IndyCar at Long Beach: Kirkwood Leads Second Practice with Late Sprint

The practice session for the upcoming race saw intense competition as drivers vied for the top spot on the leaderboard. Kirkwood, the defending race winner, emerged victorious with a blistering lap time of 1m06.4731s, leading the session on a brisk morning at the 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. Herta, who held the lead for much of the latter part of the session, narrowly trailed Kirkwood by 0.0155s.

Lundgaard made a late surge, securing the third position, just 0.1100s behind Kirkwood’s pace. Rosenqvist from Meyer Shank Racing and McLaughlin from Team Penske rounded out the top five, demonstrating the competitiveness among different teams.

In the early minutes of the session, he witnessed a shuffle at the top between Newgarden and O’Ward before McLaughlin set a quick lap. However, the session wasn’t without its challenges, as Power encountered trouble after an incident in Turn 8, which led to suspension damage and hampering his performance.

Honda and Chevrolet traded blows on the leaderboard, with Herta briefly taking the lead for Honda before Kirkwood surged to second, showcasing the competitive balance between the two engine manufacturers.

Pourchaire, making his IndyCar debut, showed promise despite a minor incident, finishing 19th overall but displaying improvement throughout the session. Traffic became a challenge for drivers seeking optimal performance as the session progressed.

In the final minutes, Lundgaard made a notable move to claim second place, but it was Kirkwood who ultimately topped the session with a last-minute flying lap, relegating Herta to second and Lundgaard to third. The table below provides a comprehensive overview of the session, detailing each driver’s performance and position.