Winners and losers from the IndyCar Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore

The 51st version of the Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore featured a Honda sweep of the rostrum, led by Alex Palou.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t the standard Palou masterclass. He was left pursuing pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist by the primary two-thirds of the race till the final pit cease of the race allowed Palou to vault into the race lead. Ultimately, Palou, the reigning and four-time IndyCar Sequence champion, sped off to a 3.9663s margin of victory over Rosenqvist to gather his third win of the season and first on the the 1.968-mile, 11-turn momentary avenue circuit.

The win additionally pushed Palou again into the championship lead, holding a 17-point benefit over Andretti International’s Kyle Kirkwood (205-188), who completed fourth at Lengthy Seashore.

So, with out additional delay, listed below are the winners and losers from the fifth spherical of the 2026 season. 

WINNER: #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Pit Crew

For all the rightful reward given to Palou for his prowess every race, notably for his capability to stalk rivals and transfer forward courtesy of his exceptional in- and out-laps, this race was gained by his pit crew.

With Rosenqvist holding almost a 3s lead previous to the warning on Lap 57, it was unlikely Palou would have the ability to mount a cost on his personal. However when the deficit was erased with the well timed warning, it allowed the Spaniard’s #10 Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew an opportunity to shine, with a cease almost a full second faster and acquired Palou out forward of the #66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Rosenqvist.

It was the defining issue as Palou utilized the clear air and set sail on the sector for his twenty second profession win.

LOSER: Everybody who watched (and plenty of who participated) 

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing

Picture by: Penske Leisure

There was one on-track move for place among the many high 10 previous to pit stops on Lap 30, which got here on the second lap with Palou stunning Pato O’Ward into Flip 1 to take over second. Though the occasion abstract confirmed 69 passes for place for the 90-lap race, it felt like considerably lower than that, with virtually the one place motion occurring throughout pit cease cycles. There have been 4 lead adjustments amongst 4 leaders, with none of these occurring on-track.

It was to the purpose that third-place finisher Scott Dixon referred to as it a “blah” race. And Graham Rahal, who completed a good eighth, informed a number of shops afterwards, together with Motorsport.com, that the race size must be adjusted to both 10 laps shorter or 10 laps longer. His idea is so these within the two-stop technique may be extra aggressive or {that a} two-stopper wouldn’t be potential, requiring an additional cease and forcing drivers to maximise tempo over hitting a gas quantity and staying in line.

For a collection that prides itself on how the racing has been higher than Method 1, and often is, this weekend felt very very similar to a pre-2020 F1 race the place all of the enjoyable was in qualifying earlier than it turned a parade race for 2 hours.

Merely put, it was a snoozefest.

WINNER: Felix Rosenqvist

Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian

Picture by: Penske Leisure

There isn’t a doubting Rosenqvist wished extra, with a second profession victory very a lot in play after main a race-high 51 laps from pole. As demoralizing as it’s to see a particles warning – with the proprietor of stated particles that littered Flip 3 nonetheless a thriller – wipe out a large benefit that led to dropping the race within the pits, a second-place end remains to be a refreshing jolt to jumpstart his season.

Coming into the race, the Swede’s greatest end was twelfth (twice – St. Petersburg, Phoenix) and sat 14th within the championship standings, so a runner-up result’s the right approach to get his 2026 marketing campaign again on observe.

LOSER: Josef Newgarden

Josef Newgarden, Staff Penske

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Slotting Josef Newgarden within the “loser” spot appears a bit unfair contemplating he’s about the one driver that made the race value watching.

The Tennessee native’s race strategist, Staff Penske President Jonathan Diuguid, opted to go along with the three-stop technique, which allowed him to be aggressive and among the many few to really generate passes.

Nonetheless, in an effort to not get held up by Marcus Armstrong for thirteenth, Newgarden made a diving transfer that led to flatspotting the left-front of his #2 Staff Penske Chevrolet simply shy of the midway level. He tried to push by the difficulty, however his lap instances regressed to the purpose of matching the race chief till the race’s solely warning, the primary at Lengthy Seashore since 2024, which negated any probability of the technique working.

Newgarden was left ending the place he began: 14th.

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– The Motorsport.com Staff