Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Round 3 of 17 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
QUALIFYING NOTES / QUOTES – Saturday, April 20, 2024
LUNDGAARD, RAHAL AND FITTIPALDI QUALIFIED SEVENTH, 12TH AND 19TH FOR THE ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
1) Felix Rosenqvist 1:06.0172 / 107.317 mph (Group 1, Round 3)
7) Christian Lundgaard 1:06.2107 / 107.004 mph (Group 2, Round 2)
12) Graham Rahal 1:06.5757 / 106.417 mph (Group 1, Round 2)
19) Pietro Fittipaldi 1:07.1284 / 105.541 mph (Group 1, Round 1)
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Fleet Cost & Care Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Overall it was a solid qualifying. I really wish that we had a little bit more. I felt like we were very close but just needed a few tenths. A few tenths right now, unfortunately, is a lot of positions. It didn’t used to be but it is nowadays. I just wish we had little more today. I’m struggling in two spots (on track). All my loss – even to Christian — is braking into Turn 1 and the fountain. It’s very frustrating not to be able to maximize that but tomorrow will be a different day.”
PIETRO FITTIPALDI, No. 30 Mi-Jack Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We were 10th in our group for qualifying at Long Beach. Compared to St. Pete, the last street circuit, for sure it was a step up. We’re pretty close to being P8 but we still need to find a little more to get into Round 2. We knew, coming to Long Beach for the first time, it was going to be tough to do that but the goal was to make a step up compared to St. Pete and we did that. The evolution is going to come even more throughout the race. Now the focus is on getting a good race car and having a good strategy and maximizing the result in the race.”
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 45 Hy-Vee Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I tried everything really to get through to Round 3. We need to be incredibly pleased with where we are compared to last year because it’s a big step up. Graham and I are knocking on the door. We were there and only missed progressing by a small margin. Last year we were one second and a half off and today we were a tenth (of a second) and a half off. It was a big improvement for the Hy-Vee Honda. When the pace slows down in the race, it always suits us better so I think we’ll have a good race car. We’ve won on a street circuit before so don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t be able to do it tomorrow.”
3 POLES, 6 PODIUMS FOR RLL IN 23 INDY CAR RACES AT LONG BEACH: The 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (AGPLB) marks the 24th time for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) to compete in the event. Although the team didn’t compete in Indy car races here from 2004-2011 while they fielded a fulltime entry in the Indy Racing League (2004-2008), they did compete in the 2003 and 2004 Atlantic races with Danica Patrick and in the 2007 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race. In total, the team has won three poles (Herta 1998, Vasser 2002, Jourdain, Jr. 2003); made five front row starts including an all-Team Rahal front row in 1998 (2nd – Rahal 1998, Brack 2001); earned their best finish of second place four times (Rahal 1992-1993, Vasser 2002, G. Rahal 2013) and earned six podiums here (2nd – Rahal 1992-1993, Vasser 2002 & G. Rahal 2013; 3rd – Herta 1998-1999). From 2009-2019, the team competed on the streets of Long Beach in the GTLM class of the ALMS/IMSA with BMW Team RLL and as finished on the podium each year but 2016-2019 although they started from pole in 2016 and led all three of those races. The venue is still the most successful for the team on the current IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule with wins in 2011, 2013 and 2015, nine podium finishes and five poles in 13 years. BMW M Team RLL has a two-car entry in the GTP class of IMSA.
NEXT UP: The morning warm-up will take place Sunday from 9:00-9:30 a.m. PDT. Peacock will cover the session live and Timing and Scoring information is available for all sessions from www.indycar.com. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be televised live on USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 21.