LONG BEACH, Calif – For the second time in three races, James Hinchcliffe was caught out by an ill advised caution flag in his qualifying group. Two races ago in COTA, Hinchcliffe, was on a flier on the Firestone Alternates but his teammate Jack Harvey went off course causing a red flag. He’d not get a quick lap and start 15th as a result. On Saturday in Long Beach, it happened again, this time with Tony Kanaan.

Kanaan, got into the tire barriers after turning the sixth quickest time in the first group of two in Round 1. Unfortunately, he did so with a little over a minute left meaning the red flag that came out ended the session early.

Hinchcliffe, was on his hot lap on the Firestone Reds again and unfortunately, didn’t get to complete his lap and will start 15th again. The Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver said that the lap he had to stand on was on the Firestone Blacks and unfortunately, his No. 5 Honda wasn’t set up to handle well on those tires than the alternates.

“We didn’t set the car up on blacks, we set it up on reds,” said a disappointed James Hinchcliffe. “It’s a kick in the nuts.”

Hinchcliffe never doubted the speed was in his car to at the very least advance past the first round. He was in the top 12 in all three practice sessions so far this weekend including being sixth and ninth respectively on Friday.

Now, he has a tall task ahead of him because qualifying is so crucial on the 1.968-mile street circuit. If you don’t qualify in the Fast Six, your chances of winning are slim to none. If you don’t make it past the first round, forget it.

Hinchcliffe, will start in Row 8. That’s why he’s so frustrated.

He does have three straight top 10 finishes at Long Beach and two sixth place runs in three tries in 2019. The speed is there. They’ll just have to strategize their way to the front.