A session and reinforcing the sense that Meyer Shank has a legitimate shot at its first podium of 2026.

Lundgaard Less Than Satisfied

Christian Lundgaard finished eighth overall at 1:08.2462, third-fastest in the Group A segment, but was candid about his dissatisfaction with the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet's balance. He described a disconnected feel and competing issues at different corners of the circuit that left the team with homework heading into Saturday.

"I was actually a little disappointed with where we were on balance just from the get-go," Lundgaard said. "We were in a little bit of a pickle going onto the alternates."

Lundgaard was nonetheless optimistic the team would sort the car overnight, noting that the IMSA race on the circuit between Practice 2 and qualifying Saturday would further clean and rubber in the track surface. He also offered a notable observation on strategy, suggesting a two-stop race is the likely winning formula and that tire management at Long Beach — historically not a high-degradation circuit — would reward those who can keep the alternate compound working late in stints.

Teammates O'Ward and Nolan Siegel were ninth and 18th overall, respectively.

Championship Context

Palou's fourth-place result left him 0.3977 off Power's pace, while Kirkwood's third-place effort kept the championship leaders prominent on the timing sheet. Heading into Saturday, the top five in the overall standings — Kirkwood (156 points), Palou (154), Lundgaard (121), David Malukas (116) and Josef Newgarden (113) — finished in the top 16. Malukas was 16th at 1:08.7290 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, while Newgarden was 15th at 1:08.6994 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet.

Practice 2 is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Saturday at Long Beach, followed by qualifying at 3:30 p.m. on FS1.