The second day of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will be highlighted by the IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix and the Saturday night concert, is underway.
And the thousands of fans who are expected to fill the concourse on Saturday, April 18, are in for a busy day.
Friday — which typically has smaller crowds than Saturday and Sunday — was easygoing, as usual, with only one real competition but a bunch of practice and qualifying. But the fun ramps up on day two, which will boast the first Historic Sports Car Challenge and Stadium SUPER Trucks Race, and two drifting challenges. The marquee race on Saturday, however, is the MSA SportsCar Grand Prix, which will begin at 1 p.m.
Then, at 3:30 p.m., qualifying will take place for Sunday’s titular Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Southern California’s 200-mph beach party is a popular, weekend-long motorsports spectacle featuring everything from historic muscle cars to IndyCar racing.
The city’s biggest annual event is expected to draw close to 200,000 people during its three-day run. Last year’s Grand Prix, the event’s 50th anniversary, broke attendance records for the third year running, with around 197,000 flocking to Long Beach from all over the region to enjoy the golden anniversary.
On Friday, early bird attendees were met with a classic overcast morning sky by the sea. But the marine layer burned off by early afternoon, giving way to a clear and sunny sky. And soon, the Grand Prix’s typically slow start sped up — with thousands of fans pouring into the concourse by mid-afternoon.
While some attendees stuck to the usual viewing spots, like the grandstands, others flocked to less-obvious locations, like the middle levels of the parking garage near the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center that directly abuts the Seaside Way portion of the street circuit — offering onlookers a perfect (and less crowded) location to watch the various vehicles as they speed toward Turn 9.
Others traipsed to all corners of the Grand Prix’s massive concourse, making their way over to the Shoreline Drive portion of the track near Pit Lane, or crossing over a pedestrian bridge or two to enjoy the Food Truck Experience, or simply stopping at Rainbow Lagoon Park to take a break from the sun in a shaded area by the water.
Jim Liaw, the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach’s newly minted president and CEO, made an appearance at the event’s media center on Saturday morning — and noted that this year’s Grand Prix got off to a roiling start, with even more excitement scheduled all through the rest of the event’s second day.
“It was a great Friday turnout, like it always has been. The energy is really high. The weather was great,” Liaw said. “I think we saw lots of new faces, new fans that got to experience what the Grand Prix is about.”
The Grand Prix’s Friday start was definitely busier than usual, Liaw added.
“It felt like it was one of the most busy ones,” Liaw said. “We’re trying to get scan numbers and all that type of stuff, just to see what the turnout is.”
But, Liaw added, Saturday is where the real heat starts — with races for the Porsche Carrera Cup, IMSA, the Stadium Super Trucks, IndyCar qualifying, and more all kicking off.
“Today is one of two very serious days,” he said. “All six series are on track today, IndyCar qualifying, IMSA race, and there’s drifting at night, so it’s gonna be fun.”
This year also marks the first that the Grand Prix’s two major races, IMSA and IndyCar, will both be broadcast on national television, Liaw said.
“So that’s awesome as well,” Liaw said. “(It) gives a lot of exposure to us, but (also) to the city and the region, so that’s great.”
And Liaw offered a few words of advice to Grand Prix newcomers: Prioritize time.
“Give yourself a lot more time than you think you need to get in, and then once you’re in, to navigate,” Liaw said, “because the facility, pretty much from end to end, is open to you. So roam, go look around. (There’s) tons to see in all parts.”
And, he added, make sure to hydrate.
“That’s the benefit of having the Convention Center — if you want to get out of the sun for a little bit, come inside, and then go back outside,” he said. “Lots of options for you.”
The day, meanwhile, will close with rock: The Kings of Chaos will perform at the Saturday night concert at the Terrace Theater. The show, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., will also feature LIVE’s Ed Kowalczyk, 311’s Nick Hexum and Aloe Blacc.
Once that show is over, all the focus will shift to Sunday — and the IndyCar Series’ Grand Prix of Long Beach.