By A weekend that started in a haze of fog ended with the streets of Long Beach set ablaze as the annual running of the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix took over the city’s streets from April 11-13.
As the city’s largest event of the year, the Grand Prix annually attracts over 200,000 people globally to see the excitement of high-performing, high-intensity automotive racing action in a beach metropolis.
This year’s Grand Prix weekend differs from previous ones, as 2025 marks the culmination of 50 years of the storied beachside competition’s existence.
The half-century-old event was launched in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race, but over the years, the ‘street race’ has changed hands from different racing leagues.
In 2009, IndyCar and a few other racing series gained control of the storied race, which has remained so to this day.
Yearly, the race attracts fans from new to old who come to enjoy the spectacle, including local resident Russell Kester.
“I have been coming here for probably almost 30 years,” Kester said. “The cars, the atmosphere and the people are pretty amazing.”
Kicking off on Friday, the weekend’s on-track action gave spectators a taste of what was to come the following two days.
Racing series’ including IMSA, IndyCar and Stadium Super Trucks that competed during the weekend, used the first day as practice to prepare their cars for the following day’s ‘qualifying’ sessions and races.
Meanwhile, fans accustomed themselves to the other attractions at the track, such as various vendors selling racing memorabilia from times past to merchandise of their favorite driver competing during the weekend.
Additionally, a fan expo at the event included bounce houses and interactive activities for children.
Beyond purchasing historical memorabilia, attendees could learn about the history of racing Acura has been involved in for more than 30 years at the Acura Showroom exhibit.
The room was capped off by the legendary McLaren MP 4/6 Formula 1 race car in the center.
After the practice and first qualifying sessions ended on Friday, the day came to a head with a performance from Electronic Dance DJ duo DVBBS.
By Saturday, the weekend began to heat up.
For its main event, the open-wheeled IndyCar qualifying for the Long Beach Grand Prix and the International Motor Sports Association (ISMA) Sports Car Grand Prix hit the street tarmac.
Qualifying sessions are timed track events in which league racers go out onto a racetrack and try to set their fastest lap to organize the order in which the cars will start for the main race.
After the dust settled on the hour-and-a-half qualifying session, Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood took the coveted first starting position, also known as ‘pole position.’
As IndyCar finished warming up the tarmac, the IMSA sports car Grand Prix took over the pavement battleground for round three of their championship series.
IMSA is one of the main sports car racing series that travels across the North American continent and hosts some of the most notable races in racing history, such as the Triple Crown event, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the infamous 12 Hours of Sebring.
For attendee Matthew Maseko, the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix marks a return to sports car racing in what he refers to as the “Renaissance period.”
Maseko describes himself as a “sim-racer,” or a person who plays simulation racing video games.
His attendance to the Grand Prix, Maseko said, was to meet up with friends he made in “sim-racing.”
“The competition is so good, it’s so close,” Maseko said. “Sports car racing has not ever been better in its entire history than it is today. It’s a golden age we are living through, and it’s a privilege.”
The 100-minute IMSA Grand Prix was intense, with a few minor wrecks shaking up most of the mid-pack drivers.
However, the favorites of the Penske Porsche team took the Grand Touring Prototype division, while the famous ‘Rexy’ car of the AO Racing Porsche team won the Grand Touring Dayton division.
Sunday marked the culmination of 50 years of racing history—the race was something for the fans and the IndyCar drivers to look forward to.
Prema Racing driver Callum Ilott is one of the many drivers who love making their annual stop on the sunny shores of Southern California.
“It’s awesome,” Ilott said. “I know the track has evolved a lot over the years, but I just love coming out here. The great vibes, good weather and great people. I think a lot of fun will be had.”
The main event started with driver introductions and a parade right before the race to get the fans riled up for the green flag to be flown.
Then, after drivers strapped in their million-dollar, technologically advanced steeds, the race was set.
The lights went out on the starting line, and the racers were off.
The race was competitive, with nine race leader changes from six drivers. Luckily for the drivers and the team owners, it was run completely ‘under green,’ meaning that there were no accidents or caution flags flown during the race.
Kirkwood was the driver who came victorious over the rest of the pack, marking his second time winning the Long Beach Grand Prix and the second of three IndyCar wins.
Now, Kirkwood’s name is forever enshrined with other drivers who have won the ‘Monaco of the West’ that is the Long Beach Grand Prix.
