35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach[2009 IRL Rd. 2]

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For the 35th year, a staple of American Open-Wheel Racing returns as the stars of the sport travel to Long Beach to compete in one of the sport's marquee events......the 2009 Long Beach Indy Grand Prix. Long considered in some circles as "Monaco West", the track combines long, sweeping straights with one of the tightest hairpin corners in motorsports. Past winners include some of auto racing's legends, both within the United States and internationally..................

~~~PAST WINNERS.......................
Al Unser, Jr.(6)--1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995
Mario Andretti(4)--1977, 1984, 1985, 1987
Paul Tracy(4)--1993, 2000, 2003, 2004
Sebastien Bourdais(3)--2005, 2006, 2007
Michael Andretti(2)--1986, 2002
Alex Zanardi(2)--1997, 1998
Brian Redman(1)--1975
Clay Regazzoni(1)--1976
Carlos Reutimann(1)--1978
Gilles Villeneuve(1)--1979
Nelson Piquet(1)--1980
Alan Jones(1)--1981
Niki Lauda(1)--1982
John Watson(1)--1983
Danny Sullivan(1)--1992
Jimmy Vasser(1)--1996
Juan Pablo Montoya(1)--1999
Helio Castroneves(1)--2001
*Will Power(1)--2008
*--denotes active IndyCar Series competitor

~~~WEEKEND SCHEDULE......................
note.....all times listed are US PDT, -3 hrs/GMT -7 hrs
Practice Session #1, 10-11:30am, 17 April 2009
Practice Session #2, 2-3pm, 17 April 2009
Practice Session #3, 10:25-11:25am, 18 April 2009
Firestone Qualifying, 2:10-3:40pm, 18 April 2009
Practice Session #4, 8:40-9:10am, 19 April 2009*
Long Beach Indy Grand Prix, 1pm, 19 April 2009
*--practice for both rookie competitors and/or competitors 11th or worse in ICS standings


~~Domestic Television.....................Versus
~~Domestic AM Radio......................IMS Radio Network
~~Internet Simulcast........................indycar.com
~~Satellite Radio.............................Sirius XM Rado Ch. 144(SportsNation) and Ch. 145(IndyCar Racing)
~~International Simulcast(TV, radio, shortwave) courtesy of the United States Armed Forces Network

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TGPLB Press Release,
16 March 2009


~~~RACING LEGENDS BOBBY RAHAL AND AL UNSER JR. TO BE HONORED AT LONG BEACH MOTORSPORTS WALK OF FAME

4th Annual Induction Ceremony is April 16 During Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Week

LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 16, 2009) -- The City of Long Beach and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach will honor racing legends Al Unser Jr. and Bobby Rahal, at the fourth annual Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame induction ceremony. The event will take place on Thursday, April 16, during the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach week.

"I'm delighted that we will add two more racing legends to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame," said Mayor Bob Foster, who will be presenting the medallions to the honorees.

The ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m. at the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, located on South Pine Avenue in front of the Convention Center.

"This year's inductees represent not only great drivers, but individuals that have contributed much to the success of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach over the years," said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "That's why 'Little Al' is known as the 'King of the Beach' and Bobby has achieved great success at Long Beach not only on the track but also as an owner."

Al Unser Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father and an uncle (Bobby) to become repeat champion at Indianapolis, winning the '500' in 1992 and 1994. Champion of the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series in 1990 and 1994, Unser won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach an incredible six times: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994 and 1995 and, overall, took the checkered flag in 31 events between 1984 and 1995. Unser won the 24 Hours of Daytona at age 24, is a two-time IROC champion and the youngest IROC champion ever. In 1994 he dominated the CART open-wheel racing season winning eight of 16 races and was named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Unser will be competing in this year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Saturday, April 18, having won the world-famous event in 1985.

Bobby Rahal is one of a select group of individuals who have won the Indianapolis 500 as a driver (1986) and an owner (2004). Between 1982 and 1992, Rahal won 24 races and captured the CART season title in 1986, 1987 and 1992. He won on ovals, road courses and competed in Formula One and NASCAR events. Rahal won championships driving sports cars, winning several SCCA titles and shared the winning car in the 24 Hours of Daytona (1981) and the 12 Hours of Sebring (1987). He made 15 starts at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, finishing second four times. In 1996 he formed Rahal Letterman Racing, with David Letterman as a minority owner.

The Walk of Fame medallions include renditions of the racers' cars and their major achievements in motorsports. Additional information about the inductees' illustrious careers will be available at the event or at www.lbmotorsportswalkoffame.com .

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~~~AL UNSER JR. NAMED GRAND MARSHAL FOR TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH

LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 25, 2009) -- It's safe to say that nobody had a better time racing through the streets of Long Beach than Al Unser Jr., the newly appointed Grand Marshal for the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 16-19.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-native ran 15 Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) races on the streets of Long Beach, winning six times, including a remarkable four straight from 1988-91, and holds the overall record for laps led here, with 545.

Along with another famed driver, Bobby Rahal, he will be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame on Thurs., April 16 at 11 a.m., and will also compete in the Sat., April 18 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, an event he won here in 1985.

"I'm so honored that the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach has asked me to be Grand Marshal," said Unser. "We had such good fortune throughout my career at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and I feel so blessed to be put in the Walk of Fame and to be able to run in the Pro/Celebrity Race. I'm just thrilled to come back to Long Beach and this great event."

"Al Unser Jr. has certainly contributed much to the success of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach over the years," said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "He has earned the right to be called the 'King of the Beach.'"

The son of famed driver Al Unser, he was CART series champion in 1990 and 1994, and his 31 career Champ Car wins is sixth all-time.

The two-time (1992, 1994) winner of the Indianapolis 500, Unser, affectionately known as "Little Al" has also scored three IndyCar wins and is a two-time International Race of Champions (IROC) champion.

Admission to all Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach activities is FREE on Thurs., April 16. Admission prices for Friday through Sunday have not changed from 2008, and range from $25 for a Friday-only general admission ticket to $125 for a three-day ticket, which includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seating on upper levels of the grandstands. Pre-paid parking packages are also available.

In addition to the downtown walk-up service, tickets can be ordered via credit card by using the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 82-SPEED. Tickets can also be purchased on-line at www.gplb.com or at Ticketmaster outlets. Handicapped seating, IndyCar Paddock Passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality club packages are also available. A ticket brochure and Fan Guide that includes circuit map, ticket prices and order form can also be obtained by calling the hotline.

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(Long Beach IGP/TGPLB Press Release)
~~~~MCMANIS WINES TO PLEASE THE PALATES OF RACE FANS AT TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH

LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 31, 2009) -- The McManis Family Vineyards has been named the Official Wine of the 35th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 16-19.

McManis Family Vineyards is a grower and vintner of premium varietal wine grapes grown in the Northern Interior of California. The company was founded in 1990 by Ron & Jamie McManis - fourth generation family farmers.

In 1995, McManis Family Vineyards sold its first grapes to several prominent coastal wineries and their success soon led them to explore the establishment of a winery in 1998, allowing them to offer not only their quality wine grapes as finished wine, but also their own bottled wine.

Jeff Runquist, winemaker at the J Lohr winery from 1990 to 1996, soon became an integral member of their team, with his experience with premium winemaking helping guide the winery's development. Today, using state-of-the-art equipment, ultra-premium winemaking methods -- featuring whole cluster pressing, small lot fermentation and traditional barrel fermentation -- prevail.

"We're delighted to welcome the McManis Family Vineyards to the Grand Prix," said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "And I know that our fans will find their excellent wines to be the ideal complement to their weekend experience here in Long Beach."

The initial release of the McManis Family Vineyards brand in the fall of 2001 included a Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. All of the McManis Family Vineyard's wines are produced in a very "fruit forward" style with a goal to providing consumers with a wine that will not only go well with a variety of food, but will also taste great by itself.

Admission to all Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach activities is FREE on Thurs., April 16. Admission prices for Friday through Sunday have not changed from 2008, and range from $25 for a Friday-only general admission ticket to $125 for a three-day ticket, which includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seating on upper levels of the grandstands. Pre-paid parking packages are also available.

In addition to the downtown walk-up service, tickets can be ordered via credit card by using the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 82-SPEED. Tickets can also be purchased on-line at www.gplb.com or at Ticketmaster outlets.

Handicapped seating, IndyCar Paddock Passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality club packages are also available. A ticket brochure and Fan Guide that includes circuit map, ticket prices and order form can also be obtained by calling the hotline.

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Q & A with Jim Michaelian

Earlier this week, Indycar.com interviewed GPALB president Jim Michaelian; here are some questions they asked during the interview................



Q: How big of a buzz is there now that the name drivers in IndyCar racing will be in this year's race?

A: It's a refreshing change from what we've been through in the last few years not only to have the names of the stars of the IndyCar Series but also have some assurance they are all coming, they will all compete here and our fans will have a chance to see them. There is no doubt there is an added benefit to our race weekend this year. We've seen in reflected in both ticket sales and the overall buzz surrounding the event. Our ticket sales are trending ahead of last year with absolutely no price increase, which in this day and age with unemployment in California in double digits is a very significant statement in itself. The media and the buzz that has been created around the event and the presence of the IndyCars is much more substantial this year than in the past.

Q: There have been some big names in the IndyCar Series that have raced at Long Beach and some big names that will be racing there for the first time. How important is that?

A: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti all had a reputation here before they went to the Indy Racing League, but there have been a lot of new names that have come on board. Obviously Danica Patrick but also Marco Andretti. There is a continuum and recognition of the fact there were some who came and conquered before and there are some ones. The beauty is we can put them all together in a very inviting lineup for our fans to come and see.

Q: How do you think the engine/chassis package will adapt to the course?

A: I think from a viewing standpoint those cars have adapted pretty well to street circuits like St. Petersburg and Detroit. I don't think it will be any different here. We have fairly wide areas on parts of the tracks and some narrow areas. I went back and looked at the Edmonton numbers because that was the only one that gave any indication of what comparable times or performance might be and I saw that differential from 2007 to 2008, but except to the real hardcore fan I don't even see that being of interest. The outcome of the race and the competition on the track is far more important to us than what the lap times are.

Q: To celebrate 35 years of racing at Long Beach while other races have come and gone, what is the key that has made your event one of the world's great street races?

A: I think there are a number of factors to take into consideration. It's the venue itself. It is an ideal place to be conducting an event of this nature in the springtime, which is when we have held our event with the exception of the first year. It has the facilities, it has a tremendous hospitality capability here with the hotels and the convention center and the infrastructure. The city hosts a number of major activities, whether it is sporting events or other events so it has a built-in structure for facilitating that. The welcome mat is always out in this town for guests and I think that is felt by the people that come here. The setting on the water with all the hotels and convention center and now with all the restaurants and shopping centers literally within in the perimeter of the course makes it unique and different. It not only adds to the ambiance but it also creates an atmosphere that is attractive to the non-hardcore racing fan. That is really one of the groups we have depended on over the years to help support this event. Families come, young people come because of maybe the racing, maybe the concerts, maybe the freestyle motocross events we have or the go-kart track that we have or maybe it's the drifting that we have now. Who knows? Nevertheless with the selection that is available in terms of on-track and off-track activity, with the venue we have that is established and the date equity that we have. All of those factors are taken into consideration with longevity.

Q: How important is it to bring the Andretti name back?

A: Mario Andretti's name is not only on a lot of the trophies and on our victory circle area four times as a winner but he's always enshrined in the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame as one of the recognized members of the racing community that has contributed to so much of the success the grand prix here. It's great to have all of the Andrettis back, all of them participating in one way or another. Mario will be here to will his grandson, Marco, to a good finish and Michael is here as the team owner. It's names like that and names like Unser. Al Unser, Jr. will be our grand marshal. He's the "King of the Beach;" he's won here six times. The ability for us on our 35th anniversary to reach back in our history and highlight some of these names and individuals who have contributed to our success is very important.

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35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Entry List


(R)Raphael Matos, #2 United States Air Force
Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske
Dan Wheldon, #4 National Guard/Delphi
Mario Moraes, #5 KV Racing/Votorantim
Ryan Briscoe, #6 Team Penske
Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola
Scott Dixon, #9 Target
Dario Franchitti, #10 Target
Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11
Will Power, #12 Verizon Wireless
E.J. Viso, #13 PDVSA
Vitor Meira, #14 ABC Supply Co.
Justin Wilson, #19 Z-Line Designs
Ed Carpenter, #20 Menards
Ryan Hunter-Reay, #21 WilliamRast
Darren Manning, #23 Charter
(R)Mike Conway, #24 DRR/RollCoater
Marco Andretti, #26 Automatic Fire Sprinklers
Hideki Mutoh, #27 Formula Dream
Alex Tagliani, #34 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
(R)Stanton Barrett, #98 Interush/CURB
Graham Rahal, #02 McDonald's
(R)Robert Doornbos, #06 Muermans

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~~~FIRESTONE FAST FACTS

FIRESTONE FIREHAWK FAST FACTS IndyCar Series – Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Streets of Long Beach, California
April 17-19, 2009 – Round 2 of 17

Race Distance: 163.3 mi./262.805 km (85 laps on the 1.968-mi./3.167-km temporary street circuit).

Television/Radio Broadcast: Live – Sunday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET on VERSUS, IMS Radio Network, XM Radio 145 and SIRIUS Radio 211.

Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:
• Primary (black-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 702, each entry gets six sets (24 total tires);
• Alternate (red-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 342, each entry gets three sets (12 total tires);
• Wet-condition (rain) tires with grooved tread pattern: 436, each entry has five sets available as needed.


~~~Per IndyCar Series rules, each entry must declare to the league within one hour after qualifying on which dry-condition tire spec it intends to start the race. All cars must use at least one primary set and one new alternate set during the race, each for a minimum of two green-flag laps. Firestone Racing's street-course tires in general feature the softest constructions and tread compounds available to assist cornering in the slow, tight turns and to enhance acceleration upon exiting the turns. The alternate tires contain a softer tread compound which will provide more grip and faster lap times, yet will trade off compound durability in exchange for those shorter-term advantages.

~~~Al Speyer, Firestone Motorsports,

Firestone Racing is pleased to return to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach as the Official Tire of what is sure to become one of the IndyCar Series’ premier events. This may mark the first year for the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series to race here, but the Firestone Racing team brings many years of experience to this track. In fact, Long Beach is the site of the Firestone brand's return to American open-wheel racing back in 1991 after a long hiatus, in a Firestone Indy Lights race won by none other than current IndyCar Series team owner Eric Bachelart. Long Beach also saw the debut of the alternate tire concept back in 2004. We are bringing primary and alternate tire specifications to Long Beach with a wider gap between the two than we saw at the last event in St. Pete. It will once again be very interesting to monitor how teams and drivers utilize strategy and tire management throughout the weekend during qualifying and the race to try to maximize their advantage over competitors.

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Team Penske's Will Power won the 2008 Grand Prix of Long Beach, the final race run under ChampCar sanction; this year he returns with the Captain's squad, hoping to repeat his victory(he also finished 3rd in his rookie season, 2007). Here are his "Keys to Winning at the Beach"...................

~~~A balanced race car
Long Beach is a typical street circuit with lots of bumps and bottoming. It's not a huge braking track, to be honest. Most of the corners flow; they are actually longer corners than you think. It's not stop-and-go like St. Petersburg. I've always found it's quite a tough track to get a good balance on because of the variance in corners and track surfaces and you have to have a good strategy in the race. Some teams like Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing seem to have that place nailed.

~~~Adapting from the Champ Car to the IndyCar
A lot of details count toward a good lap time and I would expect us to be 3 to 4 seconds a lap slower this year. That's something we'll work at over the weekend because I'm not sure how much of the Champ Car setup will carry over to IndyCar. But it's a track I really enjoy and I've always ran well and had pretty good luck there.

~~~Setting up your passes
It might be a different story with these cars, without the horsepower of the Champ Cars that I am used to driving there. With the push-to-pass feature in Champ Car, we had no problems getting a run on someone or passing. That might be a bit harder in the IndyCar, because down the front straight into Turn 1 is the only place you can pass, unless you take a big risk or the other guy makes a mistake.

~~~Smart use of Firestone's alternate tires
I think the alternate tires will make a difference on a track like Long Beach. It certainly made things tougher in qualifying at St. Petersburg. The tires definitely made a difference and made the car better over a run. But we won't know what is going to happen in the race. Will the tires go off badly, or are they going to be quicker over a run? We just don't know. It definitely throws the balance off; that's why it seemed to suit some cars better than others in qualifying.

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~~~One year ago, Danica Patrick traveled to Long Beach for a press conference in the United States following her first career victory hours earlier in Japan. She vaguely remembers hanging out in the interview room of the Long Beach Convention Center, groggy from celebrating during an overnight flight.

But what made April 20, 2008, special occurred when Patrick was introduced as the winner of the IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi – becoming the first female to win a major closed-course auto race.

It actually was the second such introduction; the first coming some 15 hours earlier and an ocean away in front of an overflow room of media and overjoyed spectators in Japan. In her fourth full season, in her 50th IndyCar Series start, Patrick wouldn’t have to answer that question about when she would earn her first victory.

This week, Patrick returns to Long Beach, where she was whisked after the Japan triumph to meet a second round of media. It’s where Danica-mania escalated into Danica-mega-mania.

“You know, it’s going to be one of those things that’s remembered,” she said that day. “It’s a first and firsts are in the history books.”

Fifty-one weeks later, how does the writer of history view the feat?

“I don’t think enough time has passed to really have that sort of deep reflection and introspect to the event and what it did and what it meant to me,” said Patrick, who will compete in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the first time.

“One thing I’ve heard more of over the last few months is parents that I know or are involved in racing say, ‘You know what, my two little girls love you’ or ‘My mom loves you.’ It’s really very flattering when people say things like that. I still get people saying congrats on the win. I don't feel any different. I think it will take more time to get that reflection that it deserves for the moment.”

Patrick, whose No. 7 Motorola Honda-powered Dallara was eighth with 10 laps left on the 1.5-mile egg-shaped Twin Ring Motegi oval, rode to the front of the pack when the leaders were forced to pit for fuel. She then blew past Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves on Lap 198 of 200 of the Indy Japan 300. Patrick remained focused entering the final turn, anticipating seeing the checkered flag for the first time after years of expectations.

Patrick finished a career-high sixth in the championship standings with 10 top-10 finishes in 17 races. She, of course, wanted more.

“Quite simply, my job is to win races so I really wish I would have won more than just the one last year,” she said. “But we just didn’t have the speed and the strength we needed to contend for more victories and to grab them. They say the first win is the hardest to get, which I agree with. It’s even more realistic now with having a win, and hopefully more will come now.”

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Pop quiz: Who has the most victories on the streets of Long Beach?
.....Is it "the Thrill from West Hill", Paul Tracy?........nope.
.....Is it Il Commendatore, Mario Andretti?......close, but no.

It is 2-time Indy 500 winner and New Mexico native "Little Al" Unser, Jr. who can be called "the King of the Beach" with six wins, including 4 in a row from 1988-1991. Recently, Indycar.com interviewed Little Al about his experiences at Long Beach; here's some of what he said................


~~~On why Long Beach has always been a special event to him.........

Southern California is always beautiful at this time of year, and the fans make Long Beach more than just a race. They love the single-seat open-wheel cars, and what I'm really excited about it is now it's back to where they can see the Indy cars that will run the Indy 500 on the streets of Long Beach again, like it used to be back in the 1980s and '90s. That's what made it special.

~~~On why he seemed to excel on the oft-tricky street circuit............

For me in particular, it was the race before the Indy 500. You really want to do well the race before the Indy 500 so you can take that momentum into the month of May. I really, really worked hard on that race in particular because it generally fell before the month of May. If you could win that race, the whole team would take that momentum into the month of May and think, 'We can win against these guys.' When you take that momentum into the month of May, it's great for the entire team so we really worked hard at it. It just makes for an exciting event.

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Long Beach Practice Session #1 top-5................
1. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:11.192 99.517
2. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:11.538 0.346 0.346 99.035
3. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:11.639 0.101 0.447 98.895
4. 3 Will Power Team Penske 1:11.651 0.012 0.459 98.879
5. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:11.678 0.027 0.486 98.842
L-R: position, car #, driver, team, time, gap/gap to 1st, speed


Long Beach Practice Session #2 top-5.......................
1. 3 Will Power Team Penske 1:10.549 100.424
2. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:10.668 0.119 0.119 100.255
3. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:10.825 0.157 0.276 100.033
4. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:10.903 0.078 0.354 99.922
5. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:10.998 0.095 0.449 99.789
*--denotes series rookie

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Long Beach Practice Session #3 top-5...............
1. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:10.279 100.810
2. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:10.316 0.037 0.037 100.757
3. 12 Will Power Team Penske 1:10.367 0.051 0.088 100.684
4. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:10.589 0.222 0.310 100.367
5. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:10.590 0.001 0.311 100.366

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Penske Racing driver Will Power, who was displaced in the No. 3 Penske car by Helio Castroneves just this morning, showed boss Roger Penske why he deserves a full-time IndyCar ride by winning the pole for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in the No. 12 Penske car that he had never turned a lap in until this morning.

Ironically the two regular Penske drivers, Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe spun during qualifying and it was down to the Champ Car transplant Power to save the day. And save the day he did, by topping the times Friday in the No. 3 and then coming back in a different car and doing it again on Saturday when it counted with a fast lap of 1:09.711.

Power is the defending race winner, having won here last year in a Champ Car.

When asked if he had any concern switching to a different car this morning, Power said, "I had a little concern but these guys (Penske Team) do such a good job it turned out well and I knew from the morning session I had a pretty good car."

Dario Franchitti qualified 2nd, followed by rookie Raphael Matos, EJ Viso, Justin Wilson and Scott Dixon, who rounded out the Fast 6.

The knockout style qualifying came down to a final 12 drivers of Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson, Raphael Matos, EJ Viso, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alex Tagliani, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Briscoe and Graham Rahal.

That session ended when Castroneves lost control in Turn 1 and spun backward and impacted the tire barrier rear-end first. The Indy Car medical Director says Castroneves shows no sign of a concussion, but he was complaining of a headache and he will be reevaluated in the morning.

In the final 6 Matos did not get out until 1/2 of the 10-minute session was complete but still managed to turn the 3rd best lap. "This feels really good," Matos said following qualifying. "I have to thank the team for putting the car back together after our crash in St. Petersburg. They did a really good job and this is a dream come true for the Luczo Dragon team and for me. I'm not intimidated by the more experienced drivers around me. I finished 2nd here in 2006 in the Atlantic cars and then won in 2007 in the Atlantic cars."

"Managing the red tires will be key on Sunday. Whereas they were 4/10ths of a second faster than the harder black tires in St. Petersburg, here they are much softer and are 7/10th of a second a lap faster. They will, therefore, wear faster so a driver who abuses them early may find himself going backwards on Sunday."

Justin Wilson and Dale Coyne Racing made it through to the final qualifying round, posting the fifth fastest time in the Firestone Fast Six (1m10.268s).

Justin will head up the 3rd row on the grid in the #18 Z-Line Designs entry alongside sixth fastest qualifier Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing).

"Anytime you make it through to the Firestone Fast Six you're happy," said Wilson. "The Z-Line Designs car was working very well and we set a really quick time in the second session. I was very happy with that, but we just couldn't repeat it in the final session."

Wilson was fastest in his group during the first round of qualifying and was P2 in the second round on the alternate, softer (red-sidewalled) Firestone Firehawk tires. His final qualifying result came on the prime, harder tire compound.

"There's a pretty big difference between the prime and softer compounds here," Justin explained. "The softer tires definitely have a lot more grip and that's a cool feeling, but when you put the prime tires back on you're slipping and sliding a lot. We just didn't quite have the balance that we'd had before and though we made a few small changes as the final session went on, it wasn't enough. All in all we're very happy and I think that gives us a good chance for the race. We can definitely aim for another podium, if not win this thing."

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35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Starting Grid


1st} Will Power, #12 Verizon Wireless, 1:09.711 sec
2nd} Dario Franchitti, #10 Target, 1:09.868 sec

3rd}(R)Raphael Matos, #2 U.S. Air Force, 1:10.204 sec
4th} E.J. Viso, #13 PDVSA, 1:10.223 sec

5th} Justin Wilson, #18 Z-Line Designs, 1:10.268 sec
6th} Scott Dixon, #9 Target, 1:10.403 sec

7th} Graham Rahal, #02 McDonald's, 1:10.028 sec
8th} Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske, 1:10.114 sec

9th} Alex Tagliani, #34 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1:10.128 sec
10th} Ryan Briscoe, #6 Team Penske, 1:10.213 sec

11th} Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11/Dr. Pepper, 1:10.303 sec
12th} Ryan Hunter-Reay, #21 WilliamRast/IZOD, 1:10.434 sec

13th} Mario Moraes, #5 KV Racing/Votorantim, 1:10.846 sec
14th} Dan Wheldon, #4 National Guard/Delphi, 1:10.554 sec

15th}(R)Robert Doornbos, #06 Muermans, 1:10.958 sec
16th}(R)Mike Conway, #24 DRR/RollCoater, 1:10.606 sec

17th} Hideki Mutoh, #27 Formula Dream, 1:11.117 sec
18th} Darren Manning, #23 Charter, 1:11.241 sec

19th} Marco Andretti, #26 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, 1:11.231 sec
20th} Vitor Meira, #14 ABC Supply Co., 1:11.449 sec

21st} Stanton Barrett, #98 Interush/CURB, 1:14.486 sec
22nd} Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola, 1:11.666 sec

23rd} Ed Carpenter, #20 Menards, 1:11.907 sec
note.........positions 1-6 set in Firestone Pole Qualifying, positions 7-12 set in second-round qualifying and positions 13-23 set after first-round qualifying(odd #'s set after group 1 of 1st-rd. qualifying, even #'s and positions 23 set after group 2 of 1st-rd. qualifying)

[mlittle]

Tire Selections,
35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach


#12 Will Power Red
#10 Dario Franchitti Red
#2 Raphael Matos Black
#13 EJ Viso Red
#18 Justin Wilson Red
#9 Scott Dixon Red
#02 Graham Rahal Red
#3 Helio Castroneves Red
#34 Alex Tagliani Red
#6 Ryan Briscoe Red
#11 Tony Kanaan Black
#21 Ryan Hunter-Reay Black
#5 Mario Moraes Red
#4 Dan Wheldon Black
#06 Robert Doornbos Red
#24 Mike Conway Black
#27 Hideki Mutoh Red
#23 Darren Manning Black
#26 Marco Andretti Black
#14 Vitor Meira Red
#98 Stanton Barrett Black
#7 Danica Patrick Red
#20 Ed Carpenter Red