Zach Veach talks history of Long Beach, with Andretti Autosport

Zach Veach discusses why IndyCar’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is special to him, and why he’s been so loyal to Andretti Autosport.

When the NTT IndyCar Series comes to Long Beach on Sunday, Zach Veach will be looking forward to it. For the Andretti Autosport driver, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is about history — some of it personal.

“Long Beach has always been one of the crown jewels to me, and I think any race fan to be honest,” Veach said. “But this was where I got my very first street race pole in Indy Lights, and where I got my first top five at an IndyCar race.

“This place has always been good to me one way or another and I have a love and passion for this area,” he continued. “I’m just lucky those two things matched up.”

The 24-year-old finished fourth in last year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, and he’ll be looking to do even better in 2019. Veach had a strong freshman campaign last year, and this weekend would be a perfect time for him to break into the next level of IndyCar competition.

But he knows that’s not going to be easy, in part due to several other talented young drivers who have joined the NTT IndyCar Series this season. How does Zach Veach assess his competition?

“I think it’s the same as it always is,” he said. “Every year you have an immense group of talent. IndyCar is always tough;there’s never an easy year. Every time you go out there’s 20 different people that can win a race.

“I’m very happy to have Felix Rosenqvist in the series,” Veach added. “He’s a very good friend of mine, so having him back on this side of the world is a lot of fun for me.”

Something else that makes Veach happy is driving for Andretti Autosport. Fans may not know that his association with Andretti goes beyond IndyCar — it spans most of his career, going back nearly a decade to when Veach was a rookie in the USF2000 National Championship in 2010. What is it about this team that’s been such a good fit for him?

“Honestly, I think it comes down to having the same core values,” he said. “[Team owner] Michael [Andretti] picked me up when I was only 15 years old, almost 10 years ago now, and I think he’s seen my work ethic and he’s always believed in what I do. It’s just been this kind of mentorship ever since I started with the team. It’s really become a family. I have guys on my car that were on my car when I was 15, so it’s funny to see that transition.”

Veach has grown up a lot since then, although there are still plenty of quips about how young he looks (and he’s made a few of his own). The one thing he thinks people are finally catching onto, though, isn’t about his age — it’s about just how much physically hard work he puts in to drive in IndyCar.

“I think a lot of people are starting to key in how physically demanding these cars are, which is nice,” he said. “Being a small guy, I think you work twice as hard as someone like Graham Rahal, who naturally has that size to them. That’s something that we’ve been working really hard [on]. I think a lot of it is trying to make your mark for the time you have in the series.”

He shouldn’t need to worry, though; Veach is poised to be in the IndyCar Series for a long time to come.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach takes place Sunday, April 14 at 4 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of the 2019 IndyCar season, follow the IndyCar category at FanSided.