Trying to predict a winner of today’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach got just a little bit harder after the 30-minute warmup.

Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden led with a top lap of 1 minute, 7.9685 seconds in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. There have been four on-track sessions this weekend at this iconic street race, with a different driver topping each – Will Power (practice 1), Kyle Kirkwood (practice 2), Felix Rosenqvist (qualifying) and Newgarden.

SEE: Warmup Results | Starting Lineup/Tire Choice

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon was second at 1:08.1479 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, followed by NTT P1 Award winner Rosenqvist at 1:08.2157 in the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian.

Four-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou was fourth at 1:08.4126 in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Graham Rahal rounded out the top five at 1:08.4944 in the No. 15 One Cure Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The air of mystery surrounding the 90-lap race (5:30 p.m. ET today, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls) also increased due to problems encountered by two favorites for victory.

Pato O’Ward, who is starting second, turned just 13 laps and was 24th at 1:09.8382 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. He spent a healthy portion of the 30-minute session in the pits as the team tried to secure a loose heel rest in his cockpit.

Series leader and reigning Long Beach winner Kirkwood also spent time parked on pit lane in the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda as his Andretti Global crew continued to wrestle with a problem with the car’s hybrid energy system that appeared after qualifying. Kirkwood managed just 12 laps and was 20th quickest at 1:09.5215.

“We didn’t get a really good read on anything, to be honest,” Kirkwood said. “I don’t know what the tires are going to be like, what the conditions are going to be like.”