Repaved Laguna Seca “to be at least a couple of seconds faster”
Last year saw a full resurfacing of the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course for the first time since 2006, which also included a new pedestrian bridge on the front straight as part of a $14.9 million project. The project began shortly after last May’s IMSA event and was completed by July, with IndyCar the first major […]
No tires strategy “only way” to win Long Beach
After starting third, Bourdais spent most of the early portion of the IMSA’s 100-minute classic in the runner-up spot pursuing pole-sitter Pipo Derani in the Action Express Racing-prepped No. 31 Cadillac. The pivotal moment of the race came when Derani pitted on lap 26, handing off to co-driver Jack Aitken as the team put on […]
Cadillac scores 1-2 in action-packed sprint race
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Bourdais and van der Zande took a ‘no tires’ pit strategy to get ahead of the sister Action Express-run Cadillac V-Series.R of Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken to score a 1-2 finish for the marque around the 1.968-mile temporary circuit. From pole position, despite crashing in the closing moments of qualifying, Derani […]
Derani takes pole for Cadillac by 0.009s, then wrecks
Derani lapped his #31 Action Express-run Cadillac V-Series.R in 1m11.388s around the 1.9-mile temporary circuit. The GTP class is using Michelin’s soft-compound tire at Long Beach for the first time outside of Daytona night running, but times were way off last year’s qualifying session on harder rubber – pole being a 1m09.909s by Filipe Albuquerque’s Acura. […]
Bourdais spins then tops FP2 for Cadillac
Bourdais lapped his #01 Chip Ganassi-run V-Series.R in 1m11.637s around the 1.9-mile temporary circuit in the 90-minute session. Nick Tandy set the earlier pace in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, lapping in 1m12.579s, a quarter of a second clear of Connor De Phillippi’s RLL BMW M Hybrid. FP1 pacesetter Pipo Derani began chipping away […]
Streets of Long Beach receive changes ahead of the IMSA, IndyCar doubleheader
The 49th edition of the Grand Prix of Long Beach will see drivers from both series take to the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit that has undergone some slight improvements. Among the notable changes are improvements to the curbing in Turn 5. Significant work was done to allow the longer bolts that are attached to […]
Cadillac pips BMW in twice red-flagged practice
Derani lapped his Action Express-run Cadillac V-Series.R in 1m13.477s around the 1.9-mile temporary circuit in the one-hour session. The GTP class is using Michelin’s soft-compound tire at Long Beach for the first time outside of Daytona night running, and an extra set has been made available for Saturday’s 100-minute race. Ricky Taylor made an early […]
New compound to thwart Porsche’s inspired Long Beach ‘no tires’ call
Porsche Penske Motorsport claimed its first IMSA GTP victory with its 963 with Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet, after a lack of pace in practice and qualifying led it to running the same set of tires for the entire 100-minute, sprint-format race. It meant the car’s mandatory pitstop was much faster than its rivals, giving […]
Ricky Taylor looking for redemption at Long Beach
A year ago, a disastrous pit stop for issues during a swap with co-driver Filipe Albuquerque left Taylor forced to put on a furious charge in the No. 10 Acura ARX-07 for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti. Taylor overcame a gap of 8s with eight minutes left and stormed back through to second and, with […]