19 April 2026 18:00 (UTC)
"That says a lot about the whole group and our performance today"
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES held its fifth event of the 2026 season, wrapping up a busy opening stretch as the focus turns to the Month of May.
Pato and the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew produced another top five finish, racing near the front of the field for all 90 laps. For Nolan, he was the race's "Biggest Mover" gaining 13 positions to claim a season-high P12 finish. Christian suffered a tire puncture on his second stint, forcing him to shift to a three-stop strategy that ultimately hindered his ability to move forward.
Arrow McLaren will take the next week to dive into the data before returning to the track at the IMS Open Test on April 28 and 29.
Location | Long Beach, Calif. |
Race Date | April 19 |
Round | 5 out of 18 |
Total Laps | 90 |
Total Race Distance | 117.1 miles / 285.0 km |
Track Length | 1.968 mile / 3.167 km |
Number of Turns | 11 |
Starting Position | P2 |
Finishing Position | P5 |
Championship Standings | 4th |
"We don't have enough right now to take it to the guys that are charging forward in the championship. It was just another weekend to close out a top five, but we need to start fighting for podiums and wins. Thankfully, our favorite is coming up, which is the Indy 500, right after the Indy Road Course. That's really our main focal point, and I'm going to really try to maximize that. Right now, we just need to keep working and try to make it better to minimize damage in the first part of the season to see if we can recover toward the end to find something - because we're missing it."
Starting Position | P25 |
Finishing Position | P12 |
Championship Standing | 23rd |
"It was finally a day that went our way with the No. 6 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew. It was what we needed, and I'm very proud of the group. It's been a tough weekend up until now to be honest. That says a lot about the whole group and our performance today with what happened yesterday. I'm excited about what this means for the rest of the year. There were plenty of days where I've felt that we were strong but just hadn't maximized what we had, and this feels good. On weekends as a whole where we qualify well and have a good Sunday, we'll be back racing up front."
Starting Position | P11 |
Finishing Position | P20 |
Championship Standing | 5th |
“Not the weekend we wanted in Long Beach. It was a long day, plagued by some tire pressure issues and a puncture midway through the race. We will regroup ahead of the Indy GP and strategize how we maximize a full weekend. We have yet to do that, but it’s close.”
"It was a busy weekend here in Long Beach. We had Zak with us which we wanted to deliver a win with him here to celebrate, but we obviously fell short on that. For Pato, we got points that help for the top spots in the championship, but we want that win. Nolan had a great day. A result he's been working hard for, so I'm proud of what he and the SmartStop crew did today, recovering from an otherwise tough weekend. Christian had a long day. He had a tire puncture that took his chance from moving forward in the race today and had to manage the race from there. Now we turn our focus to May in Indy. We all know how special this month is coming up, and we're ready to get to the Speedway."
