Can Will Power keep it together?

All it took was one mistake for Will Power last season at Long Beach. The 2010 running had been caution-free and a bit processional-like with Power holding the lead. Then all of a sudden on Lap 17, his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske came out of the hairpin very slowly. It only lasted for a few brief moments but that was all it took for winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and runner-up Justin Wilson to pass him.

Power had inadvertently hit the pit road speed limiter, causing him to stay slowed down until after Hunter-Reay and Wilson had got by. He wound up third that day.

Fast-forward one year and we find Power on the pole for the third straight race and holding a seven-point lead over Dario Franchitti. Their title duel was merely paused in the offseason and both have managed to get one on the other in the opening pair of races. In a championship where every point counts due to the level of competition, Power can certainly bolster his chances for the title with a victory today. But no mistakes can be tolerated.

Will RHR defend the Beach?

Hunter-Reay was the beneficiary of Power’s gaffe last season, as he went on to score an emotional victory at a place he cherishes for a variety of reasons. So far, he’s proven to be a contender again this weekend at the Beach and will start today’s race from the outside of the front row. What’s more, he’ll have some help at the front of the grid, as his Andretti Autosport teammate Mike Conway will start in third position. Of course, all of that help may be nullified if there’s another botched double-file start at the green flag, but at least Hunter-Reay’s in a prime spot to stay out of potential trouble.

Time to bank some points

Plenty of big names could use some big points (and a little trouble coming Franchitti and Power’s way) this afternoon. Tony Kanaan has raced like mad in his first two outings with KV-Lotus and sits 31 points out of the lead, while Scott Dixon (-40 points) is trying to recover from getting caught in the season-opening crack-up at St. Petersburg last month. Then you have Helio Castroneves (-56 points), who really needs to get rolling and gain momentum today and at Brazil in two weeks to set-up for Indianapolis. All of these gentlemen start in the top half of the field, but at a tight street course like Long Beach, on-track passing is likely at a premium, so their pit crews will have to earn spots on the track for them.

The start

This is going to be very interesting to watch. What’s going to happen when the double-file start takes the drivers down Shoreline Drive and into the quick left-hander at Turn 1? Cars will go from sixth to first gear, which could lead to some serious problems if somebody comes in too hot or too slowly. At that point, it’s time to cue up the circus music. 

1. Day of the underdog? While Team Penske has a good shot of making it four-for-four to start the 2010 championship, there are lots of underdogs that could get “everybody else” on the board. The Target Chip Ganassi Racing duo of Scott Dixon (starting eighth) and defending Long Beach winner Dario Franchitti (starting 12th) are the most obvious suspects, but Ryan Hunter-Reay is starting from the outside of the front row, the best position of his career. Justin Wilson is right behind him in Row 2, and Alex Tagliani (starting seventh) is always game on the street circuits. Don’t forget Hunter-Reay’s teammates at Andretti Autosport, Tony Kanaan at sixth and Marco Andretti at ninth.

2. Power’s priority. With a 33-point edge in the championship going into today’s race, Will Power is the man to beat once again and considering the whipping he administered in the final Champ Car race at Long Beach two years ago, he has the ability to dominate again. But even if he doesn’t win, he can still pad that points lead to a nice margin with a solid finish and some bad luck falling on his pursuers. Today’s event is the last of four straight road/street course events to start the season, and the next race at Kansas Speedway on May 1 starts a stretch of four straight ovals. For that reason, Power may feel added pressure to get a good result this afternoon.

3. The hairpin. Turns 1 and 9 may be the big passing spots on the Long Beach street course, but the most important turn remains the famous right-hand hairpin at Turn 11. That corner leads to the all-out sprint at Shoreline Drive and past the start/finish line — a less-than-perfect exit from Turn 11 can cost a driver positions coming out of there and as well as down the straightaway. An incident there can also make for a monster traffic jam with oncoming cars as they get stuck in the hairpin’s tight confines.