Ryan Hunter-Reay hounded polesitter Will Power in the early stage of the traditional 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in California, and claimed a popular victory breaking Team Penske's winning streak.
Team Penske's Will Power showed again his strong pace by dominating the qualifying session. However during the race he suffered a gearbox miscue coming off of the famous Turn 11 hairpin which left him temporarily stuck in first gear, and was obliged to watch as Hunter-Reay blew past him as his Verizon Wireless IndyCar was locked at 50 mph on the front straight. Once past, RHR was never headed, delivering a command performance for his sponsor, IZOD, and for his team, Andretti Autosport, who won for the first time in 28 races.
Power recovered soon and soon took second, adding to his lead in the championship, followed by Justin Wilson in the Z-Line Designs Dallara-Honda, who was also forced to recover after stopping to replace a damaged front wing after an altercation with lapping Alex Loyd. Scott Dixon took fourth after a smart drive in his Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry, followed by Hunter-Reay's teammate, Tony Kanaan, in his 7-Eleven car.
After the race Hunter-Reay told to the media:
"This is some of the most fun I've had in a race car. My mom passed away recently and she was with me today. This win is for her. To get a win at Long Beach, it's like the Indy 500 for street courses. The track is just so special."
With Hunter-Reay's sponsorship only sufficient to keep him in the Andretti Autosport car through Indianapolis, a high-profile win like the one today will hopefully improve his chances of staying with the team for the entire season.
