Construction Starts for 50th at Long Beach
Last week construction began on the city streets of Long Beach comprising the iconic ACRRA Grand Prix Long Beach 50th anniversary that will take place April 11-13. For the next 40 or so days, more than 2,400 concrete blocks will anchor the safety system around the 1.97-mile, 11-turn racing circuit will be placed along with 14 large grandstands that line the racecourse.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
Last week construction began on the city streets of Long Beach comprising the iconic ACRRA Grand Prix Long Beach 50th anniversary that will take place April 11-13. For the next 40 or so days, more than 2,400 concrete blocks will anchor the safety system around the 1.97-mile, 11-turn racing circuit will be placed along with 14 large grandstands that line the racecourse.
In 2024, more than 194,000 fans attended the race and events- that was the best attendance showing since the 2008 INDYCAR SERIES reunification.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Manager of Acura Regional Marketing Vince Nguyen, Assistant Manager of Acura Regional Marketing Todd Knepp, Historic Motor Sports Association President Cris Vandagriff and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian commemorated the start of track construction in what will become Turn 10 of the racecourse in the Long Beach Arena parking lot.
They were joined by three historic racing vehicles celebrating the three eras of racing in Long Beach: Formula 5000, Formula One, and the INDYCAR SERIES, as well as one of the official 50th anniversary Acura Integra Type S pace cars. Representing Formula 5000 was the 1973 March 73A driven in-period by John Cannon; from Formula One, the 1983 Williams FW 008C driven by Keke Rosberg, and representing the INDYCAR SERIES, the 1999 Reynard driven that year by Bryan Herta. These cars are expected to race in the Historic Formula Exhibition doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday of race weekend.
“The Grand Prix is always an exciting event for Long Beach,” Richardson said. “There’s something magical about cars and moving fast, and it gets kids excited. I remember being excited to come to the race as a kid, and now as a father of two girls, 7 and 10 years old, they love to come to the Grand Prix. This is an event for families, and we encourage all families to come down, check it out, and make some memories in the beautiful City of Long Beach.”
In total, Grand Prix Director of Operations Dwight Tanaka, LIUNA Local 1309, and Grand Prix Operations staff will put in more than 33,000 working hours installing the safety system – more than 24 million pounds of concrete blocks, 4 miles of fencing and 17,000 bolted-together tires – along with 14 grandstands, seven pedestrian bridges and nine giant vision boards for full-circuit TV coverage.
Tanaka’s staff also will install 60 high-end hospitality suites, three hospitality clubs, tents, electrical lines and equipment, phones, porta-johns, trash containers, and a myriad of other items around the track.
“Today marks the official start of our milestone 50th anniversary celebration. And the excitement is truly at an all-time high. This year’s event will be a spectacular showcase of world-class racing, incredible fan experiences, and tributes to the rich history that has made Long Beach a premier motorsports destination. We can’t wait to welcome fans, drivers, and teams for what promises to be a historic and unforgettable race weekend,” Michaelian stated.
This year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is expected to be even more spectacular than usual as organizers prepare to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Special additions to the event’s offerings have already been announced, including racing legends Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr. signing on to be grand marshals. And legendary rock band Foreigner will headline the Grand Prix’s Saturday night concert.
