LONG BEACH, Calif. (Friday, April 11, 2025) – 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.
“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.