Grand Prix Construction Begins in Downtown Long Beach
Construction has started on the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race circuit for the race coming up in April. The construction is happening on Shoreline Drive and will continue for the next 50 days in preparation for the event.
Along the almost two-mile-long circuit, the construction crew will be installing more than 2,400 concrete blocks weighing in at over 14 million pounds as well as four miles of fencing and 17,000 tires lining the raceway.
In addition to the circuit safety measures, crews will build 14 grandstands, six pedestrian bridges, and eight screens for TV coverage of the race. Crews will stay busy installing electrical equipment and other amenities to the venue as the construction continues with 45 hospitality suites, three hospitality clubs, and multiple tents. The work is estimated to take over 33,000 working hours to complete under the supervision of Grand Prix Director of Operations Dwight Tanaka.
The race circuit will be in use from April 1 through 10 with races on April 1 and 2 on a portion of the raceway for round one of the 2022 Formula Drift season. On April 3rd part of the raceway will be used for the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach’s Grand Prix 5k.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will begin on April 8 with multiple race practices and the first competition of the Formula D Super Drift challenge. The two major races at the Long Beach Grand Prix this year will be the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Other races happening throughout the weekend are Super Drift Challenge, the SPEED Stadium Super Trucks, the IMSA GTP Challenge, and the new Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Tickets for the 2022 Grand Prix are on sale now at gplb.com. Three-day tickets that include the entire weekend are available or just individual day tickets. Reserved seating is available with certain ticket purchases. Fans can also purchase passes to Club C300 or the hospitality clubs which include special amenities like complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks.
Tickets range from 37 dollars at the lowest for general admission on Friday to 168 dollars for three-day admission with reserved seating. The Grand Prix of Long Beach will follow COVID health and safety guidelines that are set by the state, county, and local health officials at the time of the event.
While construction continues all businesses along Shoreline Drive, Aquarium Way and Pine Avenue will remain open. Fans can find updates on the event at @GPLongBeach on Instagram and Twitter and GrandPrixLB on Facebook.
By Morgan Trivitt