The race weekend has begun as the gates for the 49th Acura Grand Prix Long Beach opened to fans early Friday morning.
It’s the start of the annual three-day spring event, which turns the streets of downtown Long Beach into a 1.9-mile, 11-turn racecourse, with qualifying and practice sessions starting on Friday.
More than 192,000 fans attended the 2023 race, the highest attendance since the Indy car was reunited in 2008.
“Last year we had a very successful event with the best turnout in modern times,” said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of Long Beach.
“With the addition of GT America’s sports cars, the vintage Indy car race and a free-to-enter racing simulator tournament from new sponsor Cooler Master, we believe this year’s Acura Grand Prix will be an even more compelling weekend.”
This year’s event includes six racing series, GT America sports cars, Super STADIUM trucks, the sliding and tire-burning Super Drift Challenge, the Historic Indy Cars that provide a flashback to the Grand Prix’s storied past, the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Friday practice sessions start before the GT America sprint races on Saturday and Sunday from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. A second practice session will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with qualifying from 4:25 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
Practices for the IMSA sports car races are from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and from 12:50 PM to 2:20 PM, with qualifying from 5:00 PM to 5:50 PM.
A practice session for the Stadium Super Trucks races on Saturday and Sunday is from 12:15 p.m. to 12:35 p.m.
The first part of the drift competition is from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. In drifting, drivers deliberately maneuver their cars into controlled sideways slides at high speeds and winning is based on execution and style. The last part is Saturday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
Friday race ticket holders can enjoy The Ape Drums concert for free, starting around 6:30 PM on the plaza in front of the Terrace Theater, next to the Long Beach Convention Center.
Acura Grand Prix ticket prices range from $40 for a Friday general admission ticket to $185 for a three-day ticket, including reserved seating on Saturday and Sunday in the upper levels of the grandstands. Children aged 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
