LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) — American Josef Newgarden will start from the pole for Sunday's Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with NTT IndyCar Series leader Alex Palou of Spain starting 10th in the field of 28.
The pole victory keeps Newgarden's slim hopes of winning the series championship alive. He entered qualifying 48 points behind Palou and needed to win the pole Saturday and win Sunday's race and lead the most laps and have Palou finish 25th or worse to win the Astor Challenge Cup.
"It's very improbable for us to win this championship," said Newgarden, who is from Nashville, Tennessee. "So, our goal is to win the race. Let's finish our season on a high note, and we'll see what happens. I think it's pretty unlikely, but you never say never in this sport."
Newgarden led the Firestone Fast Six portion of qualifying with a top lap of one minute, 8.2241 seconds on his final lap on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit surrounding the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center to win his series-leading fourth pole of the season.
Newgarden had qualified 18th and 17th in his last two races.
"I was pretty much screaming that whole last lap," Newgarden said. "I'm so happy. It's been a little bit demoralizing the last couple of weekends with where we qualified. We've had really good cars. To start where we've started these last couple of races, it's just taken the life out of me a little bit."
Palou would be assured of the championship by finishing 12th or better, or 13th or better if he leads a lap.
The other title contender, Pato O'Ward of Mexico, will start eighth. O'Ward needs to win Sunday and have Palou finish 25th or lower to win the series championship. He also could claim his first title by finishing second and earning at least one bonus point for leading a lap if Palou finishes 25th or lower.
Scott Dixon of New Zealand will start second in the final race of the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series and Brazilian Helio Castroneves third.
The 85-lap race is set to start at 12:45 p.m. The field consists of drivers from 13 nations -- nine from the United States, including Southern Californians Colton Herta (Valencia), Charlie Kimball (Camarillo) and Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon), four from England, two each from Canada, France, New Zealand and Sweden, and one each from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
Gates will open at 7:30 a.m. A warm-up for the IndyCar race will be held from 9-9:30 a.m., followed at 10:10 a.m. by the Global Time Attack, with drivers of cars in three classes attempting to set the fastest "flying lap." In a "flying lap" a driver starts the lap at optimum speed instead of a standing start.
The Historic Formula Atlantic open wheel race is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. The field of classic race cars will feature those driven by the likes of Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Willy T. Ribbs, Keke Rosberg, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Gilles Villeneuve and his son Jacques Villeneuve.
A stadium Super Trucks race is set to follow the IndyCar race at 3:30 p.m.
Proof of vaccination for the coronavirus or a negative COVID test are required to enter, and masking for all individuals is required.
Children ages 2-11, who are not eligible for vaccines, will also require a negative COVID test no earlier than 72 hours before Sunday. Children 12 and older can show either a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination.
Rapid coronavirus testing will be provided at all major entryways to the race circuit.
The Acura Grand Prix is customarily held in April but moved to September because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Acura Grand Prix will return to its usual April date in 2022.
The pandemic prompted cancellation of the 2020 race.