Early signs point to largest Long Beach crowd since unification

The Long Beach Grand Prix holds a special place on the calendar for IndyCar and IMSA as the Southern Californian street race brings the biggest crowds for both series outside of their crown jewels at Indianapolis and Sebring.

The 49th installment of the event lived up to expectations as the venue was overflowing with fans from Friday through Sunday, and according to its promoter, the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, “the preliminary report indicates that the weekend resulted in an attendance figure of about 194,000 which would be a record for the modern era (since the 2008 IndyCar – Champ Car series merger). And concession and merchandise numbers reflect a similar increase in sales as well. For the second consecutive year, reserved seats at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach were sold out.”

Along with the usual array of support series, the field of retro Indy cars organized the Historic Motor Sports Association that ran throughout the weekend only added to the reverie.

“The weekend turned out to be a very successful one, with great weather, competitive races and a variety of off-track activity which is what resulted in our record attendance,” said GPALB CEO Jim Michaelian. “After reviewing the operations of this year’s event, we will then turn our attention to the planning of the special activities associated with our 50th anniversary celebration next April 11-13, 2025.”