Long Beach Preview: Can Newgarden go back-to-back?

Last year, following his buzzer-beater-style victory at Texas, Josef Newgarden won his first Grand Prix of Long Beach to complete back-to-back IndyCar victories.

Two weeks ago at Texas, Newgarden won — even if in a completely different way, defending a charge from Pato O'Ward, the fastest driver on the day.

Which obstacles keep Newgarden from pulling off back-to-back victories again in 2023? The biggest one is likely Colton Herta.

Herta set a track record in qualifying last year, and led the race before crashing on cold tires following a pitstop near the midway point. Herta and the Andretti Autosport squad won in 2021 when Long Beach was the season finale, and despite Newgarden, O'Ward, and his even teammate Romain Grosjean's hot start to 2023, Herta seems like the favorite to win on Sunday.

Also against Newgarden's hopes for a repeat? Only Alexander Rossi, who won in 2018-19, has achieved back-to-back Long Beach victories since 2008.

The streets of Long Beach are also unkind to pole sitters. Only five times has a pole sitter won at Long Beach in its current form, and four times since 2008 a pole sitter finished outside the top 15 altogether.

Herta and Rossi, the only California-born drivers in the field, enter with three of the last four Long Beach victories. Rossi, in his third race with McLaren, would love to get his McLaren team to victory lane and make up for a pit lane incident at Texas that relegated his fast Chevy to the rear of the field at the end of the day.

Ultimately, the competition seems too stiff for Newgarden to pull off back-to-back Long Beach victories. A podium or a top five seem likely, but a victory might be too much to ask for. Herta, Rossi and Newgarden feel like the favorites, and I'd pick them as my podium.

Look out for Romain Grosjean too, who finished second last year behind Newgarden. He had speed in the first two races this season before crashing out. As long as he's running at the finish, he should be challening for the win.

Long Beach is one of the jewels of the IndyCar calendar. A thrilling battle in the California sun awaits us on Sunday.

Schedule

FRIDAY, APR 14

• 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM ET: Practice 1

SATURDAY, APR 15

• 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM ET: Practice 2
• 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM ET: Qualifying

SUNDAY, APR 16

• 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM ET: Warmup
• 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET: Race

All sessions streaming on Peacock, race also available on NBC.

Full Race Weekend Details Here.