Team Penske’s Will Power set the benchmark in Friday’s opening IndyCar Long Beach 2025 practice, signaling his intent to challenge for a third victory at the iconic street circuit.
Under sunny Southern California skies, the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet clocked a blistering lap of 1:07.3227 on the softer alternate Firestone tires edging out a fiercely competitive field where the top five drivers finished within a tenth of a second.
The opening IndyCar Long Beach 2025 practice unfolded with Team Penske asserting early dominance as Will Power and teammate Josef Newgarden traded fast laps with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou who briefly topped the timesheets midway through the hour-long run.
However, the final minutes saw a flurry of improvements as teams switched to the grippier alternate rubber. Power’s last-gasp effort secured the top spot while Andretti’s Marcus Ericsson slotted into second, just 0.0273 seconds adrift.
This performance not only reaffirmed Power’s mastery of the 1.968-mile, 11-turn layout but also set the stage for the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend where precision and tire strategy could prove decisive.
Power’s resurgence at a track where he has historically excelled—including wins in 2008 and 2012—highlighted Team Penske’s strategic focus on optimizing tire management and mechanical grip.
“We’ve got to nail qualifying,” the 44-year old remarked, emphasizing the importance of track position at a circuit where overtaking remains challenging despite the long back straight leading into Turn 8.
Ericsson’s teammate Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top three, demonstrating Andretti Global’s resurgence on street circuits after mixed results earlier in the season.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong showcased his street-circuit prowess with the fourth-fastest time ahead of his teammate Felix Rosenqvist who posted the fifth-quickest time, building on his fifth-place finish at Thermal.
Josef Newgarden, the 2022 Long Beach winner faced a mixed day. While his No. 2 Penske Chevrolet ranked sixth, the two-time Indy 500 champion expressed frustration over balance issues in low-speed corners.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, the reigning series champion and previous round winner at the Thermal continued his consistent form by securing the seventh-fastest time. His No. 10 Honda exhibited strong race pace though traffic during his final flyer cost him a shot at challenging Power’s benchmark.
The opening IndyCar Long Beach 2025 practice saw drama as two-time Long Beach pole-sitter Colton Herta survived a moment at Turn 9’s notorious bump which has unsettled cars for years.
Herta’s No. 26 Honda snapped sideways under braking, but the Andretti Global driver gathered it up to finish sixth underscoring his reputation for car control.
Meanwhile, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward faced early struggles after grazing the wall at the exit of Turn 9 but escaped significant damage.
O’Ward who sits second in the championship standings ultimately finished 13th while teammate Christian Lundgaard placed 9th after showing flashes of speed during the initial runs.
Veterans like Scott Dixon, a six-time champion and defending Long Beach winner, focused on long-run simulations ending the day 10th but retaining confidence in his race-day setup.
Dixon’s Chip Ganassi crew had worked tirelessly to repair his car after a morning incident, ensuring he logged critical mileage.
Further down the order, rookie Robert Shwartzman impressed with a trouble-free session, completing 31 laps—the most of any driver—as he acclimated to the tight confines of Long Beach. The PREMA Racing newcomer avoided the mistakes that plagued his Thermal outing where a car fire disrupted his weekend.
Graham Rahal, meanwhile, struggled with understeer in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda finishing 19th as the team worked to unlock speed ahead of qualifying.
