IndyCar’s Ryan Hunter-Reay wins Long Beach Grand Prix

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An emotional Ryan Hunter-Reay took advantage of an early misstep by Will Power and drove to a dominant win Sunday in the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Justin Wilson finished second for the Dreyer & Reinbold team. And Power, a Penske Racing driver who had won two of the first three Izod IndyCar Series races this year and sat on the pole Sunday, was third on the 1.97-mile, 11-turn track on the city’s seaside streets.

‘The car was just so much fun to drive,’ Hunter-Reay said, noting that ‘my mom was out there with me, she passed away recently. This race is for her.’

Power was leading Hunter-Reay on lap 17 of the 85-lap race when Power’s car abruptly slowed for a moment, enabling Hunter-Reay to zip by and take a lead he would seldom surrender. Power said after the race that the car briefly got stuck in first gear as he entered the main straightaway on Shoreline Drive.

Hunter-Reay drives for the Andretti Autosport team, and his victory -- only his second in the series in the last four years -- snapped a three-race win streak for Penske. Power’s Penske teammate Helio Castroneves won last week’s race in Alabama. Castroneves finished seventh Sunday.

Defending race winner Dario Franchitti finished 12th, and Danica Patrick was 16th after starting 20th.

-- Jim Peltz