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For the first time in his racing career, IndyCar rookie Louis Foster will race on the iconic streets of Long Beach. The upcoming weekend from April 11 to 13 will see IndyCar heading to Southern California for the 50th edition of the Long Beach Grand Prix.
The 1.968-mile street circuit has witnessed the greatest racers add to their impressive resumes, with Al Unser Jr and Mario Andretti leading the winners list with six and four wins respectively. The 50th running of the race called for this duo to be honored as co-grand marshals.
2024 Indy NXT champion Louis Foster, who has just stepped foot into IndyCar, cannot wait to take in the electric atmosphere at the iconic event and race where legends of the sport have made a mark. In a statement on his website, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver shared his feelings for the upcoming race, saying:
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"I’ve lived in LA and have been watching IndyCar for a while, so it’s going to be cool to visit one of the biggest races in the series. I’m looking forward to meeting fans of IndyCar in California again and hoping we can deliver a good performance for them with the RLL team."
Foster is the most promising rookie of three from the class of 2025. He dominantly won the Indy NXT title last year, with 12 podiums in 14 races, including eight wins. The other two rookies who will join him as first-time racers around the Long Beach circuit are Dale Coyne Racing's Jacob Abel and PREMA Racing's Robert Shwartzman.
Louis Foster focuses on the silver lining after two disappointing races
Louis Foster has had a torrid start to his IndyCar season. At the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the 21-year-old qualified in a decent P16. However, he got collected in a lap 1 crash in turn 3, prematurely ending his race.
At the Thermal Club Grand Prix, Foster was on the money in qualifying and secured a P10 spot on the grid. However, his No. 45 Honda struggled on the first stint on soft tires. But worse was to come, as he nursed an unexpected issue with his seat. His shoulder was in immense pain and he couldn't defend or attack well, leading to a lowly P24 finish.
Ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver chose to focus on his impressive qualifying performances rather than what was out of his control.
"We’ve had a strong start in terms of qualifying which means the car and I have been quick straight away. Obviously, our aim is to be fighting even further forward, and the last race was a good sign of that with qualifying 10th at Thermal," Foster said via his website.
"Unfortunately, the races haven’t gone our way just yet, but the team and I are working really hard and very well together to keep improving. Some of the results have been totally out of our control. So my focus is what we can control, and working hard to make sure the team and I get the best out of the weekend," he added.
Louis Foster is dead last in the championship standings after the first two races of the season, with 11 points.
