By: Spencer Neff
April 18, 2026
Qualifying Results Tire Strategies
Felix Rosenqvist will start from the pole in tomorrow’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. This is the second time in three years he’s won pole on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn California temporary street circuit. The Meyer Shank Racing driver was the only car in the Fast Six with a lap above 105 mph.
It is the second pole for MSR, both of which occurred with Rosenqvist at Long Beach. Rosenqvist will lead the 25-car field to green in tomorrow’s 90-lap race. He collects his seventh career INDYCAR pole and first since the 2024 Long Beach race. On Sunday, he looks to earn his second career victory and snap a 100-race winless streak dating back to his lone career victory at Road America (Race 2) in 2020.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward starts alongside Rosenqvist on the front row.
Row 2 has the drivers who are second and first in NTT INDYCAR SERIES points and finished that way last year at Long Beach- Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood.
Team Penske’s David Malukas and Palou’s teammate Scott Dixon will occupy row three. O’Ward and Malukas were the only Chevrolets in the Fast Six among four Honda-powered cars.
Round 3- Fast Six
Malukas went out first and posted a lap of 1m07.6508 (104.726 mph), while Palou would notch a lap of 1m07.5289 (104.915 mph). Rosenqvist would beat Palou’s lap with a 1m07.4635 (105.017 mph). From there, no one else would be able to best his lap. Kirkwood ran a lap at 1m07.6199 (104.774 mph), with Dixon at 1m07.8566 (104.408 mph).
Dixon would turn a lap at 1m07.8566 (104.408 mph).
O’Ward just missed out on the pole with a lap at 1m07.5076-(104.948 mph).
Round 2- Fast 12
Malukas (1m07.2447-105.358 mph) posted the best lap of the second round. Joining him in the Fast Six were Palou, Rosenqvist, Kirkwood, O’Ward and Dixon.
Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, Kyffin Simpson, Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard and Rinus VeeKay did not make the cut and will start in seventh through 12th on Sunday.
Round 1
Group 1: Rosenqvist would lead the first group during the opening round of qualifying, notching a best lap of 1m07.4691 (105.008 mph). Moving on to the Fast 12 with him would be O’Ward, Malukas, Lundgaard, McLaughlin and VeeKay.
After missing the Fast 12, these drivers will start on the inside of Rows 7-12: Marcus Armstrong, Marcus Ericsson, Louis Foster, Dennis Hauger, Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean. Hauger qualified best among three rookies in the field.
Group 2: Honda would sweep all six of the available spots for the Fast 12, with Dixon (1m07.523-104.924 mph) leading Palou, Power, Kirkwood and Simpson.
Starting on the outside of Rows 7-12 after missing the cut are Josef Newgarden, Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi, Caio Collett, Santino Ferrucci and Sting Ray Robb. Nolan Siegel will start 25th.
Up Next
Here is the remaining on-track schedule for the weekend. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms for the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
At-track schedule (all local times):Â
Sunday, April 19
10:10-10:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (live)
12:59 p.m. – Driver introductions
2:30 p.m.  – FOX on air
2:50 p.m. – Start engines command
2:57 p.m. – Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (90 laps/177.12 miles), FOX, FOX ONE, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network (live). Spanish telecast on FOX Deportes (live)
Header Image By Paul Hurley/INDYCAR
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