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RACE PREVIEW: Streets of Long Beach

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FRIDAY, APRIL 19 – SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024

TRACK: Streets of Long Beach
LOCATION: Long Beach, Calif., USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit
RACE LENGTH: 85 laps/167.28 miles

PRACTICE: Friday – 2:50-4:05 p.m. PT (Peacock)
Saturday – 8:25-9:25 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Sunday – 9-9:30 a.m. PT (Peacock)
QUALIFYING: Saturday – 11:25 a.m.-12:55 p.m. PT (Peacock)
RACE: Sunday – 12 p.m. PT (USA Network, 12 p.m. ET)

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 20 GUYCARE CHEVROLET

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet: “I’m looking forward to going to Long Beach for the first time! It will be one of the few events where I haven’t been on the track in the lower categories. I have spent a lot of time driving the track on the simulator, I am excited to drive it in real life!”

OF NOTE: 

Christian Rasmussen will turn his first laps in downtown Long Beach this weekend. Though the 23-year-old has been racing in the United States since 2018, he has not yet competed at the historic street circuit. Since he made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg last month, Rasmussen has almost doubled his seat time in an Indy car. He completed numerous days of testing at The Thermal Club, Texas Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and oval.

 • Rasmussen is Ed Carpenter Racing’s newest driver, joining the team after winning the 2023 INDY NXT championship. He competes in the road and street course events in the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet and will transition to the team’s 3rd entry for the Indianapolis 500. The Dane is only the second driver in history earn a championship in each open-wheel junior category that currently feeds the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – USF2000 (2020), USF Pro 2000 (2021) and INDY NXT (2023). 

• The No. 20 Chevrolet will compete in the colors of GuyCare for the entirety of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. GuyCare clinics provide discreet and confidential care, ensuring men’s health and well-being through proven therapeutic interventions and wellness programs. After successfully opening their first clinic in Salt Lake City, GuyCare is now expanding its service offerings nationwide through the launch of a Telemedicine program. Additional clinics will open in select NTT INDYCAR SERIES race markets throughout the 2024 season. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet: “Long Beach is coming up! I think it will be a good weekend, looking back at St. Pete and how we started the year. We will be bringing that same work we did over the offseason to Long Beach. It feels like we are way farther into the season than just Race 2, so I am very excited to head west and get back to racing! Let’s back up St. Pete with another strong finish!”

OF NOTE: 

Now in his fifth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Rinus VeeKay has stepped into a veteran role as Ed Carpenter Racing’s senior full-time driver. He has spent his entire career behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet and is the longest tenured full-time driver in the team’s history. 

• VeeKay will make his fourth career start in the streets of Long Beach this weekend. The 23-year-old will be looking to build on strong start to his 2024 season. In the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, VeeKay turned a solid qualifying effort into a Top 10 finish. After two days of testing at The Thermal Club in late March, VeeKay qualified third for his heat race in the $1 Million Challenge, a made-for-TV exhibition. However, he was taken out of contention for the All Star race after being struck by a spinning car in Turn 1 of Lap 1. In addition to the Thermal test, VeeKay has also participated in multiple days of testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and oval since St. Petersburg. 

• Raised in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the pinnacle of North American open wheel racing, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. He joined ECR for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, following a rapid ascent through the RTI which included 16 wins and 36 podiums in 48 races. After being named 2020 Rookie of the Year, VeeKay became an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner in May of 2021 with a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Streets of St. Petersburg

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