Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Alex Palou Claims First Long Beach Win for Third Victory of 2026 Season
Alex Palou claimed his first Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach victory on April 19, delivering Chip Ganassi Racing’s 22nd career IndyCar win in his No. 10 Honda. Palou started third and moved to second by Lap 2, trailing pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist for most of the 90-lap event. A debris caution on Lap 57 triggered the race’s only pit stop cycle, and Palou’s crew executed faster service, emerging ahead of Rosenqvist before the Lap 61 restart. He then drove away to win by 3.9663 seconds, collecting his third victory of 2026 in five races and seizing the championship lead.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Yahoo Sports
Rosenqvist Sets Long Beach Pole but Loses Victory to Palou in Final Pit Stops
Felix Rosenqvist secured the Long Beach pole for Meyer Shank Racing with a flying lap of 1m07.4635s around the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit, edging Pato O’Ward by just 0.044 seconds. The No. 60 Honda led the opening 31 laps before a debris caution on Lap 57 brought the field together. Rosenqvist pitted on Lap 59 alongside the pack but his crew completed service fractionally slower than Chip Ganassi Racing, handing Palou the lead at the Lap 61 restart. He settled for second place, 3.9663 seconds behind the winner, but the result moved him five positions in the drivers’ standings from 14th to ninth.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Honda Sweeps Long Beach Podium as Dixon Finishes Third and Kirkwood Fourth
Scott Dixon completed an all-Honda podium at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, bringing his Chip Ganassi Racing No. 9 home third, 5.4463 seconds behind winner Alex Palou. Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood finished fourth, 5.9730 seconds adrift, while Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward took fifth. The Honda podium sweep underscored the manufacturer’s strength on street and road courses in 2026. For Dixon, the result moved him to eighth in the drivers’ championship with 120 points, while Kirkwood maintained second overall on 188 points, just 17 behind series leader Palou after the Californian circuit’s 90-lap contest.
Sources: Motorsport.com
IndyCar Reveals Push to Pass Software Failed on Long Beach Restart, Issues No Penalties
IndyCar revealed on April 20 that a Push to Pass software failure affected the final restart at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. On Lap 61, the system remained active when it should have been disabled, and 12 cars used it before reaching the alternate start-finish line on Lap 62. Marcus Armstrong passed Santino Ferrucci during this window, but IndyCar determined both drivers had the system engaged in nearly equal amounts, making the overtake no unfair advantage. After reviewing all affected overtakes, IndyCar Officiating issued no penalties and made no changes to the official results, classifying the incident as a systems error rather than a driver or team infraction.
Sources: Motorsport.com, IndyCar.com
Abel Motorsports Confirms Jacob Abel for 110th Indianapolis 500, Bringing Entry List to 32
Abel Motorsports formally entered the 110th Indianapolis 500 on April 20, confirming Louisville native Jacob Abel will pilot the family-owned team’s No. 51 Chevrolet in the May 24 race. The entry brings the current Indy 500 field to 32 confirmed starters, one short of a full 33-car grid. Abel attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 2025 with Dale Coyne Racing but became the only driver to miss the race that year. The family team last competed at Indianapolis in 2023, when R.C. Enerson drove for them. With qualification and bump day ahead, the team targets its first successful 500-mile start in this latest chapter.
Sources: Racer, IndyCar.com
All Indy 500 Entrants Head to IMS for Open Test April 28-29 as Preparations Intensify
All entrants in the 110th Indianapolis 500 will have their first oval running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 28-29, when the NTT IndyCar Series hosts its annual Indy 500 Open Test. On Tuesday, April 28, veteran drivers run from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by Rookie Orientation Program and refresher sessions before the full field takes to the oval from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with all cars on track throughout the day. Public viewing is available from the Southeast Vista grandstands and Turn 2 Viewing Mounds ahead of the May 24 race date.
Sources: AutoRacing1.com, The Reporter
Mick Schumacher Records Career-Best 17th at Long Beach, Exits Last Place in Standings
Mick Schumacher recorded his best NTT IndyCar Series result at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, finishing 17th in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The German, in his debut IndyCar season after years in Formula 1, endured a difficult practice weekend at Long Beach, crashing twice in the Aquarium Fountain section. Despite starting from 21st on the grid, Schumacher steered clear of trouble in the 90-lap race and brought the car home to score his best career result. The finish moved him ahead of Sting Ray Robb in the drivers’ championship, lifting him out of last place for the first time this season.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Marcus Ericsson Suffers Sole Long Beach DNF with Electrical Failure Before Halfway
Marcus Ericsson became the sole retirement from the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, pulling his Andretti Global Honda to the side of the circuit before the halfway mark of the 90-lap race. The Swede experienced electrical trouble and lost hybrid power, making it impossible to continue on the 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. Ericsson had been running in the midfield when the issues struck, ending his race early. The DNF leaves him tied on 104 points in the drivers’ championship with Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong, both drivers 13th in the standings as the series turns toward the Indianapolis Grand Prix on May 9.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Palou Extends Championship Lead to 17 Points Over Kirkwood After Long Beach Victory
Alex Palou leads the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series drivers’ championship by 17 points after five rounds, holding 205 points to Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood on 188. Palou’s Long Beach victory widened a gap that had narrowed heading into the street circuit round. David Malukas sits third for Team Penske with 142 points, with Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard fourth and fifth on 136 and 131. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin are sixth and seventh on 130 and 127, with Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon eighth on 120. Felix Rosenqvist jumped from 14th to ninth on 109 points after his Long Beach runner-up finish.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Drivers’ Championship
1. Alex Palou — 205 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 188 pts
3. David Malukas — 142 pts
4. Pato O’Ward — 136 pts
5. Christian Lundgaard — 131 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 130 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 127 pts
8. Scott Dixon — 120 pts
9. Felix Rosenqvist — 109 pts
10. Graham Rahal — 106 pts
11. Alexander Rossi — 105 pts
12. Marcus Armstrong — 104 pts
13. Marcus Ericsson — 104 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Team Penske — 399 pts
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