ANDRETTI ON TOP: POWER AND KIRKWOOD DOMINATE LONG BEACH PRACTICE SESSIONS - Motorsportsclicks

IndyCar started its action at the streets of Long Beach this weekend, and early signs suggest it could be an exciting one, especially for Will Power, who looks like he’s starting to settle in with his new team.

Free Practice 1

Power topped the opening practice session, setting a fastest lap of 1:07.6053 in the No. 26 Andretti. He was just two-tenths quicker than his former teammate Scott McLaughlin, who drove a 1:07.7914.

Andretti Global also showed strong pace overall in the session. Championship leader Kyle Kirkwood, who has been especially strong on street circuits, placed third, while Marcus Ericsson added another Andretti car into the top six. The team has a solid track record at Long Beach, including recent wins from Kirkwood, so expectations are high heading into the rest of the weekend.

Defending champion Alex Palou ended the session fourth, with Marcus Armstrong rounding out the top five.

Meanwhile, McLaughlin’s session ended on a mixed note. Despite finishing second on the timing sheets, he hit the tire barrier late in practice. Fortunately, he was unharmed, though the car sustained some damage.

Full results:

Free Practice 2:

Kirkwood topped the second practice session with a best lap of 1:07.5417, the fastest time seen all weekend so far. The defending race winner has been especially strong at this track, winning two of the last three races here from pole, and he looks in prime position to fight for another.

David Malukas finished second in the session. He was followed closely by Pato O’Ward, who made it two Chevrolet-powered cars in the top three.

Further down the order, reigning champion Alex Palou was fourth, matching his position from Friday’s practice, while Marcus Armstrong once again completed the top five.

Andretti didn’t quite dominate the session as much as they did on Friday. Marcus Ericsson ended up outside the top 10, and Will Power, who was on top in FP1, only managed 14th this time around.

Multiple red flags were interrupting the session. Nolan Siegel was the first to bring out a redflag after hitting the wall in Turn 8, followed by Rookie Mick Schumacher who had another tough moment, crashing near the fountain in Turn 3 after already having a difficult start to the weekend.

The biggest incident came late in the session when Romain Grosjean made heavy contact with the barriers in Turn 1, bringing the session to an early end and leaving his car heavily damaged.