Rahal Letterman Lanigan RacingAcura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Round 3 of 17 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
RACE NOTES/QUOTES – Sunday, April 10, 2022


RAHAL, HARVEY AND LUNDGAARD FINISHED SEVENTH, 15TH AND 18TH IN THE ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Quartz Engine Oil Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “The Quartz Engine Oil car was good today, finished P7 here in Long Beach. Obviously, we would like to be further up but I thought that today was a quite a good step forward for us. We were very competitive with guys like Rossi in an Andretti car behind us, and he certainly had nothing for us in the race. And guys like Dixon in front of us who we were strong. Man I had a great run on him on that last lap there but just came up a hair shy. I thought that — all things considered — it was a step in the right direction. We’ve got some stuff to find here as a team, but all we can do is put our heads down and keep focusing forward and trying to improve. I think we got through a ton this weekend. We go off to Barber now, which is a place that we’ve had success and a place that we love as a team. And then the Indy road course where I expect us to be very good there with Jack’s expertise and because Christian was good last year. It’s a good way to kick off the remainder of the season. So head down and focus forward.”

• FAST FACTS: He started 13th and cycled into second place by stretching his first stint before he stopped on Lap 31. He returned to the track in 10th place before the next round of stops began and he pit from sixth place on Lap 56 of 85 after Herta crashed. He returned to the track in eighth place and claimed seventh when third place runner Ericsson made contact and also hit teammate Dixon, who was able to continue. Johnson and Malukas brought out another caution flag from Laps 76-79 and on the restart, Rahal had the most “push to pass” of those in the top-10. He had a run on Dixon but was unable to pass and took the checkered flag in seventh place…  Was his 15th Champ/Indy car race here and 16th overall. His best IndyCar start here is fifth in 2007 and best finish is second place in 2013.  In 2021, he ran as high as second place two times and led four laps by utilizing an alternate strategy after starting 19^th but the timing of a caution for contact between teammate Askew and Daly while he was on his in-lap for his final pit stop dropped him to 20^th. He came back to finish 16^th…. A recap of results is available upon request… He also competed in the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Series race here… Has SIX IndyCar Series wins (2008 – St. Pete street course; 2015 – Fontana Super Speedway, Mid-Ohio road course; 2016 – Texas Super Speedway; 2017 Detroit Race 1, Detroit Race 2) and THREE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street) and his highest series season-ending standing is fourth place in 2015… He is currently ranked 10th in series point standings with 60 points.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 30 Shield Cleansers Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Long Beach is done and I’m disappointed to say the least, I think we all are. Luckily, I think Graham was in the Top seven so that’s positive. Having no pace and running out of fuel is just not where we want to be. We will come back strong at Barber. It’s a road course so we will be there. We have three experienced drivers so we can do it.”

• FAST FACTS: He started 19^th but dropped two laps down after his first pit stop on Lap 31 when he ran out of fuel on the way into the pits. He took the checkered flag in 18th place and maintained the lead in the Rookie of the Year standings. The 2022 race was his fourth INDYCAR race and first in Long Beach. He is the highest ranked rookie in the points standings of 17th with 42 points.

JACK HARVEY, No. 45 Hy-Vee Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Finishing 15^th in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was definitely not the result we were hoping for. We were pretty limited on what strategy options we had today, so I think at this point we just have a big reset and go to Barber with optimism and hopefulness and just keep working till it happens.”

• FAST FACTS: He started 20th and finished 15th… He has competed in four INDYCAR races here with his best finish of seventh place coming last year after he led one lap. He also has experience starting up front after having won pole in one of this two Indy Lights races at the track in 2015… He is ranked 22nd in series point standings with 32 points after competing in two of the three races.

NEXT UP: The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is April 29 through May 1.