A Long Beach Even Defined by Little Track Time
The Long Beach street circuit is one of the most legendary tracks on the Porsche Carrera Cup North America (PCCNA) calendar. The Grand Prix of Long Beach was introduced in 1976, with Formula 1 as the headliner, and the event later became a fan-favorite track in IndyCar.
One of the major attractions of this race is its proximity to Los Angeles, as well as the festive atmosphere and the majestic views. The show on the track is equally fantastic, with the tight corners and the few overtaking zones requiring a certain level of talent and an infallible strategy.
It was a first for Thomas Nepveu, who was behind the wheel of the #24 All Rem | Richelieu | GFL | Cromwell car in the Pro class last weekend on the streets of Long Beach. Although all the elements were in place to complete two successful races, the outcome did not quite play out that way.
The first race was interrupted by numerous neutralizations, leaving little time for the 30-odd cars to try and fight for a podium finish. "I started 13th in the first race," said Thomas, who was driving the McElrea Racing car. "This is a track where it's extremely difficult to pass, so I knew I needed to be able to use all the laps available to be able to move up the field. That ultimately didn't happen given the accidents that occurred during the race."
He finished Saturday evening's race in 12th place. The following day on Sunday, he started the final race of the weekend from 11th place. From the very beginning, Thomas wasted no time and began working his way up through the field into 8th position despite a long neutralization at the beginning of the race.
"The race started very well, however, I made a mistake a little after the halfway mark and hit the inside wall at Turn 8, which compromised my exit from the corner. I finished my race in the wall. Unfortunately, my car was too damaged to be able to continue."
This marks Thomas' first DNF of the season, but he is focused on staying positive and he's looking forward to the next race taking place in two weeks; "I really enjoyed racing in Long Beach, it's a track that tests our limits as drivers and forces us to sharpen our racing skills. I can't wait to be back behind the wheel of my car in two weeks at the Miami Grand Prix!"
Thomas was not only happy to shine the spotlight on his usual partners during the weekend's events, but he was also very pleased to welcome the firm of Lavely & Singer during this race, "I would have loved to give them a win, but I'm very grateful for their support over the course of the weekend."