Indycar photo by Chris Owens

I’m finally settled in winter headquarters after a journey that took a bit longer than expected. We just missed cold temperatures in Indianapolis and passed Nashville just before their big snowstorm. Now on to the big news of the week.

The Long Beach City Council approved the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach through 2028. This is an unusually long extension and shows how much the city appreciates Indycar’s presence as part of the community. The council’s action should permanently put to rest the attempts to by groups wanting Formula 1 to return to the venue.

2022 will mark 47 years of racing on the streets of Long Beach. The first race, a Formula 5000 event founded by Chrism Pook and Dan Gurney in 1975, became a staple of F1 from 1976 through 1983. In 1984, CART began racing on the downtown streets. Indycar in its various sanctions has raced there ever since, until the pandemic halted the race in 2020. The race returned last year with the title deciding event in the fall. In 2022 the race returns to its traditional April slot. After the 2028 race, Indycar will have raced at Long Beach 45 times, making it the third oldest event in series history, I believe, Behind Indianapolis and Milwaukee. 2025 will be the 50th race of some form on the street circuit.

Added Action

The usually busy Long Beach weekend just got a bit busier. Indycar IMSA, Porsche Cup, and Stadium Super Trucks will be joined by the Historic IMSA GTP Challenge, a vintage sportscar prototype series. I am excited to see these cars, which have never raced at Long Beach. Track time will be at a premium April 8-10.