With many races cancelled or postponed this month, racing in April has been scarce. But IndyCar is ending that drought with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. After a busy March to start the season, the series has seen a two-week break. But it’s back with another street track this week, for the final race before the Month of May kicks off.
Last year in California, Kyle Kirkwood was the man to beat, taking pole position and the win. For the first time since 2016, the race saw no caution periods, and all drivers finished. Consequently, it became a race won through tyre and pit strategy. Christian Lundgaard was able to bounce back from a qualifying crash and finished the race on the podium in third. Whilst Álex Palou was able to gain ground and close up to Kirkwood, the Floridian was able to defend and take his first win in 2025. The win brought him 34-points behind Palou and signified his title challenge.
Long Beach: A Staple of The IndyCar Calendar
Inspired by the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, promoter Chris Pook wanted to hold an event that had the potential to succeed in a similar way. Choosing Long Beach, 40km south of Los Angeles, the track debuted in Formula 5000 in 1975. During the 1970s, Formula 1 raced at the track for the United States Grand Prix West, and it quickly gained popularity over the eastern race at Watkins Glen.
Despite the fan popularity and prominence, Formula 1 dropped the race in 1983, and the following year, the CART Championship took its place. In 2009, IndyCar kept Long Beach on its calendar due to its long-established history with CART. The event itself fueled the renaissance of the Long Beach area, helping transform the city from an industrial port city to an established tourist region.
The 1.968-mile street circuit runs through the streets of Long Beach and surrounds the Long Beach Convention Center. Located at the waterfront, the palm trees lining the front straight provide a scenic track down Shoreline Drive. Over 90 laps, drivers contend with 11 corners around the circuit. Throughout the track, they balance high speeds on the straights with slow corners. Notably, one of the trickiest corners is Turn 11, a tight and narrow hairpin to end the lap.
Being a street circuit, precision is key. With a narrow track and few run-off areas, mistakes can be heavily punished. The bumpy track surface at Turn 8 also provides a challenge for drivers as they have to navigate braking to turn with the lower grip levels. Here, drivers are tested on their ability to handle their cars and manage their tyres to limit the degradation.
The 2026 Title Fight
IndyCar in 2026 started with a bang. The opening triple-header gave the season three race winners and three championship leaders, an early promise of a close title fight for this year. Álex Palou became the first driver to take a second win this year when IndyCar went to Barber, but his championship-leading streak is over. Whilst Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden had a brief glimpse of leading the field, Kyle Kirkwood currently leads the standings for the first time. He has a two-point advantage over Palou.
Kirkwood achieved his first race win at Long Beach, winning in 2023 and 2025. Palou, however, is yet to win at this circuit. With little between them, whoever comes out on top this weekend is sure to take the championship lead. As Kirkwood knows, Long Beach is a prominent race for drivers to achieve their first win. And plenty of drivers are eager to achieve that feat, such as the newest Team Penske driver, David Malukas. After achieving his first pole position in Phoenix, he’s patiently waiting to be on the top step.
The Big Three have dominated this track over the years. Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Team Penske are tied for the most team wins with seven each. Whilst Team Penske has been struggling at times in 2026, each team has a win to their name this year, so who can pull ahead? And, Al Unser Jr. holds the most wins for a driver, six, but out of the current grid, four have two race wins. Can Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon, or Kirkwood break that tie?
Qualifying Changes Continue
The second street race of the year in Arlington brought a new qualifying format for the Firestone Fast Six. Each of the six drivers was given the track to themselves in a one-lap shootout for pole position. Ahead of Long Beach, IndyCar has announced that this format will continue for the remaining street tracks, with some changes.
The initial format for this altered segment saw the drivers go out one by one in reverse order of quickest. Instead, going forward, the fastest drive from the Fast 12 segment will choose which position they go out, with the remaining positions being based on the results from the previous segment. Also new to the format is that teams have to make their tyre selection prior to lining up for their run.
This new format will be seen at the remaining four street tracks for the season. It aims to create more opportunities for the drivers to compete for the top spot. Following the 2026 season, IndyCar will review the format ahead of its implementation in 2027.
Ahead of Long Beach, Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard spoke to FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass and shared that he has “no complaints“ over the format change. “I think it allows you to be a little bit more strategic”, he went on to explain.
Schedule
You can see the schedule for the weekend below. Please note that times are in CEST.
It’s the final race before the iconic Month of May kicks off. As the only race in April, can Kirkwood or Palou break the tight fight and head into May with a clear lead? Whilst last year saw a clean race, it wasn’t short of overtaking action. The narrow track may punish drivers, but when someone gets it right, they conquer the unforgiving streets. So what awaits in Long Beach this year? Tune in to find out.