Event statistics following the third race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach, California.
Alexander Rossi dominated the race, leading 71 of the 85 laps from the pole position for his third career Verizon IndyCar Series victory and third podium in as many races this season. Rossi bested Will Power by 1.2413 seconds. Ed Jones was third.
Long Beach Grand Prix
Streets of Long Beach – Long Beach, California
- Winner (starting position): Alexander Rossi (1st)
- Podium: Alexander Rossi, Will Power, Ed Jones
- Full Results: Alexander Rossi, Will Power, Ed Jones, Zach Veach, Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Josef Newgarden, Tony Kanaan, James Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kimball, Scott Dixon, Jack Harvey, Sebastien Bourdais, Matheus Leist, Spencer Pigot, Kyle Kaiser, Max Chilton, Jordan King, Gabby Chaves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato, Robert Wickens, Zachary Claman De Melo, Simon Pagenaud
- Laps Completed: 85
- Race Leaders: 5
- Laps Led: Alexander Rossi (71), Will Power (6), Sebastien Bourdais (4), Josef Newgarden (3), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1)
- Pole Position: Alexander Rossi (106.454 mph; 1 minute, 6.5528 seconds)
- Fastest Race Lap: Josef Newgarden (104.881 mph; 1 minute, 7.5511 seconds – Lap 30)
- Hard Charger: Marco Andretti (+14; 20th to 6th)
- Margin of Victory: 1.2413 seconds
- Car Count: 24
- Cars Entered: 24
- Cars Running at Finish: 22 (of 24; or 92 percent of the field)
- Drivers to Finish on Lead Lap: 14
- Cautions: 4 for 17 laps
- Average Speed: 88.622 mph
- Lead Changes: 6
- Manufacturer Breakdown: Honda (13), Chevrolet (11)
- Time of Race: 1:53:15.2434
- Green Flag/Yellow Flag Laps: 68/17
- Total Passes: 200 (134 for position)
Notes of Interest – Race Recap (Long Beach Grand Prix)
- This is Alexander Rossi’s first victory of the 2018 season in the IndyCar Series and third of his career. Rossi now has one victory each on an oval (Indianapolis), a permanent road course (Watkins Glen) and a temporary street circuit (Long Beach). Ironically, all three tracks have hosted Formula 1 races; Rossi competed in Formula 1 prior to joining the IndyCar Series.
- Rossi is the third driver to win an IndyCar Series race this season, joining Sebastien Bourdais and Josef Newgarden.
- With his victory, Rossi moved to the points lead. Rossi is the third points leader this season; each new race winner has moved into the points lead after their victory.
- Rossi has now won at least one race in each of the last three IndyCar Series seasons, dating back to the 2016 season.
- This is Rossi’s third victory with Andretti Autosport and third in a Honda.
- Rossi led 71 laps, the most laps he’s led in any IndyCar Series race, and the most a race winner has led in their victory this season. Rossi has led all three races this season, for a total of 77 laps. Rossi has led five of the last seven races.
- Rossi is the first driver since Scott Dixon in 2015 to win the race after leading the most laps. His 71 laps led are the second most in a Grand Prix of Long Beach as part of the IndyCar Series circuit, with Will Power leading 81 of 83 laps in 2008 (sanctioned by Champ Car World Series).
- This is Rossi’s seventh career podium finish, with six of those coming in the last nine races, and three straight to start the 2018 season. His first podium came in winning the 2016 Indianapolis 500.
- Two of Rossi’s three victories have come from the pole position, including Sunday’s race at Long Beach and last year’s race at Watkins Glen. Those are the only two poles Rossi has earned in IndyCar Series competition.
- Rossi is the first driver to win an IndyCar Series race from the pole position since his victory at Watkins Glen last season. He is the first driver to win at Long Beach in the IndyCar Series (11 races) and first since Sebastien Bourdais won back-to-back races from the pole in 2006 and 2007.
- Rossi’s victory came in an onslaught by Honda, which recorded five of the top six finishing positions. It marked Honda’s 13th victory at Long Beach since 1984, and second in succession, with James Hinchcliffe winning the 2017 edition of the race.
- It was also a strong day for Andretti Autosport, which claimed three of the top six spots (Zach Veach was fourth and Marco Andretti was sixth).
- Rossi averaged 88.622 mph, the slowest race since 2014, which was won by Mike Conway at 82.362 mph. The 2018 race was slowed by four cautions for 17 laps.
- Two-time Long Beach winner Will Power finished second, his first podium at the temporary course since 2014 and seventh podium in 12 career races. It also marked Power’s best finish of the season, topping a 10th-place result in St. Petersburg, Florida. Power – who led six laps, the most after Rossi’s 71 – was the only driver to finish in the top six driving a Chevrolet.
- Ed Jones finished third, matching his career-best finish in the series, which was set in the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Therefore, it marked Jones’s best career finish on a street circuit/road course and topped his previous best at Long Beach, which was sixth. Jones advanced 10 positions after starting 13th.
- Zach Veach finished fourth, his career-best finish in five races. The Ohio native was making his first career start at Long Beach in the IndyCar Series, though he recorded a season-place finish in the 2014 Indy Lights race after starting on the pole. Veach’s best finish previous was 16th, both at St. Petersburg and ISM Raceway to start this season.
- Fifth was Graham Rahal, who rebounded from a first-lap incident and subsequent penalty after contact with Simon Pagenaud at the end of the main straightaway. It was Rahal’s best finish at Long Beach since finishing second in the 2013 race, and his third top-10 at the track in 12 races, since 2007.
- Marco Andretti finished a season-best sixth, and his best finish since earning fourth in the 2017 Toronto Grand Prix. It was tied Andretti’s best finish at Long Beach, as the third-generation driver was sixth in his track debut in 2009. Andretti advanced a race-high 14 positions, and was the last of the five Honda drivers in the top six.
- Josef Newgarden was seventh, the second Team Penske driver in the top 10, and fifth American in the top seven. Newgarden – who had won the most previous race at ISM Raceway – earned his fourth consecutive top-10 result at Long Beach.
- Tony Kanaan was eighth, earning his ninth top-10 at Long Beach, including seventh in the IndyCar Series (had two in CART between 1998 and 2002).
- Defending race winner James Hinchcliffe was ninth, the sixth Honda in the top nine.
- Overall, six of the top 10 drivers are from the United States (five of the top 10 born in the United States), with 10th-place Charlie Kimball having been born in the United Kingdom but an American citizen by birth.
- Scott Dixon was 11th, his first finish outside the top 10 at Long Beach since 2015. Dixon ran as high as second but was penalized late in the race for an illegal pit stop (full service during closed pits). He served a drive-through penalty and could never return to the top 10.
- Jack Harvey finished 12th, the first of his two career IndyCar Series races he has finished (retired at St. Petersburg after leaving the course).
- Three-time Long Beach winner Sebastien Bourdais finished 13th for the second consecutive race.
- Matheus Leist was 14th, the final driver to finish on the lead lap. It marked a career-best finish for the Brazilian driver.
- Kyle Kaiser (15th), Jordan King (17th), Robert Wickens (22nd) and Zachary Claman De Melo (23rd) also made their Long Beach debuts. Wickens incurred mechanical issues early in the race but returned to action and was the last of the 22 drivers to complete the race. Claman De Melo crashed on Lap 60 and was one of two drivers to retire in the race.
- Simon Pagenaud, the 2016 race winner, hit the wall on the main straightaway after he was hit from behind by Graham Rahal, whose brakes locked up. For Pagenaud, it marked his first race retirement since the 2016 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, when he crashed late in the race (broke streak of 22 consecutive finishes).
- This marked the third consecutive Grand Prix of Long Beach which featured six lead changes.
- A total of nine drivers improved on their starting position in the race.
- The next race will be Sunday, April 22, with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.
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