It was another exciting Grand Prix weekend in Long Beach, CA. 44 years and counting, the Grand Prix has become a signature event for the laid-back Southern California town. This year gave more cause for celebration as a California native took home the prize. 26-year old, Alexander Rossi, thoroughly dominated the race, leading 71 out of 85 laps. He finished 1.2413 seconds in front of Team Penske’s, Will Power. The race marked Rossi’s third IndyCar Series win and marked the first American Victory in 8 years. Rossi’s performance also marked the first to win from the pole since 2007.
Finishing just behind Rossi and Power, Ed Jones of Chip Ganassi Racing took the third-place spot for his second career podium spot.
About the race, Rossi commented, “What it means to win this race is hard to put into words . . .Even though this isn’t my true home race, it really feels like one . . . It’s a pleasure to be able to come here and race and to be able to win is pretty special. This one I will definitely remember for a very long time and I’m very glad there were so many people here today to see it.”
Finishing on the podium for the first three races of the season, Rossi is a California-native, hailing from Auburn. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2016, followed by the IndyCar Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International in New York in 2017.
Of those three races, Rossi marveled, “If you’re going to hit the wish list, those are the three races to win . . . it’s kind of hard to believe and hard to understand and it will definitely take a lot of time to appreciate all this.
Peoplenetv.com
