Andretti Global Flexes Street Course Muscle at Long Beach Practice

Will Power leads opening practice for Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Apr. 18, 2026 at 2:25am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of red, blue, and yellow, conceptually representing the high-energy action and technical complexity of an INDYCAR practice session on the streets of Long Beach.Andretti Global's street course dominance on display in a cubist interpretation of the opening practice session for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.Long Beach Today

Will Power of Andretti Global led the opening practice session for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, posting the fastest lap time of 1 minute, 7.6053 seconds in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda. Power's former Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin was second quickest, followed by Andretti Global's series points leader Kyle Kirkwood in third. The strong performance by Andretti Global drivers highlighted the team's strength on street courses, having won six of the past 14 street races in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Why it matters

Andretti Global's dominance on street courses, including multiple wins at the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix, demonstrates the team's engineering prowess and ability to develop cars that excel in the tight, technical confines of temporary street circuits. This early practice session foreshadows an exciting qualifying session and race as Andretti Global looks to continue its street course success.

The details

Will Power led the opening practice session with a blistering lap time, nearly two-tenths of a second faster than his closest pursuer, former teammate Scott McLaughlin. Power, who moved to Andretti Global this offseason after 16 seasons with Team Penske, has endured an inconsistent start to the season but appears to have found his comfort zone at his new team, especially on the streets of Long Beach. Andretti Global drivers occupied three of the top six positions, with series points leader Kyle Kirkwood third and Marcus Ericsson sixth, showcasing the team's strength on street courses.

  • The opening practice session took place on Friday, April 17, 2026.
  • The second practice session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, 2026, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 6:30 p.m. ET.
  • The 90-lap Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

The players

Will Power

A two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and winner of the 2018 Indianapolis 500, Power is in his first season with Andretti Global after 16 years with Team Penske.

Scott McLaughlin

A former teammate of Power's at Team Penske, McLaughlin finished second in the opening practice session but ended his day by sliding into the tire barrier in Turn 9.

Kyle Kirkwood

The current NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader, Kirkwood is a two-time winner of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and continued Andretti Global's strong performance on street courses by finishing third in practice.

Andretti Global

The Andretti Global team has won six of the past 14 street races in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including two victories at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Marcus Ericsson

The Andretti Global driver was the team's third driver in the top six of the practice time chart, further demonstrating the team's strength on street circuits.

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What they’re saying

“On the reds (Firestone alternate tires), the car was very good. We still have things to improve but looking good.”

— Will Power, Driver, Andretti Global

“As you've seen over the years, the Andretti cars are really good here. I think the one lap in qualifying will be very interesting. Hard to say that would suit us or not.”

— Will Power, Driver, Andretti Global

What’s next

The second practice session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, 2026, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 6:30 p.m. ET. The 90-lap Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

The takeaway

Andretti Global's dominance on street courses, including multiple wins at the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix, demonstrates the team's engineering prowess and ability to develop cars that excel in the tight, technical confines of temporary street circuits. This early practice session foreshadows an exciting qualifying session and race as Andretti Global looks to continue its street course success.