2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{American Championship Car race report infobox
|Country = USA
|Race = Grand Prix of Long Beach
|Image = Long Beach Street Circuit IndyCar.svg
|Caption =
|Date = April 20
|Year = 2008
|Official name = Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
|Round_No = 3rd (B)
|Series = IndyCar Series
|Location = Streets of Long Beach
|Course = Temporary street circuit
|Course_mi = 1.968
|Course_km = 3.167
|Distance_laps = 83
|Distance_mi = 163.344
|Distance_km = 262.877
|Weather = {{convert|65|F}}, Sunny
|Pole_Driver = Justin Wilson
|Pole_Team = {{flagicon|USA}} Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
|Pole_Time = 1:06.902{{cite news
| url = http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66732
| title = Wilson retains Long Beach pole
| first = Matt
| last = Beer
| work = autosport.com
| publisher = Haymarket Publications
| date = 2008-04-20
| accessdate = 2009-04-17}}
|Pole_Country = UK
|Fast_Driver = Antônio Pizzonia
|Fast_Team = {{flagicon|USA}} Rocketsports
|Fast_Time = 1:08.252
|Fast_Lap = 68
|Fast_Country = Brazil
|First_Driver = Will Power
|First_Team = {{flagicon|USA}} KV Racing Technology
|First_Country = Australia
|Second_Driver = Franck Montagny
|Second_Team = {{flagicon|USA}} Forsythe/Pettit Racing
|Second_Country= France
|Third_Driver = Mario Domínguez
|Third_Team = {{flagicon|USA}} Pacific Coast Motorsports
|Third_Country = Mexico
}}
The 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was the third round of the 2008 IndyCar Series, for teams who competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2007. This was because the 2008 Indy Japan 300 occurred on the same weekend and there was no way of changing dates to avoid the clash. It was held on April 20, 2008, at the {{convert|1.968|mi|km|adj=on}} street circuit in Long Beach, California, United States. The race was historic in that Will Power became the last winner of a Champ Car-style race, and also because it was the last professional race for Roberto Moreno and Jimmy Vasser in open-wheel motorsports. The contingent of former Champ Car teams produced a 20-car field, all utilizing the turbocharged Panoz DP01-Cosworth for the final time. All participants entering other IndyCar races earned points towards the 2008 IndyCar Series championship. All the teams raced together again a week later at Kansas Speedway, and for the remainder of the schedule together. The race was run under Champ Car rules, which included the standing start, option tires, two-day qualifying format, and was run based on time (1 hour, 45 minutes) rather than a set number of laps. The option tire rule was adopted by the IRL for 2009, as well as standing starts for selected road and street course races in 2013 and 2014 only to be abandoned in 2015 due to safety concerns.
Several IRL staff and team personnel had flown back from Japan Sunday afternoon (local time) and saw at least part of the race, including Motegi winner Danica Patrick, who had scored her historic win the previous evening.
Results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" | ||||||||
| Finish | Car No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Laps Led | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
|style="text-align:center"|8 |{{flagicon|AUS}} Will Power |align=center|83 |align=center|1:45:25.415 |align=center|4 |align=center|81 |align=center|53 | ||||||||
| 2
|style="text-align:center"|7 |{{flagicon|FRA}} Franck Montagny (R) |align=center|83 |align=center|+5.094 |align=center|6 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 3
|style="text-align:center"|96 |{{flagicon|MEX}} Mario Domínguez |align=center|83 |align=center|+15.516 |align=center|10 |align=center|0 |align=center|35 | ||||||||
| 4
|style="text-align:center"|36 |{{flagicon|BRA}} Enrique Bernoldi (R) |align=center|83 |align=center|+25.677 |align=center|8 |align=center|0 |align=center|32 | ||||||||
| 5
|style="text-align:center"|5 |{{flagicon|ESP}} Oriol Servià |align=center|83 |align=center|+26.276 |align=center|12 |align=center|0 |align=center|30 | ||||||||
| 6
|style="text-align:center"|34 |{{flagicon|FRA}} Franck Perera (R) |align=center|83 |align=center|+28.067 |align=center|3 |align=center|0 |align=center|28 | ||||||||
| 7
|style="text-align:center"|15 |{{flagicon|CAN}} Alex Tagliani |align=center|83 |align=center|+36.518 |align=center|2 |align=center|0 |align=center|26 | ||||||||
| 8
|style="text-align:center"|37 |{{flagicon|MEX}} David Martínez (R) |align=center|83 |align=center|+37.127 |align=center|18 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 9
|style="text-align:center"|33 |{{flagicon|VEN}} E. J. Viso (R) |align=center|83 |align=center|+44.944 |align=center|14 |align=center|1 |align=center|22 | ||||||||
| 10
|style="text-align:center"|12 |{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Vasser |align=center|83 |align=center|+48.635 |align=center|13 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 11
|style="text-align:center"|3 |{{flagicon|CAN}} Paul Tracy |align=center|83 |align=center|+55.956 |align=center|5 |align=center|0 |align=center|19 | ||||||||
| 12
|style="text-align:center"|18 |{{flagicon|BRA}} Bruno Junqueira |align=center|83 |align=center|+1:07.553 |align=center|11 |align=center|0 |align=center|18 | ||||||||
| 13
|style="text-align:center"|06 |{{flagicon|USA}} Graham Rahal |align=center|82 |align=center|Crash |align=center|9 |align=center|0 |align=center|17 | ||||||||
| 14
|style="text-align:center"|29 |{{flagicon|US}} Alex Figge |align=center|82 |align=center|+1 Lap |align=center|16 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 15
|style="text-align:center"|4 |{{flagicon|FRA}} Nelson Philippe |align=center|80 |align=center|+3 Laps |align=center|7 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 16
|style="text-align:center"|9 |{{flagicon|BRA}} Antônio Pizzonia (R) |align=center|80 |align=center|+3 Laps |align=center|15 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 17
|style="text-align:center"|14 |{{flagicon|BRA}} Roberto Moreno |align=center|63 |align=center|Drive train |align=center|17 |align=center|1 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 18
|style="text-align:center"|10 |{{flagicon|FIN}} Juho Annala (R) |align=center|42 |align=center|Brakes |align=center|20 |align=center|0 |align=center|0 | ||||||||
| 19
|style="text-align:center"|02 |{{flagicon|UK}} Justin Wilson |align=center|12 |align=center|Engine |align=center|1 |align=center|0 |align=center|12 | ||||||||
| 20
|style="text-align:center"|19 |{{flagicon|BRA}} Mario Moraes (R) |align=center|5 |align=center|Crash |align=center|19 |align=center|0 |align=center|12 | ||||||||
| colspan=9|Race average speed: {{convert|92.964|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} | ||||||||
| colspan=9|Lead changes: 3 between 3 drivers | ||||||||
| colspan=9|Cautions: 3 for 9 laps |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box|before=2008 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Indy Japan 300 (IRL teams; 3A)|title=IRL IndyCar Series
round 3B|years=2008|after=2008 RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300}}
{{succession box
|before = 2007 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
|after = 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
|title = Grand Prix of Long Beach
|years =
}}
{{s-end}}
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach