The 51st Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach with Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Louie Foster, Nolan Siegel And Long Beach Grand Prix President And CEO Jim Liaw

Bruce Martin:
IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, Auto Week, and Speed Sport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our sixth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. We welcome back our friends from Penske Truck Rental who return as the presenting sponsor of Pit Pass Indy. Penske Truck Rental helps Pit Pass Indy bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock, to the racetrack, to the highways and streets of America. And this season, Penske Truck Rental and Pit Pass Indy will help celebrate Team Penske's 60th anniversary. One of the biggest races during the 60th anniversary season was on the streets of Long Beach over the weekend, the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Crown Jewel event for IndyCar was once again a major event in Southern California, with huge crowds from Friday through Sunday who witnessed all the action culminating with Alex Pillow's first ever win in the major event on the streets of Long Beach. But it was also a time to remember the late Jim McCallion, one of the first employees when a street race in Long Beach began in 1975. McCallion would play a key role in building the event into the biggest street race in North America and the second biggest street race in the world behind Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix. Beginning in 2001, McAleenan was president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach and one of the most highly respected leaders in racing and in Southern California's sporting landscape. The 83-year-old McAleenan was in the midst of preparing for this year's race when he fell ill and unexpectedly died on March 21st. The staff of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach had a huge void to fill but quickly stepped in to stage another spectacular weekend of activity as three-day attendance figures exceeded 200,000 spectators. McCallion had announced his retirement effective June 30th and Jim Lau would take over his role beginning July 1st. But with McCallion's death, Lau started immediately and was able to seamlessly stage another successful Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental had an exclusive deep dive interview with Lau entering the race weekend at Long Beach. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is a gentleman who's playing a very important role in IndyCar, not only now, but in the future. It's Jim Lau, the president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, which runs the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Very important race on the IndyCar schedule. Jim was scheduled to take over this event on July the 1st from Jim McCallion, who has been employee number one when Chris Pook started this race way back in the 70s. But you had to jump in both feet first, unexpectedly, when Jim McAleon passed away about a month ago. How big a challenge has it been to really get this year's event going seamlessly with such a huge individual such as Jim McAleon passing away? Yeah, I think, you know,

Jim Liaw: The scale of this event is large. The moving parts, there's a lot. When you're shutting down city streets and working with all sorts of entities to produce something at this scale is, you know, daunting to say the least. The, you know, but I think surprisingly, I think, you know, and unfortunately the foundation that was laid has been rock solid. The team that was or that is behind the Grand Prix and behind Jim is a well-oiled machine, well-experienced group of people. heads down, really just, you know, pushing through and, you know, we were kind of half joking, but really in a very Jim McAleenan way, right? He's, he's like the ringmaster, you know, he's like PT Barnum and he would want the show to go on and it's going on. And that's, you know, that's, that's what we're doing.

Bruce Martin: I can personally recall there were times where I might show up out here at 6.30 in the morning and there'd be Jim on his scooter. He'd probably already been on the job since four in the morning, looking over things, getting ready for the day. And then there were many times where I might leave here at seven, eight o'clock at night and there's Jim on the scooter, checking things out as he shuts down for the day. Were there a lot of things that you discovered and other people discovered that he could do that maybe a lot of you didn't really realize he was doing to be able to make the thing run like it was?

Jim Liaw: Yeah, there's a lot in his head, right? In 50 plus years of running this race and being involved, the wealth of knowledge and the pattern of things that were done is quite deep. But I think to that point, you know, those are like-mindedness that we have. And equally so, Penske Entertainment is that type of attention to detail. You want to make sure that the facility is ready for the guests. You want to make sure that you're prepared and you want to make sure that there is nothing too small, trash on the floor and you know, all sorts and just making sure that we are ready to provide a great experience for people.

Bruce Martin: So correct me if I'm wrong, but he was going to retire and move on to a different role in the Penske Entertainment Corporation on June 30th. You were going to begin on July the 1st. I would have imagined the plan was you were going to pretty much shadow him all April or leading up through this race weekend and learn by watching But then you had to do it without having that.

Jim Liaw: So how difficult has that been for you? I think the difficulty, you know, knock on wood, I think the difficulty has been learning the finer details of how he operated and what and making sure that the details are not lost in that. I feel fortunate again is that I'm familiar with this place. I've been coming here since 97. I've been working hand in hand with the team here since 2005. And I feel really comfortable with the people here, with the city, with the various partners and sanctioning bodies that are here. And so that part makes it a little bit less daunting. in stepping into this. But yeah, I mean, the idea was a February to July learning period and watching him go through the cadence of this race and watching how he did it, and what was his schedule like, and where did he cover, and who did he go see, and making sure to see and understand all that. We didn't get that. And so I think that's the part that I feel we're playing a little bit, I'm playing a little bit of catch up on. So making a concerted effort to cover all grounds.

Bruce Martin: Would you say the most challenging part of that is in order to put on a street race in Long Beach, California, there's a lot of government agencies you have to deal with. I've always said that if this race was created today or proposed today, it probably wouldn't happen because of the way the political landscape is in Southern California. But he was connected in so many different ways. Is that one of the biggest challenges or voids that you have to fill?

Jim Liaw: I think so. I think connected because he established relationships. And that's vital. These key partnerships and relationships, some of which I have, but a lot I have to establish myself and gain that mutual trust for each other. And you're right. There are a lot of layers and a lot of moving pieces.

Bruce Martin: And how were you able to do that so quickly?

Jim Liaw: I don't know. I mean, I think going back to, again, the foundation that was laid, the team is well-oiled. Operationally, we are humming along. Going around, and that was what I was looking forward to, is being with Jim and meeting The who's who's and understanding some of the context really my my goal was, I want to understand context and background I want to understand why things were done a certain way and how. and how people functioned and why certain relationships were key and fundamental and how do they play a part in this machine that's this race. That is definitely an anxious part and a part of the learning curve, but it is what it is. We gotta do it and we're in the middle of it and we're gonna make a great race happen. So if you could go over the timeline

Bruce Martin: from when you heard about what had happened with Jim, and then when it was obvious you were gonna have to take over immediately, and then all the way now that we're up to race weekend, if you could just give us a little bit of a recap of that timeline and what it was like for you.

Jim Liaw: Yeah, I mean, we were, you know, we were in Arlington, following him around and chasing Jim McAleenan is a difficult task. We came back that midweek, we went to a CVB meeting downtown and we were with them and they, He was on the CVB board and they gave him a standing ovation, which is great. And he wasn't well and was checked into the hospital on a Friday night and we got news Saturday morning. So there wasn't much of a timeline. It literally happened in a flash. And a few of us came in that Saturday, and we made the rounds. We informed staff, informed key partners like the city, and called the mayor's office. And we worked with IndyCar and with IMSA and notified, again, our key partners. And we planned for a press release and announcement and got it out that same day. Monday morning we had a staff meeting and it was somber but everybody knew that you know there's a task ahead of them and that was to put on put on this race and four weeks later we're here.

Bruce Martin: Did you make the call to Roger Penske to inform him what had happened and what type of support did Roger Penske and his son Greg and Bud Denker, the president of the Penske Corporation, offer to help get this show to be able to continue to operate?

Jim Liaw: The outpouring of support from all organizations and all parts were huge. My call was to Bud. You know, Bud took that weight a little bit off my shoulders and kind of made the call across the Penske Entertainment and Penske Corporation stakeholders. And yeah, you know, I talked to Greg and I talked to Bud and, you know, the message kind of went out. And yes, so Bud, Michael Montri, Greg, everybody called and offered support, lend a hand. It was nice, even a mention, this was in the middle of the 12 hour receiving race and Imsah made a mention during broadcast and those were just nice gestures and great tribute to Jim.

Bruce Martin: So moving on. Here we are, race weekend. By the time this interview airs on Pit Pass Indy, the race will have already been over. But moving on, how do you run an event like this? It's a temporary street course race that's been going on for 51 years, so a lot of the things are already in place. which is helpful, but yet it's also an event that you have to construct and then tear down. So how demanding is that and how unique is that having this type of event as opposed to at a permanent facility?

Jim Liaw: Yeah, I appreciate you bringing that up because I think a lot of people outside of the event production world will say, oh, your race is over. Are you going to take a vacation for three to four months and come back? And no, we are immediately on to the following year. We have multi-year contracts. Some expire, some run. We always have to keep tabs and evaluate those things. We would already be debriefing. coming back with the city and, again, all the key partners and looking at what to improve, what to fix, and what to plan. And part of the forward vision is you want to build on this foundation. The race is solid, as is, but we have an opportunity to enhance it. And you're starting to see that this weekend, and you're going to see a lot more of that in the years to come.

Bruce Martin: How have you kept the staff invigorated? Because I know that the loss of somebody that they knew so well had to devastate them.

Jim Liaw: Luckily, I haven't had to invigorate them. I think it's more about being a human to human and just making sure. For me, I think number one is, are you okay? Do you need a break? If you wanna take a walk around the block, you should go do that. And giving them that courtesy and that time. But invigorated, no. They're all very passionate people. and they love this race and they are putting in literally blood, sweat and tears at this point to put this race on.

Bruce Martin: What do you see as being the biggest reason why the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has been such a longtime success?

Jim Liaw: It's those partnerships, as you mentioned earlier, those deep relationships with key partners and entities, stakeholders within the city, and making sure that we are in alignment and understand each other, that we are contributing to the city, to the profile of the city, to the economic impact of the city, and even community-wise with STEM program and school district outreach and things like that, we have to make sure that we are ingrained and interwoven into the community.

Bruce Martin: When was your first Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach?

Jim Liaw: My first was 97. And how old were you and what did you think of the event? I didn't come from a racing and motorsports family, but I fell in love with cars and I was fortunate enough to start my career as an advertising intern for a publishing company. And a couple of co-workers said, have you been to the Grand Prix? I said, no. And we put a group together and we came here and I walked through the pedestrian overpass on the back straight. And as you walk through, you get race cars coming on the back straight. And just the sheer visceral effect, the sights and sounds got me hooked. And I was fascinated by how do you build this city within a city? And how does all this work? I was kind of in love with it from that point forward. So what is your background? before taking on this position with the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach? So I started as an advertising intern. I worked at various event companies. I started a small marketing agency that landed me in the drifting world. So that company brought drifting from Japan to America, and we started Formula Drift, the drifting championship in 2004. I ran that day-to-day until 2021. We took it through the pandemic, survived that, ran a great comeback season in 21. I had the opportunity to go work for PRI, Performance Racing Industry. For those who are in Indianapolis know very well, you know, large motorsports trade show that happens every year in December. I went there as general manager, helped run the PRI show as well as other PRI initiatives. Was there for four and a half years before this opportunity came up. Again, a reflection of Jim's relationship building. I left, we were more, we were interactive in Formula Drift, you know, with the Grand Prix. But when I left, I still kind of kept in touch and we would, you know, have coffee. I have coffee, he doesn't have coffee, he drinks hot cocoa. And we'd have morning meetings every once in a while and just chat. And when he brought up that he was considering looking at a short list of successors and wanted to put my name in the hat, I was floored. I was humbled. I didn't know what the process would be, but just to be considered was great. And fast forward, and I'm here.

Bruce Martin: And I brought up earlier about some of the governmental challenges in the state of California or in the city of Long Beach. How important is it that a lot of the things with this event have been grandfathered in?

Jim Liaw: Well, yes, there are parts of that, but these permits and contracts and rules happen all the time. So we, again, it's not resting on the laurels of what we built and thinking that that lasts in perpetuity. We have to always be, you know, on our game. And this is where the being interwoven into the community, getting buy-in from stakeholders, not just businesses, but residents of Long Beach and of Southern California to know and to find value, to feel that this is their race and that we are just as part of the community fabric as they are important to us. I think all those things are important for renewals, for longevity, for the continuation of this race. What is the economic impact of the community that this event brings? It's something like 100 million to the region of economic impact. But I say that as those that's hard. That's hard numbers. You know, the economic impact of 700. students that walk through this place that is invigorated by STEM education and wants to become a mechanic, an engineer, a marketer, and works in motorsports, or even not, even just, I want to now, I have motivation to pursue something, and what that young person's contribution to society, to the community in years to come, I don't even know how to even put a price on that.

Bruce Martin: I've often described this event as a signature sporting event for the whole state of California, in some ways similar to the Rose Bowl. And when you hear it put in terms like that, what do you think?

Jim Liaw: I would agree. I think this is a large-scale event for sure. It is the only motorsports festival of this kind on the west coast. It is three days of just people from all over the country and all over the world. You know, it should be I know in our motorsports world, the significance of this race is known. In the IndyCar world, for sure, the significance of this race is known. But I think we have an opportunity to tell the broader community and region and that how significant culturally, economically, entertainment-wise that this race is.

Bruce Martin: The Grand Prix of Arlington was held back in March, got off to a great first time success. There's also going to be a race, the Freedom 250 at Washington, D.C. in August. When you see those events trying to pattern themselves after the Grand Prix of Long Beach and maybe even do better, Does that just increase the commitment and challenge even more for you?

Jim Liaw: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think those are great moments, whether you call them a little bit of rivalries, but I think it's always good to elevate. Just like, you know, a team in the paddock, when one levels up, it usually brings everyone else up. And when you see other races try new things or push the limits of different ways of promoting, of organizing, of producing, it definitely is motivating because it gives you motivation to want to continue to push and grow this event.

Bruce Martin: And when you hear the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach is the biggest street race in North America and the second biggest street race in the world only behind the Monaco Grand Prix and Formula One, that's pretty lofty areas right there. How proud are you of what this event is?

Jim Liaw: Yeah, very, very proud. Very, you know, as I said earlier, it's very surreal because this was my first major race. I understood the size and the scale and to be here is really, it's a great personal moment. But yes, it is a lofty event. It is at that, you know, we're holding on to something very important and very valuable and that's held very high. But even with that, though, there is still upward potential. And I think that's the most interesting part for me is that we're not at the peak. And what do we do? We have to hold on to the peak. We are at a high place, but there is still room above that. And I think that's what's invigorating and inspiring for me and motivating for me.

Bruce Martin: Well, Jim Law, president, CEO of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. I know you've been thrust into a very important position suddenly, but good luck being able to reach all the goals that you've set for this event. It's a great event. It's got something that you can't buy, and that's a vibe. And vibes are very important with just turning race weekends into major events. But good luck this year. Good luck in the future, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Jim Liaw: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Josef Newgarden: Hey, everyone, this is two time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. The trip to Long Beach, California is always one of the highlights of the season for the drivers, teams, and fans of the NTT IndyCar Series. It's a chance to meet up with longtime friends and racing heroes that treat the event as a street course version of the Indianapolis 500 when it comes to history and tradition. One of those heroes is two-time Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach winner, Scott Dixon, who finished third in Sunday's race behind Chip Ganassi racing teammate and winner Alex Palou and second place finisher Felix Rosenquist. This was Dixon's 25th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and has a special place in the history of the race. Here is my exclusive interview with Dixon leading into the race weekend for Pit Pass Indy. Joining us now is the legend, six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon, who's also a two-time Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach winner. First win came here in 2015. It had been a victory that you had searched a very long time in your career to get. What was it like to finally win the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach? Because it is a premier event on the IndyCar schedule.

Scott Dixon: Yeah, it was amazing. Obviously, from a historical standpoint, it doesn't get much bigger than, you know, the Long Beach Grand Prix, you know, probably second to the Indy 500. So, yeah, we'd come close so many times. Strategies, you know, kind of hadn't worked out, or, you know, I think even we had the close one with Simon Paginot, maybe a year or two later as well, with the pit exit exchange, too. So, yeah, it's a tough race to win, but then to follow it up, you know, for a second time in 24 was a lot of fun in the style that we did it that year, too.

Bruce Martin: When you look at the boxes that a driver in IndyCar wants to check off in order to become a legend, being a legend isn't what you got into racing to be. You just happened to become one. But how important was that? Like you said, Indianapolis is at the top, and I'm sure winning the series championship is very important. You've won it six times. But when you start clicking off all the goals that you have in racing, how satisfying is that for a driver who's especially raced as long as you have?

Scott Dixon: I think any driver on the grid, they want to win at every race. That's on the calendar for me. We've gone through many different races throughout the years, new ones that you've kind of seen come and go and things like that. But I think when you look at big races, say the Indy 500, to championship wins, to the Long Beach Grand Prix. Those are markers. This was one of the first events I ever came to when I came to watch IndyCar racing back in the day. So for me to be able to come here and then actually tick that box, as you said, to be a Long Beach Grand Prix winner, much was the joy, too, last year being inducted into the Long Beach Walk of Fame as well with Jim McAlean. which unfortunately, you know, he passed a few weeks ago. So, no, it's been fantastic, but, you know, what is in focus right now is trying to win this weekend.

Bruce Martin: This isn't just a race, it's a major event, and drivers are focused on the race itself. But how much do you feel the big event status of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, I think it's just the atmosphere of when you walk through the gates, you know, to the lead up, you know, every day kind of builds on itself. You know, I think it's exciting. You know, nobody wants to perform anything in front of, you know, maybe empty stands or no atmosphere and people not around. And this is the party on the beach. You know, there's also a race going on, which is really cool, too. So, you know, I think throughout my years, you've really seen a lot of these events build. And, you know, I think the likes of Arlington this year, DC later in the year, you know, to stables that we now have like St. Pete, you know, the atmosphere is what it's all about. And it's so cool to be able to put on a fantastic show in front of a lot of people.

Bruce Martin: On top of that, how challenging is the race course itself? Because you're here to win the race.

Scott Dixon: It's always tough. You know, I think to get a good balance here is quite tricky to get clear laps, especially in practice. And then, you know, obviously to nail, you know, the strategy in the race, which this year should kind of flip back maybe to almost 24 likes, you know, where the two strategy is possible. Now, last year, especially with the tire degradation on the soft tire, just wasn't possible. So it became an automatic three for everybody. What I think makes really good races in IndyCar racing is when you have the merge of a two-stopper with a three-stopper, you know, fighting it out at the end. So, you know, this year, maybe we'll see it go back where you can actually make both those strategies work.

Bruce Martin: It's the 51st Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach, and from day one, Jim McAleen was part of it. And we lost Jim McAleen about a month ago. He passed away unexpectedly. He was the longtime president and CEO of the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach. How much of an influence do you feel?

Scott Dixon: He really was Mr. Long Beach Grand Prix. He was Mr. Long Beach Grand Prix, and I've had the pleasure of knowing Jim for many years. And like I said earlier, being inducted to the Long Beach Walk of Fame with him last year was a true honor. Typically, it's only two people, but they thought it was definitely a huge moment to add a third and to have Jim do it, which, you know, I don't think he really wanted to be inducted. It was quite interesting, but, you know, to spend those moments with him. But I think when you look back, you know, his work ethic, the standard that he pushed and what an amazing event that he created is second to none. So, you know, obviously, you know, horrible to see and sorry to see him, you know, pass, but his legacy will live on forever.

Bruce Martin: Obviously it would mean something to win the Long Beach Grand Prix in any year, but how important would it be this year, the first after his passing?

Scott Dixon: Any year, for sure. Obviously, if you can win, you know, in any circumstance, you know, for us, you know, especially on our side with this, the season started a bit rough and, you know, didn't finish the first race, which was unfortunate, but yeah, we want to get back into a winning way and be extremely, you know, grateful and it would be amazing to be able to do it in his honor.

Bruce Martin: Next up on your schedule, but it's not something that's on the IndyCar schedules, the two-day open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 110th Indianapolis 500. Very important to everybody that's gonna run at Indy this year. How important is that test to you, and what are some of the things you try to achieve during that two-day open test?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, you know, I think any time you can get to run at the Speedway is huge. You know, we'll have to see if the tires change a little bit. I know test schedule and the items that we have are, you know, already probably four or five days long of testing, even though we only have two days. So we have a pretty big schedule for our side and for our team. But yeah, you go through, even though it's the same car and has been for a long time, these engineers get almost a year to think about stuff and try to analyze and make the car a bit better. So I know there was definitely some moments that we messed up on last year, especially in qualifying configuration, which we'll re-verify. But for us, and obviously Alex, too, by coming back as last year's champion and the reigning champion, it's going to be huge for the team. But we got a lot of work, as always. Do you try anything new during the test?

Bruce Martin: Do you experiment a little bit? Or is it just basically to give yourself a solid platform to begin the month of May with?

Scott Dixon: No, for us, you know, I think we have a really good kind of balance in both configurations. So for us, it would be trying a lot of new stuff, a lot of stuff that we see other teams possibly running throughout last year's qualifying and race running as well. So, you know, it's just ticking boxes and kind of trying to zero in by the time you get back for the full month of May effect.

Bruce Martin: So a couple of weeks ago on this week in IndyCar on Fox 59 in Indianapolis, I was asked if Scott Dixon is entering the Tom Brady portion of his career where you're still very good, but there may be some guys who may be better. And I said, don't say that to Scott, because I asked you a similar question at content days this year. You said you're going to race as long as you're having fun and you're having fun. What do you think of when you hear that?

Scott Dixon: I don't know. From my memory is, you know, when Brady was kind of finishing up, he was still winning, so I don't know. He was still winning Super Bowls. I don't understand that, but no, you know, for me, I still love it, you know, and that's the main thing. I think when you start to not enjoy it as much, it's probably the time to hang it up, but, you know, luckily for me, I've been with a fantastic team, you know, fantastic partners, you know, with the likes of PNC, so I'm going to do it as long as I can, that's for sure.

Bruce Martin: And also, how encouraging is it when you see another guy in your age group, your generation, like Will Power? He's still fast. He's still Will Power in a lot of ways. He still is a quirky guy, but he's still on the gas.

Scott Dixon: No, I'm excited for Will. Obviously, it was a change that maybe he wasn't looking for to leave Penske. I think when you talk to him now, he's glad that it actually worked out that way. I think sometimes a new situation invigorates you and gives you a jolt in maybe an area that you didn't really even consider. I remember talking to Will probably five or six years ago where he was talking about retiring, and I was like, why? Why would you retire, man? You're fast as hell. You can still win championships. And what else are you going to do? You retired for a long time. So I'm glad that he hopefully took that advice and continued on and is still racing. And, you know, the last few races, he's been doing extremely well, man.

Bruce Martin: And final question with Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing. You've got a teammate who's having a heck of a run here in his career. Four-time IndyCar Series champion, defending Indy 500 winner Alex Pillow. Is there such a thing as professional jealousy or does he provide you with encouragement and inspiration to really get to his level and beat him?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, no, I think his level right now is the standard and it's not just for me. Obviously, with Kiffin and I, we're in the team environment and we get to see it. I think the style of car and the car that we have right now is exactly what his style of driving molds really well with. There's definitely some of us that struggle with the rear weight distribution and the addition of the hybrid system and things like that. But no, what Alex is doing is fantastic, it's fantastic to see, and it's all right there. So you get a front row seat at it, but all you can say is congratulations, and we just need to do a better job.

Bruce Martin: He's still fast, he's still got race victories, and who knows, he might win the Indianapolis 500 this year, which would be your second. But Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Good luck the rest of the season. We'll catch up with you during the month of May. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Scott Dixon: Thanks, man. Cheers.

Bruce Martin: Another driver who literally grew up with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. His father, Bobby Rahal, competed in 15 contests on the streets of Long Beach from 1984 to 1998. Graham Rahal has competed in 19 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach races, including Sunday's eighth place finish. Pit Pass Indy caught up with Rahal entering the race for this exclusive interview. Joining us now is Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Graham, we're doing this interview at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It's fair to say you grew up with this event in many ways, because your father was always involved with it, first as a driver, then later as a team owner. How old were you the first time you came out here and what does this event mean to you?

Graham Rahal: Well, I mean, jeez, I don't remember the first time. I was a kid, I can tell you that, but I don't remember specifically, you know, the age at which I was, but I mean, two, three, four, five, I don't know. But yeah, I mean, I've been around here a long time. I love this place. I love the race. It hasn't treated me to say the best. I finished on the podium. I think once and then I missed the podium one time when I got a penalty on the last lap, finished fourth. So that was quite disappointing, but it's been, I mean, this is one of the most historic events in IndyCar racing and has been for 40 whatever year. I mean, a long, long, long time. So, you know, I, I've always enjoyed coming out here. Obviously, I ended up, you know, marrying a young lady from this area, but, you know, it was kind of like, I mean, coming from the Midwest back in those days, it was kind of like a dream, you know, I'm out here more now, but it's kind of like a dream scenario to get to come out to Long Beach and enjoy this weather and, you know, be here for a great race and stay at the Hyatt and go on the rooftop as a kid and, you know, watch all that stuff. Hell, I don't even know nowadays with all the BS we live with. I'm not sure kids are allowed on the roof anymore because they're probably worried they're going to fall off or something. But, you know, it's definitely just a wonderful place to come and race. And I certainly am excited to be here. In California, if there's not a law against that, there will be soon. California's got a law for everything.

Bruce Martin: This is the 51st Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach. And the greats of the great in Formula One, in kart, in champ car, in IndyCar have competed on this track. Al Unser Jr., the King of the Beach, Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal. You go on and on and on with the great names that have competed here. And that has to be a, I know you get that feeling at the Indianapolis 500, but in a lot of ways, this is a little bit different. This is a big event. It's not the Indy 500, but it's pretty damn close in terms of event status.

Graham Rahal: It's huge. And, you know, I was actually telling, you know, Mick and Mrs. Schumacher about the, you know, this event and just, You know that when you look at all the races that you can go to in IndyCarRacing, like this place brings the crowd, it always has the energy. And I remember as a kid when Takate, I was actually with Adrian Fernandez not that long ago and he and I were talking about the Takate days and when he was racing and just the amount, the insane amount of people. that would come out to support him and the energy behind it. It still is that way. We'll see a great crowd here throughout the weekend. Tomorrow is one of the best Fridays that we have all year. It's obviously great to have IMSA here as well. I'm going to start to lobby for a longer race than what they do, though. I think we all could use a good four-hour show at the beach. To me, it's been an amazing venue that has stood the test of time. I'm certainly proud to be here again this year. Hopefully we can, you know, come off the energy of Barber and have a great weekend.

Bruce Martin: There's a large amount of actual IndyCar race fans that will be at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, but there's also a probably an even bigger amount of big event fans, party goers, people who are out because it's a major social event of the year in Southern California. How important are those to create a big event?

Graham Rahal: Oh, yeah. I mean, I think, you know, all of those aspects. The thing is, it's tricky to do here in Southern California, though, because there are so many distractions out here that you're being pulled in a million different ways in this state, whether, you know, you're going to be going to the beach or going to different hockey games, football games, basketball, baseball. I mean, there's a million opportunities. you know to of things to do obviously Disneyland and Universal Studios and you know on the weekend you got a lot of things to pull you in different directions yet you know the Long Beach Grand Prix has always stood the test of time in that regard.

Bruce Martin: A major person who was responsible for the success of this event is no longer with us. Jim McCallion he passed away unexpectedly. This was going to be his last AGRA Grand Prix of Long Beach anyway because he announced in June he was moving on to a different role with Penske Entertainment, but passed away suddenly. What did he really mean to this event? He was like the first or second employee that Chris Pook ever hired for this race.

Graham Rahal: Well, I think McCallion, you know, he had, obviously, he, this event, meant a tremendous amount to him and he meant a tremendous amount to the event. And I don't think that the success of this event would be nearly where it is without Jim. I think Jim, in my book, and people know I can be pretty vocal about things, but I felt like Jim in my book was the standard when it came to promotion and was the standard in what it took to put on a great event and have the organization and he was able to you know when Toyota moved on Acura stepped up you know he obviously was a critical part of the the success of the Toyota Pro Celebrity Race all those years which I would certainly love to still get back or see back in this in this race in particular but you know Jim was an icon when it came to all of those aspects. And he's obviously, he will be missed. His influence will be missed. I just hope that the next in line and all the folks that will take over from here will carry on his spirit for sure.

Bruce Martin: You're entering Long Beach after a podium finish at Barber, so just how much of a boost has that been for you the last couple of weeks?

Graham Rahal: Well, it's been nice to get the monkey off our back a little bit. Obviously, it's not a win, but it still is a great result. For me, on a personal level, there's a lot of pressure that comes off with that, but we still want to go get a win. We still want to get more podiums. You know, we haven't we haven't been great on the street courses this year. So I feel like this weekend is actually a really important weekend, you know, in our camp in the 1545 47 camp to see if we can improve on the street courses, see if we can put ourselves in a little more competitive position going forward. I think that's, you know, really, really important. And so we'll see what happens here.

Bruce Martin: Next up is a two-day open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 110th Indy 500. It's not on the schedule in terms of an event, but it's a pretty big deal. How big a deal is it for you?

Graham Rahal: Well, for our team, it's huge because, you know, it's not a speed thing. Last year, it was like, oh, you guys still struggle. It wasn't speed, it was balance. I couldn't get the car to do anything that I wanted it to do all month long. And so this is a critical test for us. There's going to be some changes that we make, and fingers crossed they go in the right way.

Bruce Martin: Well, Graham Rahal, we'll see you at the test here in a couple of weeks, and we'll also be there for the whole month of May, but good luck, especially here at Long Beach, even though this interview will air after the race is over, so we'll already know where you finished. But good luck the rest of the season, good luck the month of May, and we'll catch up with you during the month of May at Indy. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Model. Sounds good, thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Scott McLaughlin: Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Two of IndyCar's newer drivers understand the allure of racing on the streets of Long Beach. That includes second-year NTT IndyCar Series driver Louis Foster of Rahal Wetterman Lanigan Racing and second-year driver Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. Here is my exclusive pit pass Indy interview with Louis Foster. It's Louis Foster joining us now from the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach. Louis, you're still fairly new into the series. It's your second season in IndyCar, but you know what a big deal the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach is.

Louie Foster: What does it mean to you? Yeah, I love this place. I obviously moved here when I was 18. So this kind of feels like a second home to me, this place, kind of Los Angeles as a whole. But yeah, it's a great event. It's always one that's marked on pretty much every driver's calendar. The festivities here, you know, you've got the jump trucks, you've got IMSA, you've got the drifting, like it's a really cool event. On top of that, it's a great circuit. I mean, it's steeped in history and it's great also to be here at the home of Honda.

Bruce Martin: When you think that this is the 51st Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach, it means it stood the test of time It seems to get bigger every time you come back, huge crowd for the race weekend. What is it like to come to an event that's had that long a staying power and is also that popular amongst the fans?

Louie Foster: It's great. I mean, I think that's a testament to the management of IndyCar as a whole and, you know, them being able to put on this event. And also, the sponsors over the years have been the primary sponsor of this race. I mean, obviously, the recent years has been Acura. But, you know, they put a lot of effort into this event and, you know, there's a huge car community here in Los Angeles that they really feed into. So, I think that it's super cool that we get to come to such an awesome place.

Bruce Martin: I asked your teammate, Graham Rahal, this. I'll ask you the same question. There are some diehard IndyCar fans that will be at this race, but there's even more fans that come out here because it's a party. It's the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It's something they look forward to every year. In many ways, it's like the Indianapolis 500 of street races. So how important is it to have that element of the crowd to create a big event?

Louie Foster: Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, you're talking about there's a very probably small percentage of the fans here that are proper diehard Watch Every Race fans, let's be honest, right? Which I think it's great to have them here, but also at the same time, it's great to have the new people who are kind of experiencing IndyCar for the first time, the people who their families are dragging them out for the weekend to come see this new event and do something on their weekend off. And I think that those are the ones that really are super important to us. We want to capture it. Obviously, we want to make sure that the fans that follow IndyCar and love IndyCar through and through get a great race, and they get to come and see what they want to see. But at the same time, we need to be able to have an event that makes someone come to this event and go, wow, I need to come back here next year, or I need to go to more of these. And I think that this is an event that does that for a lot of people.

Bruce Martin: As far as the race itself, the race course, How is the best way for you to describe it? There have been some times where the leader of the race leads the race, most of the race. We haven't seen a lot of challenges for the lead up front, but there is a lot of racing that goes on throughout the field. So how would you describe the course? What makes it so challenging? Because there really aren't that many areas to really have proper passing.

Louie Foster: Yeah, I think one of the key aspects of this place is that the corners are very challenging, and if you get it slightly wrong, it really affects your run out of certain corners and affects your momentum. So that's where the overtaking really comes in play, is when people make mistakes. It's a very mistake-driven track. If you don't make mistakes, you won't get past, usually. But, yeah, no, it's a tricky circuit. There isn't that long of straights, and, you know, the longest straight is, you know, right after a super-tight hairpin, which that always creates a massive Constantino effect, which means that it's super-hard to overtake anyway down into Turn 1. So it is tricky, but it's definitely a track of qualifying. You know, if you can qualify well and you can have a decent race car and you don't make mistakes, nine times out of ten, you can have it finish well as well.

Bruce Martin: One of the most iconic parts of this track is the fountain turn. But I imagine you probably don't even pay attention to the fountain in the fountain turn when you're racing.

Louie Foster: No, no. I mean, it's cool to see the photos afterwards and be like, oh, wow, that is quite cool looking. But no, when you're driving, it's a little bit too far to the right and up a little bit from your peripheral vision to really have a nice look at it. And I think if you are looking at that as you're driving, you're probably doing something wrong.

Bruce Martin: Next on the schedule is something that's really not even on the schedule, but it's very important. It's the two-day open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 110th Indianapolis 500. So just how big is that going to be for you and for your team, the two days at the end of April at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

Louie Foster: Yeah, huge. I mean, obviously that's going to be the backbone of your Indianapolis 500 program. So going into that test with High expectations is obviously important, but also trying to learn from what we failed to achieve last year, let's say. I think this year, genuinely, the preparation of the RLL cars, all four of them, are going to be much better than previous years. So I think we are going to be coming into that race with a car that is going to be challenging. We're not just there to fill the grid. And I think that the commitments the team has put in financially this year towards those cars and towards the build of them is going to prove that.

Bruce Martin: Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman, Lanigan Racing. Good luck in Long Beach, even though this interview will air after the race is over. So we'll already know where you finished. But good luck at the Indy 500 Open Test coming up here at the end of April. And we'll catch up with you during the month of May. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, man. Next up is the kid from California, 21 year old Nolan Siegel, who grew up in Northern California in Palo Alto, but he always enjoys his trip to Southern California for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Here's my exclusive interview with Nolan Siegel for Pit Pass Indy. Joining us now is a driver from California, but he's from Northern California. And we're in Southern California at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It's Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. I asked you this a couple of weeks ago, what the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach means to you, even though you're 500 miles away or 400 miles away up there in Palo Alto. But this is a huge event for the state. So what have you always thought of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach?

Nolan Siegel: It's a really historic event. It's always a ton of fun. I have come here many times not driving. Come here to watch the IMSA race and the IndyCar race. And I think having the two of those together is super fun, especially for me having raced in both. There are just so many people I know here and it's such a fun, fun paddock with everyone together, which you don't get very often at all. So I'm really excited. It's always one of my favorites and yeah, super excited to get going.

Bruce Martin: Explain what the racing area is like in Northern California. I'm sure there's some racetracks. We all know Sonoma Raceway and, of course, Laguna Seca. But as far as weekly racing and interest in racing, what's it like up in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Nolan Siegel: It's actually a great kind of motorsports culture up there. I think Obviously, there's Sonoma and Laguna Seca, two very famous racetracks that IndyCar has been to, that IMSA has been to. A lot of people know a lot about motorsports up there. A lot of more grassroots racing, I feel like, in that area, which is a lot of fun. Big SCCA events, a lot of karting. I would say it's more of a kind of grassroots and like sports car racing culture out there. And then obviously Long Beach is kind of the famous California IndyCar race. I think it's a great racing culture all up and down California, and that's kind of what makes this event so exciting.

Bruce Martin: From a business standpoint, there's a lot of companies from the Silicon Valley that are involved in racing. So do you see interest from that point?

Nolan Siegel: Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, this is a huge event for our team. We have a ton of Silicon Valley-based partners, a bunch of tech kind of related partners. On the sixth car I just came from, an NTT event in San Jose that was super cool to see what all the departments of NTT Global have been doing. We do a lot of partner events out in California. They're always big commercial events for us, and it's cool to be in the home of our partners once a year, twice a year, if you include Laguna.

Bruce Martin: So the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is the biggest street race in North America, second biggest street race in the world, only behind Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix. But when you also come here, it's April and you know, the Indianapolis 500 is just a few weeks off. So how does the whole evolution of the schedule work from a driver's standpoint?

Nolan Siegel: I feel like at this point, you know, we go into kind of Indie 500 mode after this event, right? We go back to Indie, we do our media for the 500, even Indie GP, you can kind of think of as a kickoff for the 500, right? And the lead into the month of May. So this is the last event I feel like before we start thinking about the 500. So for me, I'm focused on Long Beach, excited about Long Beach and not thinking about Indie quite yet. And as soon as this weekend is over, that's kind of when the mindset shifts.

Bruce Martin: There's one very important and tangible at Long Beach that you have to be at to experience and that's the vibe. This has a huge vibe. Thousands of people come out here every day just to be part of the action. It's really a big event and how do you explain to somebody who's never been to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach what the vibe is really like and what it's the vibe that really makes this race special?

Nolan Siegel: Yeah, for sure, it's hard to explain, but it's one of our biggest events, I think, from an attendance standpoint, and you can feel it in the paddock. There are so many people walking around, so many people that are excited about it, and what's really cool is you talk to fans here, and there are so many people that will tell you that they came here as a kid for the first time, or they watch Formula One here, or they've just been coming here for ages and are true race fans, and I think that's super cool.

Bruce Martin: 51 years this race has been held. And when you look at it in that point of view, that's over a half century.

Nolan Siegel: It has to have a reason for its staying power. What do you believe that is? LA is a huge market. You know, it's our one time that we're in Southern California, a lot of car culture in LA, racing culture in LA, and I think, you know, having one big motorsports event here and having it be the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach just brings so many people in and so many people are so excited about it. So I think it really is the vibe that makes the event and that's something that you, it's hard to explain without experiencing it.

Bruce Martin: Next up on the schedule is really not part of the schedule, but it's very important. It's going to be two days of open testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 110th Indianapolis 500. That's going to be the last week of April that the test will be held. How important is that for yourself and for the team to really get everything together before the month of May really begins in earnest?

Nolan Siegel: Yeah, it's very important. I think everyone since last May has been working on their Speedway package and making some developments. And I think this is the first time that we really get to see what those developments have done for us and for other teams and where we all stack up. So it's exciting. And yeah, kind of the first taste of the month of May.

Bruce Martin: Well, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Racing, we'll catch up with you later during the month of May. Good luck in Long Beach, even though this interview will air after the Long Beach Grand Prix is over. But we'll catch up with you at Indianapolis. Good luck the rest of the season. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Thank you. Let's wrap up today's episode of Pit Pass Indy with the race winner, Alex Palou. Although the Grand Prix of Long Beach is a major event in terms of the weekend, Palou's race winning pass actually came in the pits and not on the track. Felix Rosenquist started on the pole and led 51 laps and appeared to be in firm control of the outcome. But the only caution period of the 90-lap race began on lap 57 for carbon fiber debris in turn four, taking away Rosenquist's advantage on the track. Once pit lane opened, every car in the race came down pit road on lap 58. Palou's pit was at the exit of pit road and was unimpeded on leaving his pit without an occupied pit stall in front of him. Rosenquist's pit was further back on pit lane. Both had excellent pit stops, with Rosenkrantz's crew changing tires and fuel in 8.4 seconds, but Palou was in and out in 7.9 seconds, and when the two cars left pit lane, Palou was in front where he would stay for the remainder of the 90-lap race. It was Palou's third IndyCar Series win of the season, and he regained the lead in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship. Here is an exclusive interview with Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach winner, Alex Below, for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Hello, Alex. Hey, Bruce. I know you've got a flight to catch, so it's going to be a quick winner's interview here, but you got another victory and another race that's very important in your career, the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach. You won it for the first time in your career here. How do you describe just, it's almost like you laid back and it was inevitable that you were going to have a better pit stop than Felix Rosenquist. And it was just by the slightest margin. And that's all you needed to win the race.

Alex Palou: It was not much, honestly. As you said, it was very, very close. I think it was probably, what, three tenths better, the pit stop?

Bruce Martin: I believe his pit stop was 8.4 seconds, yours was 7.9, and the other advantage you had was you had the first pit on pit out, which really meant you were unimpeded on the way out.

Alex Palou: Without the clear out, I'm sure that he would have caught me because you lose a lot of time when you need to kind of steer. So, yeah, incredible, incredible to get the first win here at Long Beach. And also the way we got it with the amazing pit stop by the team, as you mentioned, only five tenths, but it was five tenths that gave us a win at Long Beach. Like it's a pretty big deal. Yeah, couldn't be happier with the boys. They always do a tremendous job.

Bruce Martin: Felix led 51 laps in the race and you were behind him most of that. Were there any points where you're sitting there thinking, I'm good, but he might be just a little bit better today?

Alex Palou: Yeah, I was really good, really comfortable, but yeah, he was a little better than us today on the soft tire. On the soft tire, he had more pace than me. I was struggling. I mean, I was keeping the same pace, like kind of just two seconds, three seconds back, one second back, but I couldn't really push to attack him or to go longer than him. Then once we went into the hard tyre, I was super comfortable. The car came alive and I was able to pull a gap. But yeah, at the beginning, I had confidence that we could still have a chance and I never gave up. But I was like, man, he's really, really dialed in today.

Bruce Martin: You won the Indianapolis 500 in 2025 and 2026. You win the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Just how big of a victory is this to you?

Alex Palou: Incredible. I love it. I mean, it's it's the biggest win you can get, like just below the Indy 500. So for me, it was always on the list, was there. I was close last year with a P2 behind Kirkwood. I knew they were going to be really, really, really strong this year. So I'm happy that we were able to make it happen.

Bruce Martin: You're back in the points lead heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the month of May. How important is that?

Alex Palou: Huge, the momentum that we can carry not only by leading but just by how we got this win and getting a win just before the month of May. I think it's gonna carry a good momentum for myself and all the team for sure.

Bruce Martin: Well, Alex Palou, the only thing faster than you on the racetrack will be this winner's interview. Congratulations on winning the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Good luck in the month of May. I'm sure we'll catch up before then. But thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Round.

Alex Palou: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race winner Alex Flo of Chip Ganassi Racing, two-time Long Beach winner Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal, Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing, and Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. Also, a special thanks to Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Lau for joining us on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Sean Ruhle Hoffman and Nathan Horson. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.