Long Beach 2014

Welcome to the 40th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, where the veterans drive like rookies and the rookies drive like veterans. Where penalties may or may not be called for aggressive driving. Where tempers flare, and a past winner on a one-car team comes out on top. We promise thrills, entertainment, and surprises; Long Beach does not disappoint! Here's a look back at the three stories of the race:

Top Story of the Race: A lot of people, including his own teammate and owner, criticized Ryan Hunter-Reay for his impatient pass attempt on Josef Newgarden--a move that ended the day for Newgarden, RHR, teammate Hinchcliffe, and a host of other innocent victims just trying to pass through. On cold tires, Newgarden had come out of the pits in the top spot, but it was probably only a matter of time before he lost the lead to RHR or Hinch. After taking the pole, Hunter-Reay led almost the entire race up to that point and looked to be the car to beat. Newgarden also looked strong, and he was in a great position to contend for his first IndyCar Series win. Unfortunately, we'll never know how that battle would have turned out, which hurts the fans, too, because I think that would have been exciting to watch. Was RHR too impatient and aggressive? Probably. But as he put it and as Sarah Fisher initially described on TV, "That's racing." Both Hunter-Reay and Newgarden desperately wanted to win. RHR wants to prove that 2012 was no fluke, and Newgarden wants to get that first win for his loyal team owner. RHR went for it, and paid the price. It's just a shame that his move had to cost so many other drivers a chance at winning, too.

There was also some criticism that Hunter-Reay didn't own up to his mistake and admit fault, as other drivers do. I don't agree with that. Newgarden was about as diplomatic as you can be after being knocked out of a race, but I also think RHR was remorseful. He said he needed to look at it again, which is really what all drivers should say after an incident like this occurs. He said it was "probably" his fault, and apologized and seemed genuinely gutted that he'd ended so many other drivers' day. It's not easy for a champion to admit he was to blame. I wonder how many couch critics out there freely admit their own mistakes when they make them; I know I have a hard time doing that. I imagine that RHR had a private talk with Newgarden, and I imagine that Michael Andretti and Hinchcliffe also had a private, stern conversation with Ryan. All will learn from this experience and move on. Credit Newgarden for his maturity, and Hinchcliffe for his honest assessment of the situation. There were no winners in that crash. Except for Mike Conway, who may not have won the race were it not for that multi-car pileup.

Top Story #2: To Penalize or Not to Penalize? RHR wasn't the only veteran to make a rookie mistake. Early in the race, Will Power made contact with Simon Pagenaud, which temporarily derailed Pags' chances at a top finish. (He ended up in fifth place, so he rebounded nicely.) When I initially saw the contact, I thought it was just a "racing incident," with two gritty, skilled drivers fighting for position. But Pagenaud was fuming after the race, and Power even admitted he thought he should have been penalized for "avoidable contact." This adds even more weight to the Verizon conspiracy theory. One more incident and I might even start to become a believer. And why does Power always find himself mired in controversy?

Scott Dixon made an aggressive move on Justin Wilson toward the end of the race, which ultimately ended Wilson's good day. He was also not penalized. But Graham Rahal did receive a drive-through penalty for clipping someone early in the race. Apparently Beaux Barfield had announced before the race that he would let everyone "have at it" and try to limit the number of penalties called. He was true to his word it would seem, but I bet Wilson and Pagenaud will be lobbying for a return to the old way of calling penalties. The "boys, have at it" mentality might work in NASCAR, but it has no place in open wheel racing. It's dangerous and selfish to allow that to continue. Avoidable contact will always remain subjective, but we must trust the panel of officials in race control to make those decisions. I commend Scott Dixon for coming in to get a late splash of fuel, saying he didn't want to risk causing a big accident by running out of gas on the last lap. That had to be disappointing for Dixon, who has never won at Long Beach. Karma, perhaps?

Top Story #3: Ed Carpenter's Decision Pays Off: When Carpenter made the decision to drive only on ovals and hire another driver to handle the twisties, he was largely praised for being wise and selfless. Some still criticized the decision, acknowledging that he could not possibly win the championship with two part-time drivers. And that's true, but Sunday further justified his decision. Mike Conway, who had already previously won at Long Beach, drove a consistent race with a little bit of luck and put the Fuzzy's Vodka Chevy in victory lane. Conway showed his driving chops once again, and he'll be a serious contender at all of the road/street courses this year. With Ed's prowess on ovals, they have vaulted themselves to among the top teams in IndyCar. There is a lesson in this for all of us: when we put the team first, good things can happen. I think Carpenter was as thrilled as Conway to get that win, and it was great to see.

Other Stories of Note: Carlos Munoz proved that slow and steady wins the race...or at least gets you on the podium. Jack Hawksworth has been the most impressive rookie so far in my opinion, but unfortunately he has two DNF's to show for it. He's been the victim of circumstance, finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time two races in a row now. Still, Bryan Herta Autosport has to be pleased with what they've seen from the young Brit. Good things must be just around the corner.

I heard a lot of praise for Paul Tracy in the NBCSN booth, but I have to say I was not really a fan. It's nothing against what Tracy said, as he did have some insightful analysis and perspective, but it's his voice. He has a monotone, low voice that doesn't quite jive well with Leigh Diffey's enthusiasm and Townsend Bell's pleasant cadence. To me, Tracy didn't inject the same level of excitement into the broadcast that Diffey, Bell, and Jon Beekhuis do. That may be just a personal preference I'll have to deal with I guess.

It was encouraging to hear about the large turnout for the entire weekend, even qualifying. Hopefully that sends a message to the city council of Long Beach that fans like having an IndyCar race there and want it to stick around for another forty years.