The historic streets of Long Beach, California hosted the NTT IndyCar Series on Sunday, with the golden anniversary of the event providing a perfect setting for the third race of the 2025 season.
From the outset, tire strategy was the name of the game. Josef Newgarden was the first to pit in order to get rid of the softer compound, coming down pit lane after just two laps.
Having satisfied the minimum time required on the alternate tire, Newgarden immediately went to work and used a few laps in clean air to make up ground.
READ MORE: IndyCar Long Beach – Full Race Results
The strategy was an immediate benefit, so much so that every other driver that started on the soft tires had taken their first pit stop by lap 10 to abandon the inferior rubber.
The advantage did not last, however, and the drivers that took their stint on the softer rubber later in the race came out ahead.
But because all drivers that started in the top 10 all started on the soft tires, Kyle Kirkwood was able to keep the advantage afforded to him by starting on pole.
Kirkwood felt some pressure from Alex Palou in the final stint, but held him off and claimed his third IndyCar victory and second on the streets of Long Beach.
Not only have all three of Kirkwood’s victories come on street circuits, they have all been done from pole position, which shows how comfortable he is managing a race from the lead.
Palou crossed the line in second place, nearly three seconds adrift. He maintains a healthy point lead on account of his two victories earlier in the year.
Christian Lundgaard rounded out the podium in the #7 Arrow McLaren Chevy, moving forward from 12th in an impressive drive.
He utilized the alternate tire strategy and also found a way past Felix Rosenqvist in the final laps when he was completely out of Push to Pass.
Tire strategy
Other drivers that used the same strategy also came out ahead, with Sting Ray Robb and Kyffin Simpson both moving forward into the top 10.
Santino Ferrucci mastered the tire strategy as well, moving forward considerably from his starting place at the very back of the field.
He used the soft tires for a short stint in the middle of the race and ended in 11th position, a full 16 positions ahead of where he started.
Newgarden’s good start was undone when he suffered a strange problem late in the race, which appeared to be related to loose safety belts inside the cockpit.
The two time champion had to come down pit road two extra times and had one of his crew members practically climb inside with him in order to fix the issue. The problem cost him dearly and he ended the day two laps down in the 27th and final position.
His Team Penske team-mates fared much better, with Will Power and Scott McLaughlin earning the fifth and sixth finishing positions respectively.
There were no cautions during the entire 90 lap event, and no retirements either. It was a straight out strategy fight that benefitted those that started at the head of the field.
Drivers have two more free weekends before returning to action, with a race around the roller coaster Barber Motorsports Park next on the schedule.
