IndyCar Drivers Anxious to Get Back to the Business of Racing at Long Beach
Series has had just one points race since since September. The IndyCar Series has been without a race since March 10, with the only points race being held in St. Petersburg, Florida. The March 24 exhibition race at the Thermal Club in California offered some test times and a short run for the money but no points. The racing business will resume on April 21 on the streets of Long Beach, California, followed by a date at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama the next week. The month of May will be dominated by Indianapolis. Long Beach has a reputation as one of the big party weekends on the circuit, a highlight of the 17-race schedule.
Published : a month ago by Mike Hembree in Sports Auto
We’re rolling through the early days of April, and the IndyCar Series has had exactly one race.
Since Scott Dixon won last year’s season-ender at Laguna Seca Sept. 10, the only points race for the series has been the March 10 event on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, an event won in style by Josef Newgarden.
That’s a spread of almost seven months. The March 24 exhibition race at the Thermal Club in California offered some test times and a short run for the money but no points, and the down time has been significant.
What do IndyCar drivers do during the long gaps between checkered flag and green flag?
“Well, I play a lot of golf. Love my golf,” said Scott McLaughlin. “But really we do a lot of stuff. Test days. IndyCar seems to find a way to fill that calendar up whether it’s promoting the next race or whatnot. You try to enjoy a little quiet period because once things get going, it’s quick. It creeps up on you.”
Graham Rahal and his wife, Courtney, vacationed in the Bahamas with their two daughters and other members of the family. It’s a welcome break from IndyCar, Courtney’s family’s drag racing interests and several businesses the Rahals operate.
Soon, the racing business will pick up considerably. The regular-season schedule resumes April 21 on the streets of Long Beach, California, followed by a date at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama the next week. Then the month of May will be consumed by Indianapolis.
A highlight of IndyCar’s relatively short (17-race) schedule, Long Beach has a long history and a grand reputation as one of the big party weekends on the circuit. It’s a race, but it’s also an event.
“There’s a different dynamic to the weekend,” said New Zealander McLaughlin, who’ll be driving in his fourth Long Beach race. “Long Beach is a crown jewel of IndyCar Racing. Obviously, I knew of Surfer’s Paradise (Australia). It’s a very similar vibe to there as far as the way the party happens and the scene we have there.
“There’s always a ton of people, and I’m super-pumped to go every year. It’s cool to be a part of all that goes on and to be in the main event on Sunday.”
Teams and drivers roll into Long Beach more focused on the racing than the revelry, but it’s possible to get swept along with the celebratory tide.
“You try not to,” Rahal said, “but I think we’d be foolish to say that in some way, shape or form you don’t. Long Beach is a special race, an atypical race to most of the rest. My wife’s family (the famous Forces) are from southern California, so we’ll have a lot of family and friends out there.
“Indy stands alone, but Long Beach is not too far behind. From the road-course perspective, Long Beach is way up there. For almost every driver, it’s a cornerstone of their year in many ways.”
The attractions of Long Beach can be enjoyed while still focusing on the weekend work ahead, said Christian Lundgaard.
“If you show up earlier, say on Tuesday, you get to experience more of the city, more of the progress as to how it really becomes a race event,” he said. “But, in my opinion, a race weekend is a race weekend. That’s what we’re really there for. The surroundings might be a little different, but the ultimate goal is still the same. I focus more on the result of the weekend than what’s around it.”
Topics: Motorsports, Indy 500