IndyCar winner Scott Dixon, left, is sprayed with champagne by second place finisher Colton Herta, right, and third place finisher Alex Palou, second from left, following his victory at the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Early birds take in the INDYCAR warm up at 9 am during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Scott Dixon, right, celebrates with a drink of champagne as second place finisher Colton Herta, left, and third place finisher Alex Palou, second from left, toast each other in victory lane following the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Scott Dixon celebrates with a bottle of champagne following his victory at the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Scott Dixon, left, is sprayed with champagne by second place finisher Colton Herta, right, and third place finisher Alex Palou, behind Dixon, following his victory at the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist (60) leads the field as he takes the green flag to start the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Scott Dixon races down Shoreline Drive during the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Scott Dixon races towards the hairpin during the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Scott Dixon takes the checkered flag to win the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Scott Dixon, center, smiles as he celebrates his victory following the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCars go down Shoreline Drive on Sunday, Apr. 21, 2024, at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCars go down Shoreline Drive on Sunday, Apr. 21, 2024, at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach. Second place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach. Second place finisher Colton Herta is pictured racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach. Second place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach. Second place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach.2nd place finisher Colton Herta racing during the 49th annual race. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
Sting Ray Robb turns off Shoreline Drive on Sunday, Apr. 21, 2024, at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday, April 21, 2024 on the streets of Long Beach. Race winner Scott Dixon celebrates after exiting his car.(Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCars race past fans at turn one on Sunday, Apr. 21, 2024, at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Felix Rosenqvist drives car 66 at turn 10 during the INDYCAR warm up at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
LONG BEACH — On a day dominated by strategy, Scott Dixon made the most right moves.
Dixon was able to save his fuel and tires down the stretch, leading the final 23 laps on Sunday en route to winning the NTT IndyCar Series 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“That was fun but it was definitely a bit sketchy,” said Dixon, who led 44 of the 85 laps. “The stress level was pretty high because they were coming hard and fast and we had to make the decision on gas at the end. My box, they were yelling at me, ‘Go!’ on the final lap so that’s what I did.”
It’s the second career victory in the Grand Prix of Long Beach for Dixon and the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Honda. He leads all active IndyCar drivers with 57 series wins.
“It’s great to win early in the season, it’s great for momentum and hopefully it carries over to the rest of season,” Dixon said.
“Early in my career I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should,” said Dixon, the six-time IndyCar Series champion. “It’s a little sweeter this time.”
Dixon opted to wait until Laps 25 and 50 to pit, and held off late charges from Josef Newgarden and Colton Herta to win his first race since last year’s Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tenn.
“We were saving fuel from Lap 28 and managing it to the finish,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “We kept telling him his fuel number but we had to lie to him in order to stay in front. It was relief at the end, more than joy.”
Added team Ganassi team general manager Mike Hull: “We saved (fuel) for the final lap and that was fantastic, but we were freaking out a bit.”
Herta finished second and Alex Palou placed third to give Honda all three spots on the podium.
“I still don’t know how ‘Dixie’ pulled it off with so little fuel,” Herta said. “We lost, so clearly we didn’t have the right (strategy).”
Newgarden, running second behind Dixon before getting bumped from behind by Huerta coming out of the hairpin in Turn 11 on Lap 77 and stalling out, crossed the line fourth.
“It was pretty obvious that (Herta) just misjudged it. I stalled and got lifted off the ground and I just had to wait for the clutch to re-engage,” said Newgarden, who barely missed his fifth consecutive podium finish at Long Beach.
Pole winner Felix Rosenqvist was a non-factor after getting passed on Lap 1 by Will Power, who tucked in behind Rosenqvist before pouncing into the lead heading into Turn 1.
“We wanted to push it in the first two laps and get out to a healthy lead,” Power said. “We used our best tires in the Fast Six (on Saturday) though so we knew it was going to be a struggle later in the race.”
By Lap 10, Power led by as much as 5.5 seconds before pitting along with Dixon on Lap 25.
“That’s the bet that we made but we just didn’t have the tires at the end,” Power said. “We had the same strategy as Dixon so we’ll have to look at it again.”
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Newgarden ran out front for five laps before pitting, with Dixon taking his first lead on Lap 35 and pushing his advantage to 6-plus seconds on Lap 40 over Power and then to 8-plus seconds by Lap 50 before pitting alongside Power for a second time.
Last year’s race winner, Kyle Kirkwood, grabbed the lead briefly on Lap 51 before also pitting and seeding his spot to Newgarden, who then produced some of the fastest laps of the race until pitting on Lap 57.
Dixon forced his way to the front and benefitted from clean air, lapped traffic and Herta bumping a hard-charging Newgarden to take the win.
Two-time Grand Prix of Long Beach winner Alexander Rossi was forced to come in on Lap 3 for tires and never found a line back into the race. He finished 10th.
Christian Rasmussen, racing in his first Grand Prix of Long Beach, caused the race’s only caution when he rubbed the wall, blew a tire and crashed out on Lap 15.
