Why the Grand Prix of Long Beach is on IndyCar’s Mt. Rushmore

The phrases click on off the tip of Alex Palou’s tongue as if he’s clicking off quick laps on a brief oval. “The Indy 500,” he says. “Lengthy Seaside.”

After which there’s an extended pause.

“I get caught from there.”

That’s all that you must know in regards to the significance of the Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seaside and the status it holds within the hearts and minds of NTT INDYCAR Sequence drivers. In defending sequence champion Palou’s thoughts, his Mt. Rushmore of race tracks has solely two heads.

The forty seventh operating of America’s oldest road race takes place Sunday as America’s premier open wheel sequence highlights a weekend of racing that features the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Robby Gordon’s Pace Power Stadium Tremendous Vehicles, System D Tremendous Drift Problem, Porsche Carrera Cup, and Historic IMSA GTP Problem.

Palou, at 24 years, turned the youngest driver to win the championship since Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, who was 23 in 2003 when he gained the primary of six titles. Palou completed on the rostrum in half of his races regardless of a number of situations of adversity. But he salvaged his dangerous days to make rooster salad, which is a extremely good ability to have at season’s finish.

In final 12 months’s race, Palou began tenth however completed fourth, one among 12 instances in 16 races (and 11 of the final 12) that Palou completed equal to or higher than he certified.

“There’s many highs and lows in a race weekend, and plenty of instances I really feel the individuals who have profitable careers, it’s not a lot in regards to the highs however the rebounds from the lows,” Dixon stated. “That’s what impresses me a lot about Alex, it doesn’t faze him. He’s very fast to maneuver on. He’s a younger man however he’s been racing like he’s been in INDYCAR for 10-plus years. He already has the maturity, the race data.”

Palou stated he likes his prospects in his Honda-powered Dallara on the high-risk, high-reward, 11-turn, 1.988-mile format.

“I felt final 12 months we had been actually good,” he stated. “Figuring out that it’s the identical automotive and nothing modified, we’ve got base automotive to begin with and I obtained higher on road programs.”

That might result in one among racing’s stellar prizes if he can take the checkered flag on Shoreline Drive.

“Clearly, a win is a win and also you don’t care the place it’s, nevertheless it provides a bit extra worth when it’s an enormous occasion,” stated Palou, whose three victories final season had been on street programs. “Lengthy Seaside is a road course that we all know is hard, it’s not straightforward to drive and win, however it could be extra particular for me for 2 causes. First, we gained the championship right here final 12 months, and it could be like ‘my place’ if I can win it this weekend. Second, I’ve by no means gained on a road course and it could be superior to get my first win on a road course right here at Lengthy Seaside.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 race was canceled and the 2021 race was postponed to the tip of the season, when Palou gained the championship and Valencia’s Colton Herta gained the race.

Apply happened Friday and Palou was seventh-fastest, straight behind Herta. Simon Pagenaud of Meyer Shank Racing took honors in 1 minute 07.1991 seconds adopted by Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi — each with Honda energy — and sequence chief Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden in Group Penske’s Chevrolets.

Ganassi’s Marcus Ericsson rounded out the highest 5. The highest 13 drivers had been separated by lower than one second. A number of drivers made contact with the wall, together with Jimmie Johnson and Pato O’Ward.

Qualifying is Saturday, and the race goes inexperienced Sunday about 12:45 p.m.

Palou is at present third within the championship after ending second and seventh, respectively, on the streets of St. Petersburg and the Texas Motor Speedway oval.

Sebastien Bourdais, who was Palou’s teammate on the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona within the Ganassi Racing Cadillac, couldn’t be extra impressed.

“He has a really excessive maturity degree for his age, tremendous calm demeanor, actually detail-focused, very exhausting employee, doesn’t like to go away any stones unturned,” stated the four-time Champ Automobile champion who’s racing this season within the IMSA sequence and broke the DPi monitor qualifying document at 1:09.472, which beat Helio Castroneves’ 2019 document of 1:11.332. “I used to be actually impressed with him at Daytona when he jumped right into a automotive he didn’t know at a monitor he didn’t know.

“There’s positively a younger Scott Dixon there.”

That’s a wholly completely different Mt. Rushmore dialogue.