Photos by Ryan ZumMallen and Nikol Anderson
Penske Racing driver Will Power continued his dominance over the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday afternoon, posting what was by far the fastest lap of the day with a 1:09.318 time.
That blistering speed around the 1.97-mile track will earn Power the front position when the IndyCar field begins today’s race at 2:00pm.
“With this track, you’ve got to be so brave with your lap,” Power said. “It doesn’t matter how quick you are, you’ve just got to really use strategy tomorrow and execute.”
In a year when the field of talent at the Grand Prix of Long Beach is its deepest in years, Power will have his hands full defending his lead against those who will be hunting him down on the tricky street course.
Power has had considerable success at Long Beach over the past four years, finishing third in 2007, winning in the last ChampCar race ever in 2008, then earning pole position and ultimately finishing runner-up last year.
Of course, last year he was fighting to keep his job at Penske, and had to relinquish his perfectly-tuned car to Helio Castroneves when the superstar was acquitted on charges of tax evasion. This time around, Power is more relaxed and seems ready to translate his qualifying success into a victory.
He will be followed by Ryan Hunter-Reay (pictured right) and Justin Wilson, all three of them former ChampCar drivers that earned full-time rides when the series merged with IndyCar in 2008. Recognizable IndyCar superstars Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top six qualifiers. Click here to read our article yesterday about Kanaan and his chances to win.
“You can’t make a mistake,” Kanaan said after qualifying. “The series this year reminds back in the 90s when we had a bunch of good guys, so when you make the fast six, no matter if you’re first or sixth you’re happy.”
While it was no surprise to see most of the fastest qualifiers, it was a surprise to see some who did not perform as well as expected.
Most notably, defending Grand Prix of Long Beach champion Dario Franchitti and XX Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon. Both members of famed Target Chip Ganassi team, neither qualified in the top six. Their fellow drivers said it shows how competitive the field has become in recent years.
While Target Chip Ganassi placed none of their drivers in the top six, all three of rival Penske Racing’s drivers were among Saturday’s best. Power, Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe will represent the black and orange team in today’s race, which is no surprise, since a Penkse driver has one each of the season’s first three races thus far.
Power has looked particularly strong, winning the first two races of the season and now capturing pole position at Long Beach.
Another familiar face that did not perform as expected was Danica Patrick (pictured right) of Andretti Autosports. The only woman to ever win an IndyCar race qualified in 20th out of 24 cars.
Patrick has rebounded in Long Beach before, however. In 2009 she did not qualify well, either, starting the race in 22nd place. Quietly, though, she drove a stellar race and finished just off the podium in fourth place. Though her weekend has not gone well, it would not be surprising to see an impressive finish from Patrick.
While most eyes were on Patrick, the buzz around the track is that 20-year old rookie Simona de Silvestro may be just as talented – if not moreso – as Patrick. The Swiss driver has driven impressively all weekend and qualified in 13th place, little more than one second off of Power’s top time. Keep an eye out for the #78 car, as many expect de Silvestro to become a household name soon enough.