Long Beach Grand Prix hits full throttle this weekend with high-stakes racing and rock show

The 51st Long Beach Grand Prix shifts into high gear this weekend, packing Saturday and Sunday with wall-to-wall racing, roaring engines and a high-energy concert lineup.

Saturday’s action begins early, with gates opening at 7:30 a.m. before a full slate of races and events takes over the 1.97-mile, 11-turn street circuit surrounding the Long Beach Convention Center.

Fans will see the Historic Sports Car Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup race and a crucial second IndyCar practice session leading into the afternoon’s high-stakes IndyCar qualifying.

IMSA sports cars headline midday with their 100-minute Grand Prix, while autograph sessions give fans a chance to meet drivers up close.

The Stadium Super Trucks, 600-horsepower V-8 machines known for their jumps and aggressive racing, will run their first race of the weekend in the evening.

The night closes with the final round of the drifting competition, where drivers battle for style and precision in controlled high-speed slides, followed by a concert from Kings of Chaos featuring Aloe Blacc at the Terrace Theater plaza.

Sunday brings the main event, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, capping the three-day spectacle.

After a morning warmup and support races from the Historic Sports Car Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup and Stadium Super Trucks, the focus turns to IndyCar.

Pre-race festivities begin at 1:30 p.m., with the 90-lap, 177-mile race set to start at 2:45 p.m.

Each IndyCar will burn roughly two gallons of fuel per lap, meaning a full field of 27 cars could use about 4,860 gallons over the race distance.

That figure doesn’t include fuel consumed during qualifying or other races across the weekend.

Despite the eye-popping numbers, IndyCar officials stress the series’ environmental push. “This year marks the fourth season that IndyCar has used 100% renewable race fuel for the NTT IndyCar Series, the first motorsport series in North America to utilize this type of fuel,” an IndyCar spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

While fuel use on track is significant, the larger impact may come from the more than 200,000 fans expected to drive into Long Beach over the weekend.

On race day, starting position hasn’t always guaranteed victory on the tight street circuit.

Only six drivers, Kyle Kirkwood, Alexander Rossi, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves and Sebastien Bourdais, have converted pole position into wins here, combining for 12 such victories.

Kirkwood enters Sunday with a slim two-point lead over defending champion Alex Palou in the season standings and is the only driver to finish in the top five in all four races this year.

Along with Rossi, he stands as the most successful active driver at Long Beach, including a win in 2023.

With packed grandstands, high-speed drama and a championship battle heating up, Long Beach is set for a blockbuster weekend on the streets.