IndyCar: Alexander Rossi dominates 2019 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Alexander Rossi dominated the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on the streets of Long Beach, California to earn his first victory of the 2019 IndyCar season.

Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi started the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach from the pole position for the second consecutive IndyCar season, and he went on to dominate it for the second consecutive season.

Rossi won the 85-lap race around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile (3.167-kilometer) temporary street circuit on the streets of Long Beach, California by 20.2359 seconds over Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who finished in second place in his #2 Chevrolet.

The battle for third place between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon was ultimately won by Rahal, but after the race, IndyCar penalized the driver of the #15 Honda for blocking the driver of the #9 Honda, so Dixon, whose chances of finishing in the top two were ruined when he had a lengthy final pit stop, was awarded third.

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Rahal was officially scored in fourth place ahead of Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay in fifth in his #28 Honda. Team Penske teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power finished in sixth and seventh in their #22 Chevrolet and #12 Chevrolet, respectively.

Power’s chances of finishing the race on the podium were ruined when he had a misfire coming off of the final turn earlier in the race. As a result, he went into the marbles to try to protect against being passed by Dixon, which resulted in him locking up his brakes and going into the turn one runoff area.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato finished in eighth place in his #30 Honda. Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ James Hinchcliffe and Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top 10 by finishing in ninth and 10th in their #5 Honda and #10 Honda, respectively.

The race featured a total of six lead changes among four drivers, although none of these lead changes took place on the track. Rossi led 80 of the race’s 85 laps while Newgarden and Power each led two and Sato led one.

The race’s only caution flag period began on the first lap and lasted for three laps, and it took place due to contact between Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ rookie Marcus Ericsson and Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey by the fountain, which sent Harvey’s #60 Honda up into the plants surrounding the fountain. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot was also stalled on the track during this caution flag period.

Of the 23 drivers who started the race, 22 finished it. The only driver who failed to finish it was Harding Steinbrenner Racing rookie Colton Herta, who hit the turn nine wall on lap 50 and damaged his car to the point where it could not be repaired. Of the 22 drivers who finished the race, 11 finished on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2019 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on the streets of Long Beach, California.

Race Results
1st – Alexander Rossi
2nd – Josef Newgarden
3rd – Scott Dixon
4th – Graham Rahal
5th – Ryan Hunter-Reay
6th – Simon Pagenaud
7th – Will Power
8th – Takuma Sato
9th – James Hinchcliffe
10th – Felix Rosenqvist
11th – Sebastien Bourdais
12th – Patricio O’Ward
13th – Marco Andretti
14th – Max Chilton
15th – Matheus Leist
16th – Ed Jones
17th – Zach Veach
18th – Spencer Pigot
19th – Tony Kanaan
20th – Marcus Ericsson
21st – Santino Ferrucci
22nd – Jack Harvey
23rd – Colton Herta

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The next race on the 2019 IndyCar schedule is not scheduled to take place until Saturday, May 11. This race, the IndyCar Grand Prix, is set to take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in Speedway, Indiana, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.