INDYCAR: 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Driver Rankings

Crash INDYCAR journalist Chad Smith goes through the field to hand out driver ratings for the 48th edition of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport at Long Beach
Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport at Long Beach

Kyle Kirkwood: 10

Nearly a perfect weekend with pole position, winning the race, and leading the most laps. This young, tal🔯ented driver is the real deal.

Romain Grosjean: 9

Grosjean ear💙ned his fourth runner-up finish, as he continues to knock on the door for his first IndyCar win.

Marcus Ericsson: 9

After qualifyinꦗg on the front row, Ericsson was the only drivꦫer that could keep up with the Andretti cars, and takes over the championship lead.

Colton Herta: 8

He was right there 👍along with his teammates, but just didn’t have enough to challenge for the lead.

Alex Palou: 7

Another str♊ong result for Palou, who is quietly off to🐽 a fantastic start this season.

Driver Ratings for 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Will Power: 8

A much-needed result for ☂the reigning series champion, after a no-show in Texas and a shaky qualifying performance this weekend.

Felix Rosenqvist: 8

His two teammates may have 🔥been faster, but Felix was the only Arrow M🉐cLaren driver to earn a solid finish today.

Marcus Armstrong: 8

He wasn’t discussed much during the race🤡, but this was a fantastic drive by the rookie.

Josef Newgarden: 7

Early on it looked as though Newgarden would score back-toꦯ-back wins, but strategy did not go their way and he got eaten up late in the race.

Scott McLaughlin: 6

It was a decent result for McL🌠aughlin, but he was never able to challenge at the front of the field.

Santino Ferrucci: 8

Clearly one of the best results for the AJ Foyt Racing💫 team in quite some time.

Graham Rahal: 8

After starting in the back of the pack, Graham did what Graham always does, and drove his way throughꦡ a chunk of the ✅field.

Jack Harvey: 7

He was right there with his teammates, ꦐwhich is something he wasn’ꦆt able to say at all last year.

Christian Lundgaard: 7

♔His race started out well but he and the RLL team were ꦑjust lacking something all weekend.

Driver Ratings for 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Simon Pagenaud: 5

Another poor performance by Pagenaud and the Meyer Shankඣ Racing team, who are really struggling right now.

Pato O'Ward: 4

He made two questionable decisions in this race, in the same turn𒁃. Neither of them wor🏅ked out well and his day was ruined even without being penalized.

Callum Ilott: 4

A forgettable weekend for Ilott and 🐬the Juncos Hollinger Racing team.

Helio Castroneves: 3

Crashing on the opening lap of the race is never good, especially when there is🐭 no one else to bl🦩ame.

Alexander Rossi: 7

Rossi had a top-ten run nearly in the💙 bank, but it aꦏll went away on the final lap when he crashed into the tier barriers.

Conor Daly: 4

His 1🥂00th start did not go as well as he or the Ed Carpe🎐nter Racing team had hoped.

Rinus VeeKay: 4

See above, the ECR organization desperately needs to get to Ind📖y.

Scott Dixon: 2

His day was ruined when O’Ward p💖ut him into the tires. Outside of the Indianapolis 500 in 2014 and 2017, his 27th place finish today was the worst of his career, which spans 371 races.

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