LONG BEACH, California – Ryan Hunter-Reay was left frustrated after a penalty nixed any chance for the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion to contend for the pole position today in Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach qualifying.
While trying to advance into the Firestone Fast Six during Round 2 of knockout qualifying, INDYCAR stewards ruled that Hunter-Reay’s car crossed over the painted line separating the pit exit lane from the racetrack. Race director Kyle Novak told team managers in a meeting Friday morning that drivers must keep all tires off the painted line until reaching the end of the pit exit lane and crossing over the transponder buried in the track.
Hunter-Reay was assessed a pit-lane drive-through penalty that left him without time to complete a lap fast enough in the No. 28 DHL Honda to qualify for the Firestone Fast Six, the final qualifying round to determine the Verizon P1 Award winner. Instead, Hunter-Reay will start seventh after running in the top four in each of the three practices ahead of qualifying.
“We were plenty fast enough to do it (compete for the pole),” Hunter-Reay said. “We timed it so our run would be three laps. We had to do the drive-through, which left me with one lap. We set our pressures, our temperatures, everything to that peak level of grip on the third lap.
“For years here, it’s always been right-side tires can’t touch the fried eggs, as they call them, which is the reflectors down there (along the pit exit lane). So I put the right sides over it, I didn’t touch it, and they are saying the center of the car had to be over a little unpainted line between the reflectors and the end of pit-road line. It’s like that big (holding up an inch gap between his index and thumb).”
Even if he did commit a transgression, Hunter-Reay believed it didn’t affect his qualifying attempt or that of anyone else.
“The whole reason for the rule is so a car leaving the pits can’t get an advantage on a car on track, can’t cut across his bow. So they make you go out around the end of it there, which is great. But a matter of inches like that, not even, probably less than inches – yeah, I’m at a loss.
“I’m pretty confused for it right now and what kind of impact it had on the show.”
The incident is the latest in a rough stretch for Hunter-Reay and his team on the streets of Long Beach. In 2017, each of the four Andretti Autosport drivers suffered a retirement at the historic 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit. Perhaps none was more heartbreaking than that of Hunter-Reay, who started third, led 28 laps and was running second behind leader James Hinchcliffe when an electrical issue ended his race six laps from the finish.
Simply put, Hunter-Reay is looking to rectify last year’s outing.
“Without a doubt, (Long Beach is) one of my favorite races,” said Hunter-Reay, who won the 2010 race and became engaged to wife Beccy at the race. “Love the place, love the layout, love everything about it; the fans, the energy, the atmosphere here.
“But we've had some great cars here, very fortunate to have been behind the wheel of some very fast race cars here – last year being one of them – and just in the closing laps, closing on Hinch there right up on his gearbox and the car shut off for some reason. Electrical something or other, so we feel like we have some unfinished business here.”
Hunter-Reay will get his chance to make amends in Sunday’s 85-lap race. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach airs live on NBCSN and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network at 4 p.m. ET.