Could Newgarden Author an Epic Comeback? It’s Not Over Yet

Could Josef Newgarden author one of the most epic comebacks in Indycar history to win a 17th championship for team owner Roger Penske?

It is still within the realm of possibility.

Hoping to win his third championship for racing’s most successful team, Newgarden must max out the points this weekend. Win one point for the pole. One point for leading a lap. Two points for leading the most laps. Fifty points for the win.

Newgarden accomplished Step 1 by qualifying first on Saturday, ahead of a Fast Six that included Scott Dixon on the front row, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud on the second, and Felix Rosenqvist, and Romain Grosjean on the third.

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2021 Grand Prix of Long Beach schedule

It’s finally here. The Grand Prix of Long Beach, IndyCar’s marquee road/street event and a staple in Southern California culture for four decades, returns after a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Closing out the NTT INDYCAR season, a champion will be crowned at the Roar by the Shore for the first time in its history.

Here’s the schedule for the 2021 season finale.

Thursday, September 23

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony (S. Pine Ave. in front of Long Beach Conv. Ctr.)
6:30 PM – 10:30 PM Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets

Friday, September 24

7:30 AM Gates Open
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Practice
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM IMSA Practice
11:10 AM – 11:30 AM Stadium SUPER Trucks Practice
12:35 PM – 1:00 PM Global Time Attack Practice
1:20 PM – 2:35 PM IMSA Practice #2
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM INDYCAR Practice #1
4:00 PM – 4:20 PM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Qualifying
4:45 PM – 5:55 PM IMSA Qualifying
6:15 PM – 6:35 PM Super Drift Challenge Practice
6:45 PM – 8:15 PM Formula D Super Drift Challenge Competition #1

Saturday, September 25 

7:30 AM Gates Open
9:00 AM – 9:45 AM INDYCAR Practice #2
10:05 AM – 10:35 AM Stadium SUPER Trucks Race #1
10:40 AM IMSA Race Pit Set Up
11:05 AM – 11:20 AM Global Time Attack Competition #1
12:05 PM – 1:20 PM INDYCAR Qualifying & FIRESTONE FAST 6
1:30 PM IMSA Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin
2:06 PM – 3:46 PM IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix of Long Beach (100 min)
4:30 PM – 4:50 PM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Race #1
5:30 PM – 5:50 PM Super Drift Challenge Practice
5:30 PM Vince Neil Concert Presented by Acura and ASM Global
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Formula D Super Drift Challenge Competition #2

Sunday, September 26

7:30 AM Gates Open
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM INDYCAR Warm Up
10:10 AM – 10:25 AM Global Time Attack Competition #2
10:45 AM – 11:05 AM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Race #2
11:10 AM – 11:20 AM Acura NSX Hot Laps
11:25 AM – 11:40 AM Mothers Exotic Car Parade
11:54 AM INDYCAR Pre Race Ceremonies Begin
12:05 PM Indy Cars to Grid
12:38 PM “Drivers Start Your Engines”
12:39 PM INDYCAR Pace Laps
12:45 PM – 3:00 PM ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH (Season Finale of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES – 85 Laps)
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Stadium SUPER Trucks Race #2

TIME CERTAIN SCHEDULE – All sessions, except as noted, to start and finish on schedule

Subject to Change without Notice

NASCAR: Danica succeeds even when she doesn’t

I find myself looking at the results.

It may not be Saturday night after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. It might be Sunday, or Monday, or maybe even later in the week depending on how busy I am with my day job.

But I look at the results. Usually start in the lower half the top 10 and scroll down until I see the name.

“Danica Patrick.”

I never jumped on the Danica bandwagon. Always thought the attention she received was far greater than her talent commanded. Felt bad for better drivers who were lesser personalities.

IRL: Sarah Fisher makes the right call

Sarah Fisher laughed. “I had my big-girl pants on that day,” she said.

“That day” was the one when owner/driver Fisher decided to give up her seat and put a more competitive driver in it for the first two American road/street courses of the Izod IndyCar Series season.

Fisher called on one of the series’ rising stars, American Graham Rahal, who finished 10th in his debut for Sarah Fisher Racing in St. Petersburg and gave the young program its best finish in 11 races.

“Big time, big-time decision,” perennial contender Helio Castroneves said this past weekend in Long Beach,

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com on Fisher’s defining moment as a team owner, click here.

IRL: RHR gets a special win at Long Beach

Fans of open-wheel racing have been clamoring for American drivers, and an American star who could back it up on track. Ryan Hunter-Reay may have answered the call.

The former Dana Point resident won the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, the marquee event in the IZOD IndyCar Series that isn’t the Indianapolis 500. He is guaranteed only another three races in the series, but he’s going to make it difficult for team owner Michael Andretti to park him should funding run dry.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com on Hunter-Reay’s victory at the 2010 Grand Prix of Los Angeles, click here.

IRL: Sweet opportunity for diabetic Kimball

He bypassed Stanford so that he could race cars, only to discover he had diabetes. That’s when Charlie Kimball’s education really began.

Taking a small page from the Magic Johnson playbook, Kimball has shown that a chronic disease doesn’t have to be a death sentence to one’s dream.

Kimball will race this weekend in Long Beach for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, a step down from the Indy cars that will highlight race action Sunday. But after two races, including second place last week, he is second in the championship and hopeful that he will one day be racing in the marquee event at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com on Kimball and his drive to beat the competition and diabetes, click here.

IRL: Ryan Hunter-Reay’s time is now

He has model good looks, a model good-looking fiancée and the kind of talent Danica Patrick wishes she had. Now with Andretti Autosport, Ryan Hunter-Reay will finally get the opportunity to define himself as America’s best red, white and blue open-wheel race car driver.

He is not driving for a shoestring budget team that took stock in moral victories against the big boys.

Hunter-Reay has, in the first three races of the IZOD IndyCar Series, outscored all three of his higher-profile teammates, former champion Tony Kanaan, Andretti racing heir Marco Andretti and media darling Patrick.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com on Hunter-Reay and the opportunity to prove himself, click here.

IRL preview: Dario an investment in the future

What’s so special about the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season?

Will Power.

The third driver in the Penske stable should help the Captain, Roger Penske, win a championship.

The key word is should.

Extra technical information should be an advantage to Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, and there are times when Power will wedge himself between a Penske car and one owned by Chip Ganassi.

But if you’re projecting to early October, the championship comes down to Castroneves, Briscoe and Power vs. Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon.

Franchitti won the title last season. He also won in 2007 while driving for Michael Andretti’s team. In between was his foray into NASCAR, which didn’t go very well. In fact, it went pretty badly, and reflected more poorly on open wheel racers than it should have.

NASCAR: Patrick’s performance is reality show

They desperately want her to succeed. Hard as it may seem, they may want it more than she does. But make no mistake, Danica Patrick wants her NASCAR experiment to cure cancer, generate free energy and correct global warming.

Yet after she finished 31st at Auto Club Speedway in  Fontana in her non-restrictor plate debut — on a track where a driver can make a difference — you were left with a few thoughts and NASCAR suits must have been wondering, at least for a split second, “My god, what have we created?”

Was this much ado about nothing? Yes.

Is she as good as advertised? No.

NASCAR: Speed finally living up to his name

The sunglasses were propped on his head, and a smile easily crossed his face. For once, Scott Speed not only looked California cool, but also felt it.

Relief, happiness — no one in the garage Sunday felt better than Speed after the Auto Club 500. Not even race winner Jimmie Johnson.

Speed, the Californian from Manteca beginning his second full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is in a situation where he must prove himself. A refugee from Formula One, but without the credentials of Juan Pablo Montoya, Speed needs to show he belongs. Otherwise, he could go the way of other open-wheel drivers such as Dario Franchitti.

Out of the series.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com on Speed and the proving ground that he is walking, click here.

NASCAR: A non-Hollywood ending for Junior

On the heels of his second-place finish at the Daytona 500, fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr., had to be feeling pretty good about their hero. This is the year that Junior feeds their need for greatness. The problem, of course, is that Daytona is followed by a race at Auto Club Speedway, and the California track might as well be composed of radiation for NASCAR’s favorite driver.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s story for ESPNLosAngeles.com about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s difficult day, click here.

NASCAR: It’s just racing for Montoya, except when you’re sitting on the sidelines

Juan Pablo Montoya has raced Indy-style cars, Formula One and stock cars. And when his day ended on Sunday at the Auto Club 500, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s racing.”

Actually, it’s racing when you’re running. The problem is that Montoya was betrayed by his engine, which blew up on Lap 141, allowing the former Indy 500 and Champ Car champion a chance to beat the traffic home.

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s feature on Montoya’s day at the track for ESPNLosAngeles.com, click here. Spoiler alert: You’ll learn that “it’s just racing.”

NASCAR: Robby Gordon means business

Twice in the last week, a magazine story was brought up in conversation with Robby Gordon. With his well-groomed face on the cover, the headline read, “Robby Gordon’s Last Chance.”

The magazine was from the 1990s.

Gordon, the maverick driver and owner, seems to have more lives than a trailer park full of cats.

If you would like to read racesribe author Martin Henderson’s ESPNLosAngeles.com story about Robby Gordon, click here.

NASCAR: Casey Mears’ new challenge — again

Casey Mears leaned forward on the leather sofa, still wearing a firesuit that is starkly bare in a sport driven by corporate logos. You could feel his emotion before he finally did away with start-and-stops to sentences he wanted to be encouraging. “It’s frustrating,” he finally said. “Bottom line, you want to be in the race, and all these guys want to be in the race.”

If you would like to read racescribe author Martin Henderson’s ESPNLosAngeles.com story about Mears and his second race with newly formed Keyed-Up Motorsports, click here.

NHRA: Iconic event gets iconic winner: John Force

The old man still has it in him. After 39 races and 20 months without a victory, after months of self-doubt and intense physical training, John Force returned to the winner’s circle Sunday at the 50th Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Auto Club Speedway in Pomona.

Force, 60, held a gold-plated Wally trophy over his head as the crowd roared its approval of the victory that snapped the longest winless drought of his career.

If you’d like to read the rest of the story written by racescribe author Martin Henderson — and there’s another 850 words about Force and top fuel winner Larry Dixon , including a funny story about what Dixon was thinking when he saw Force take the win light — you can read about it at ESPN Los Angeles. Just click here.