IndyCar’s first and only race during the month of April has come and gone with the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Álex Palou took home the win today making it the first time he’s taken the top step at Long Beach. As of now, Palou now has 22 IndyCar race wins to his name with a little over 100 race starts.
A Strong Start Across The Grid
After qualifying on pole yesterday, it was Felix Rosenqvist who maintained the lead for a little more than half of the race. His biggest challenger was Álex Palou who got close to the overtake but couldn’t quite get it to stick. Behind Palou was Pato O’Ward who continuously fought for the position as well.
Rosenqvist momentarily lost the lead after a pit stop to Josef Newgarden but got it back after a handful of laps. Newgarden was on an alternate strategy and was the last to pit during the first round of stops. Throughout the first half of the race it seemed like the win was in the bag for Rosenqvist.
Mid-Race Caution Shakes Things Up
Shortly after reaching the halfway mark of the race a caution was brought out due to debris on track. The caution led to a majority of the grid making their final pit stop of the race while the yellow flag was still out.
At this point, Palou managed to come out of the pits ahead of Rosenqvist. It looked like Rosenqvist’s pit crew had a bit of difficulty during his stop which held him back for a small fraction of time more than Palou.
Despite chasing him down for the lead during the later stages of the race, it was Palou who took home the win. This marks Palou’s third win of the season.
Notable Moments
While there was a ton of action happening at the front of the grid, there was plenty of excitement all around. Graham Rahal landed his second top eight finish in a row.
In addition, Nolan Siegel was named the biggest mover. He started from the back of the grid and worked his way up to gain 13 places and finish in P12.
Updated Championship Picture
Taking today’s results into consideration, Palou now takes the lead in the championship standsings with 205 points. He leads from Kyle Kirkwood who is now 17 point behind and David Malukas who’s 63 points behind. Arrow McLaren teammates Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard are 4th and 5th in the championship respectively.
Next up for IndyCar is the iconic month of May. The Girls Who have coverage for the Sonsio Grand Prix from May 8-9.
We’ll also be making regular updates on all things leading up the Indy 500, including the race itself. The Greatest Spectacle In Racing is on May 24.