Will Power has won the 2012 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach after having to start the race in the 12th spot due to all Chevrolet engines receiving a ten spot penalty. It's Power's second straight victory, and moves him into first place in the Drivers' Championship standings. Simon Pagenaud finished second, almost catching Power on the final lap but Power was able to use the traffic on the track to stay ahead of Pagenaud who led for 26 laps.
James Hinchcliffe of Team GoDaddy.com finished third, but only because Ryan Hunter Reay was assessed a thirty second penalty for avoidable contact. Reay in his post race interview disagreed with the call. Takuma Sato was in third going into the last few laps, but had a technical issue and dropped down to eighth.
It was a violent race, which began with a crash on the first turn. Josef Newgarden smashed into the wall trying to pass Dario Franchitti, the two Honda engine drivers started first and second thanks to the Chevy penalties.
I turned out to be a good day for Chevy, who despite the penalties took two of the podium spots. Simon Pagenaud had to pit with less than ten laps to go, which allowed Power to take the lead. Power was able to stay in the lead despite Pagenaud pushing hard behind him, making a case for the Chevy engine's fuel economy.
Next for all the racers is the Sao Paolo Grand Prix, where certainly Brazilian drivers Helio Castroneves and Rubens Barrichello will be on display.