Power Leads Long Beach Practice as Drama BuildsTravis HinkleLyn St. James leads an IndyCar trio into the 2027 Motorsports Hall of Fame class. Alexander Rossi has new engineer, starting this weekend.

Christian Rasmussen receives a happy surprise.Will Power, whose 2027 season started out with a few mishaps in practice for his new Andretti Global team, was the early leader at Friday’s opening day of the NTT IndyCar Series’ Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.Power covered the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit that circles the Long Beach Convention Center in the fastest lap of 1 minute, 7.6053 seconds in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda.Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin recorded the second-best time—1 minute, 7.7914 seconds, just 0.1861 of a tick off Power’s pace—before the back end of his AAA Travel Chevrolet got loose and he spun into the tire barrier.Arlington winner Kyle Kirkwood, who won here from the pole in 2023 and 2025 and is the lone driver to finish in the top five at all four races, was third-fastest in the first practice for Andretti Global. “As you’ve seen over the years, the Andretti cars are really good here,” Power said.

“I think the one lap in qualifying will be very interesting. Hard to say that would suit us or not.”Bryan Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.Penske Entertainment: Paul HurleyAndretti Global has won six of the past 14 street races, with Kyle Kirkwood winning five of those. Two of those victories have come in this event, both from Kirkwood.Alex Palou, the series’ lone two-race winner this season, gave Chip Ganassi representation in the top five.

Marcus Armstrong, of Meyer Shank Racing, rounded out the fastest five. Saturday’s second practice is scheduled for 10:35-11:55 PT (1:30-2:55 p.m. ET) and will air live on FS2.

FS1 will carry qualifying from 3:30-5 p.m. PT (6:30-8 p.m. ET).The 90-lap, 177.12-mile race, televised live on FOX, will begin at 2:30 p.m.

PT (5:30 p.m. ET) Sunday.Rasmussen surprised at end of ‘disappointing’ practiceChristian Rasmussen, eighth in the order Friday, said that he was “a little disappointed on where we were on balance” on the Long Beach streets. But he certainly wasn’t disappointed with what happened afterward.The Copenhagen native was presented a trophy for being named Motorsports Driver of the Year by the Danish Automobile Association along with cash donations in his name to the karting camp he attended as a youngster and to the Danish Red Cross.

“I didn’t expect to get a trophy before the weekend,” Rasmussen said.“The journey to get here has been so long. You’re a child, you’re a little kid just dreaming big. I am very convinced that my parents believed I had more talent than I thought I did myself growing up ’cause you don’t really know what the references are, who to beat, where you really are in the world ’cause you’re just young, naïve.

You just want to race, you just want to win. Obviously to be here now, look back on those times, is very fulfilling in many ways,” he said.St. James tapped for Hall of Fame inductionFormer Indy Car driver and longtime advocate for the sport Lyn St.

James was attending Friday’s Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) press conference Friday at Long Beach, representing Women In Motorsports North America (WIMNA).But MSHFA President Daren Lucas, IndyCar/Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles, and IMSA President John Doonan joined forces to surprise St. James that she will be inducted into the Daytona Beach-headquartered Hall along with Gary Bettenhausen, Harry Hartz, and seven other racing stars.Penske Entertainment: Chris JonesThe 2027 Induction class includes three-time NHRA drag-racing champions Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle); Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Robert Yates (Stock Cars); Herb Fishel (Business); Rob Dyson (Sports Cars); and Steve Hinton (Aviation).

They’ll be inducted next March at a ceremony at the museum at Daytona International Speedway.“Is this really happening?!” an emotional and genuinely stunned St. James asked as she was called to the stage with a standing ovation from the audience. “I’m overwhelmed,” she said.

“This means I’m part of the family. I’ve not won championships. I’m not Scott Pruett. I’m not Tom Gloy.

I’m not Mario. Those are the people who win championships and are in the Hall of Fame. I worked really hard, and I tried.

I love this sport so much. This is the most extraordinary thing that ever happened.” St. James, the first woman to earn Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 1992, has worked for many years to open doors for women at the highest levels of American racing.

She excelled in sports-car racing, claiming IMSA GTO victories at Sebring in 1990 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1987 and 1990. She also competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Her career-best finish of eighth in 1996 at Walt Disney World was among her 16 IndyCar starts.

In 1985, she became the first woman to lap an oval course at more than 200 mph. One of the foremost women drivers of