AT A GLANCE
A look at which streets will be closed this week, as well as photos from the Grand Prix of Long Beach Foundation's sixth annual run/walk.
Tuesday: The Grand Prix has added a series of 20-minute races featuring historic IndyCars. We take a look at the vintage vehicles and why they matter.
Wednesday: A new sponsorship aims to help a longstanding problem. AT&T has partnered with the Grand Prix to put a cell tower downtown to help with poor reception. Thursday: The annual Saturday night concert is going country this year. We preview the “Country All-Star Jam,” which will feature musicians Gretchen Wilson, Eddie Montgomery and David Lee Murphy backed by a band dubbed Sixwire.
Friday: New to the Grand Prix of Long Beach? Here are 10 things you need to know before you head downtown.
20-minute races on both Saturday and Sunday.
Some of the cars being featured are key parts of Long Beach and Grand Prix history, including the one 1985 Grand Prix winner Mario Andretti drove, Michaelian said.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing's CEO, and Big Machine Racing's Scott Borchetta will be among the drivers participating in the Historic IndyCar Challenge, Michaelian said.
Besides that historic element, the 2024 Grand Prix of Long Beach will also add the SRO GT America Powered by AWS, a series of 40-minute sprint races featuring
vehicles from Acura, Audi, McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari and Maserati, among other big brands.
But the Grand Prix will also have plenty of off-course offerings for visitors to try out between the main racing events.
There will once again be evening concerts on Friday and Saturday, both of which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Terrace Theater plaza. The Fiesta Friday concert will feature DJ Ape Drums, a Mexican American performer who combines electronic dance and Caribbean music. The Grand Prix's annual Saturday night concert will also return this year —
Stadium Super Trucks fly off a jump as they race along Shoreline Drive during Race 1 on April 14, 2023.
but with a bit of a country twist.
Though the concert is typically headlined by rock performers, this year's show will feature a “Country AllStar Jam,” with musicians Gretchen Wilson, Eddie Montgomery and David Lee Murphy backed by a band dubbed Sixwire.
“We're gonna go a little country. I think it's gonna be neat and I'm looking forward to seeing what the audience's reaction will be,” Michaelian said. “(We're) introducing a new concept and a new experience for people to come and enjoy — and hopefully they do.”
The Grand Prix's concourse, meanwhile, will feature the usual attractions: a lifestyle expo, featuring more than 100 retailers, at
the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, as well as a family fun zone and tons of options for foodies.
The lifestyle expo will house another new addition to this year's Grand Prix — one that will offer attendees a taste of what it's like to race the Long Beach course.
Cooler Master, a new sponsor for the event, will bring its Dyn X Race Challenge — a professional-level racing simulation tournament — to the Grand Prix for the first time.
Participants will get to experience what its like to race in both GT sports cars and IndyCars thanks to the hightech simulators. There will be a new tournament each day of the Grand Prix.
“We've been looking for a partner like that for a long time and (Cooler Master) came along and have embraced the event,” Michaelian said, “and the opportunity to put on a full-on public participation driving simulator competition here during our race weekend.”
Competitors who finish in the top 10 on the leaderboards will win prizes, according to the GPALB — with even better winnings for the podium placers in each tournament.
“It's going to afford the opportunity for everybody and anybody who wants to come out and compete on these sophisticated simulators,” Michaelian said, “driving the Long Beach course with various types of vehicles.”
All in all, this year's Grand Prix of Long Beach will offer racing fans the usual delights — with plenty of new additions to enhance the weekend-long experience.
The Grand Prix is not only a good time for racing fans — but it's also good for Long Beach.
About half of the $60 million in economic impact created by the Grand Prix and its attendees last year was generated in the city itself, with consumers spending on hotel stays, restaurants, local businesses and more.
“Over the past 49 years, the Acura Grand Prix has become an integral part of the tapestry of Long Beach,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a Friday statement. “Every year, thousands of people come here to enjoy our waterfront, understand our community, see the Port of Long Beach as a backdrop and support our local economy.”
The event also drives jobs, Richardson said, as many of the food vendors at the Grand Prix — and even the folks who set up the circuit every year — are locals.
And live coverage of the Grand Prix will be featured on the USA Network and the streaming service Peacock — getting Long Beach's name and its scenic views out to thousands more.
“We're delighted to have the opportunity to bring 190,000-plus people here, which the city realizes the economic impact from, all featuring the backdrop of the city,” Michaelian said. “It's almost a postcard of what the city has to offer.”