The 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to the scenic circuit of Downtown the weekend of Apr. 19. The festivities start on Thursday, with opportunities for LBCC students to get access to free events, free transportation and free or discounted tickets throughout the weekend.
While for some the steep price of race weekend may seem daunting, there are still festivities open to the public at no cost starting Apr. 18.
The first event of the week is a ceremony, honoring motorsports drivers, to be held on Thursday, Apr. 18, and it will be completely free to the public.
Japanese motorsports driver Takuma Sato and British motorsports driver Katherine Legge will be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Beginning at 11 a.m. on S. Pine Ave. in front of the Convention Center.
The pre-race celebrations continue with fan-favorite Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets, sponsored by Visit Long Beach. It is free to the public and runs from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The event features freestyle motocross demonstrations and an IndyCar Series pit stop competition taking place on Shoreline Drive featuring two teams and four cars.
The night features live music, race car displays, a classic car show and the Auld Dubliner, a local Irish pub that will be hosting a beer garden.
Friday Apr. 19 marks the first day of practice and qualifying races with the spectator gates opening at 7:30 a.m. with open seating in all the grandstands.
Tickets are a $40 value, but as a sponsor of the event, Long Beach City College offers free admission to all LBCC students, who can also access discounts for Saturday and Sunday.
To order a free ticket visit gplb.com and select Acura GPLB – Fri General Admission and enter the promotional code LBCC38 at checkout.
The day features practice and qualifying races from GT America, The International Motor Sports Association, historic Indy Cars, stadium super trucks, IndyCars and super drift challenges.
Opportunities to get the autographs of IndyCar drivers like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi, as well as defending series champion Alex Palou and Valencia’s Colton Herta at the IndyCar fan appreciation activity, beginning at 5 p.m. in the IndyCar Paddock and open to all spectators.
The night concludes with a 6:30 p.m. concert presented by Acura, free with your race ticket. The event features a music act on the Convention Center concert stage in front of the Long Beach Convention Center’s Terrace Theater.
The weekend continues on Saturday and Sunday with races from the same groups on Friday. Tickets for Saturday begin at $82 for general admissions and Sunday starts at $87. But as a Long Beach City College student, general admission goes for $65 and Sunday for $70.
To purchase your discounted tickets, go to gplb.com and select General Admission for either Saturday or Sunday and enter the same promotional code LBCC38 at checkout.
Also throughout the weekend a Lifestyle Expo/Family Fun Zone will be held on Saturday and Sunday in the Convention Center, free to all race-goers with a ticket. The Expo features more than 100 exhibits focused on cars, home, travel, recreation and lifestyle.
For those seeking a free transportation option, Long Beach Transit offers free service via the Passport bus, which serves the Long Beach area from the Queen Mary to Tenth Street and Pine Avenue with 18 stops in between. To find the Passport schedule go to ridelbt.com.
Síngle day prices go for $20 each day but metered street parking is available in surrounding neighborhoods.
As anticipation builds for next year’s 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, this year’s festivities are sure to be a preview of what’s to come.
