Photo Credit: Chris Jones/IndyCar
Takuma Sato, driver of the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda, came into the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach hoping to get a decent finish.
This weekend didn’t go smoothly as on Saturday during the third practice for the race before qualifications, Sato lost something in the drive train, stating it could be the gear box. After practice, his crew worked hard to get his car ready for qualifying, allowing him to qualify eighth.
During the race which was caution free, Sato had to save fuel and was able to do so, while making some passes along the way, including a late-race pass on WIll Power. He would finish the race in fifth, earning his first top-five of the season. Notably, Sato was also the highest finishing Honda.
“Without any caution flags all the way today, we had to save fuel,” Sato said. “I kept thinking ‘Keep it cool and save fuel’. Even with the ‘push to pass’ [which briefly increases horsepower in passing situations], we had to be careful not to burn too much fuel. But what an amazing job this weekend from my A.J. Foyt Racing team. Coming from eighth to finish fifth, fighting with Tony [Kanaan] and Juan Pablo [Montoya] in the final laps made the race very enjoyable.”
