Indycar results from the Grand Prix of Long Beach; Season finale
Today, the 2021 Indycar season comes to a close on the streets of California. It’s the Long Beach Grand Prix for the NTT Indycar Series.
View Indycar results from the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Long Beach: Menu
TV Schedule | Prac 2 | Qual | Race
Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden are in a championship battle. Newgarden is a long shot but he’s starting from the pole to increase his chances.
Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon line up on the front row. 85 laps of Indycar racing are up next…
Grand Prix of Long Beach
Report
Green flag, Newgarden and Dixon run side by side into turn one and fight for space. Dixon noses ahead under braking but Newgarden has the advantage on the inside and leads out of turn one.
Ed Jones dives it deep into the corner. Jones drives right into the back of O’Ward. O’Ward is around! Sebastien Bourdais stalls and the caution is out on lap 1.
Green, Newgarden leads Dixon on the single file restart into turn one.
Penalty: Ed Jones will serve a drive through for avoidable contact.
Lap 7, Grosjean looks inside of Rosenqvist. Rosenqvist locks up, the fronts don’t turn and he nearly brushes the wall. Grosjean takes 4th away.
Lap 15, Newgarden leads Dixon by 1 second.
Lap 18, Pato O’Ward slows with an issue. The driveshaft is broken and he has no drive.
Lap 20
Lap 20, Newgarden pits from the race lead. Many others pit as well, in anticipation of a caution. Many others stay out as the race strategy is now mixed.
Moments after Newgarden’s stop, the caution is out. Newgarden restarts 11th and Castroneves leads them to the restart.
Green, Castroneves leads Rosenqvist.
Lap 26, Marcus Ericsson has found the tire barrier after running wide with Rossi to his inside. The caution is out as he stalls.
Many more hit the pit lane. Newgarden cycles to 3rd as Castroneves and Rahal stay out.
Green, Castroneves leads the field into turn one. Dixon and Herta rub sides into turn one. Herta drives it deep on the next corner and completes the pass for 4th.
Lap 32, Harta brakes late and dives to the inside of Newgarden. He takes 3rd away and this will be the battle for the lead.
Lap 34
Lap 34, Castroneves and Rahal hit the pit lane. Herta is handed the race lead.
Running Order (Halfway) : 1. Herta; 2. Newgarden; 3. Dixon; 4. Hinchcliffe; 5. Palou;
Lap 45, Herta leads Newgarden by 6.6 seconds.
Lap 52, Herta has a run on Hinchcliffe into turn one. He noses ahead but Hinchcliffe holds the position with the inside advantage off the corner.
Lap 54
Lap 54, Pagenaud and Power begin the final pit cycle. The next lap, Herta pits from the race lead and makes the switch from soft reds to hard blacks.
Lap 60, Romain Grosjean brushes the wall and he’s broken something in the rear. He heads to the pits under green for lengthy repairs.
Lap 62, Askew cooks turn one and drives nose first into the tire wall. He’s stalled and the caution is out.
Rahal hits the pit lane under the yellow. Herta cycles back to the race lead with Newgarden in 2nd. Herta is on hard tires as Newgarden runs the soft reds.
Green, Herta leads by six car lengths into turn one.
10 to go, Herta leads Newgarden by 0.7 seconds.
8 to go, Newgarden has closed the gap to 0.5 seconds.
5 to go, Herta spins the tires off the final corner. He pushes the boost button to make up for it. But Newgarden climbs to just two car lengths back.
2 to go, Newgarden closes in the tight sections of the course but Herta opens it back up on the long straights.
1 to go, Newgarden closes to a half car length around the fountain but he can’t find a way by.
Colton Herta wins the Grand Prix of Long Beach! Alex Palou is the 2021 Indycar champion! Scott McLaughlin will be crowned the rookie of the year.
Long Beach Results
September 26, 2021
NTT Indycar Series
Pos | Driver
1. Colton Herta
2. Josef Newgarden
3. Scott Dixon
4. Alex Palou
5. Simon Pagenaud
6. Alexander Rossi
7. Jack Harvey
8. Sebastien Bourdais
9. Takuma Sato
10. Will Power
11. Scott McLaughlin
12. Ed Jones
13. Felix Rosenqvist
14. James Hinchcliffe
15. Max Chilton
16. Graham Rahal
17. Jimmie Johnson
18. Charlie Kimball
19. Dalton Kellett
20. Helio Castroneves
21. Conor Daly
22. Oliver Askew
23. Ryan Hunter-Reay
24. Romain Grosjean
25. Rinus VeeKay
26. Callum Ilott
27. Pato O’Ward
28. Marcus Ericsson
Indycar
Point Standings
After: Long Beach (Final)
Pos | Driver | Points
1. Alex Palou
549
2. Josef Newgarden
-38
3. Patricio O’Ward
-62
4. Scott Dixon
-68
5. Colton Herta
-94
6. Marcus Ericsson
-114
7. Graham Rahal
-160
8. Simon Pagenaud
-166
9. Will Power
-192
10. Alexander Rossi
-217
