Rosenqvist Keeps Good Times Rolling for MSR With Long Beach Pole

Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist wins the NTT P1 Award for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, continuing Meyer Shank Racing's successful weekend in California.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 6:43am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist, geometric painting depicting an INDYCAR race at Long Beach, with overlapping planes of bright red, blue, and yellow colors representing the cars and energy of the event.Meyer Shank Racing's dominant performance at Long Beach showcases the team's strength and driver Felix Rosenqvist's ability to bounce back from a slow start.Long Beach Today

Felix Rosenqvist, driving the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda for Meyer Shank Racing, won the pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with a lap time of 1 minute, 7.4635 seconds. This comes after the team also won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race earlier in the day at Long Beach, making it a successful weekend so far for the Ohio-based team.

Why it matters

Rosenqvist's pole position continues Meyer Shank Racing's strong performance in California this weekend, as the team looks to complete a perfect weekend by winning the 90-lap Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race on Sunday. Rosenqvist and the team are hoping this will help turn around what has been a slow start to the 2026 season for the driver.

The details

Rosenqvist set the fastest lap time in the new Firestone Fast Six street course qualifying format, which saw each driver get one timed lap. He had to watch nervously as three drivers tried unsuccessfully to beat his time, including his good friend and former teammate Pato O'Ward, who qualified second. Reigning champion Alex Palou will start third, followed by series leader Kyle Kirkwood in fourth.

  • The qualifying session took place on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • The 90-lap Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Felix Rosenqvist

A Swedish driver competing for Meyer Shank Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he won the pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with a lap time of 1 minute, 7.4635 seconds.

Meyer Shank Racing

The Ohio-based racing team that fields the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda driven by Felix Rosenqvist. The team also won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race earlier in the day at Long Beach.

Pato O'Ward

A Mexican driver competing for Arrow McLaren, he qualified second with a time of 1 minute, 7.5076 seconds and is a good friend and former teammate of Felix Rosenqvist.

Alex Palou

The reigning and four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, he qualified third with a time of 1 minute, 7.5289 seconds.

Kyle Kirkwood

The current series leader and defending Long Beach winner, he qualified fourth with a time of 1 minute, 7.6199 seconds.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“What a day for us. Meyer Shank Racing wins the IMSA race from the pole followed by pole here. Pretty lost for words.”

— Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, Meyer Shank Racing

“That was nerve-wracking to watch. My old buddy Pato there at end, that was close. That was a good lap.”

— Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, Meyer Shank Racing

What’s next

Rosenqvist will look to complete a perfect weekend for Meyer Shank Racing by winning the 90-lap Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

Meyer Shank Racing's dominant performance in California this weekend, including a pole position and race win, demonstrates the team's strength and Rosenqvist's ability to bounce back from a slow start to the 2026 season. The team is poised to potentially sweep the Long Beach event and continue its momentum.