Incident in Pit Lane at IndyCar’s Grand Prix of Long Beach
During the Grand Prix of Long Beach in the IndyCar series, Will Power faced a significant setback after being penalized for an incident involving an AJ Foyt Racing pit crew member. The event occurred during the only caution of the day when the entire grid pitted to prepare for a restart.
Power, driving the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda, inadvertently ran over Ryan Marzec, who was the rear left tire changer for the No. 4 Chevrolet driven by rookie Caio Collet. Marzec was immediately taken out of the pit lane and transported to the infield care center. According to a team spokesperson, he received treatment and was released without any broken bones. Ace bandages were applied to both of his feet, and he was scheduled to return to Indianapolis on the team’s charter.
Penalty and Impact on Race Performance
As a result of the incident, Power was given a drive-through penalty, which dropped him from his position on the track to 24th place, last among the active cars. His teammate, Marcus Ericsson, also faced difficulties, retiring early from the race due to a mechanical failure and finishing in 25th place. Despite the challenges, Power managed to recover and finish the race in 19th position.
Reaction from Will Power
Expressing his feelings about the incident, Power stated, “It’s a very, very tight pit lane, so I feel bad that I hurt (Marzec). It’s very difficult to almost have three cars wide of you.” He acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the pit lane under such conditions.
Power, who is in his first season with Andretti Global after spending 17 seasons with Team Penske, has yet to secure a top-10 finish in five starts with his new team. As a two-time IndyCar champion, he currently holds the 14th position in the championship standings.
Disappointment and Frustration
Power expressed his disappointment, stating, “That is a very disappointing result on a number of fronts. Ran over a guy, but also another terrible result. (Expletive) unbelievable, man. (Expletive) incredible.” While he accepted the penalty, he mentioned that he couldn’t see Marzec and felt he couldn’t move further left to exit the pits.
His frustration was evident as he added, “Very (expletive) frustrating, very (expletive) frustrating. (Expletive) incredible.”
Additional Information
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him on social media at @z10nbr0wn. For more coverage of motorsports, subscribe to the Motor Sports newsletter. Additionally, viewers can watch the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for behind-the-scenes content and expert analysis.
