Two IndyCar race cars navigate a turn on a city street circuit, with track barriers and Acura branding visible in the background.

2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach — thrilling racing in multiple series

April 21, 2026/Jan Wagner/
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The 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was held this past weekend on its 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit, continuing its tradition of great racing, in multiple series, at an iconic and historic venue.

Illustrated poster for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach 2026, featuring two racing cars on a city street circuit with event dates April 17–19, 2026.
Map of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach circuit, showing the race track layout, entrances, key locations, and event amenities.

The weather was beautiful…

Several boats and yachts are docked in a marina with colorful buildings and palm trees in the background under a clear sky.
Several boats are docked near a red-roofed building with palm trees, with large industrial cranes visible in the background across the water.
A waterfront marina scene with boats docked in front of colorful buildings and restaurants, including a green and white structure and Parker’s Lighthouse.
Hyatt Regency hotel building with glass exterior, outdoor pool area, American flag, and boats docked along a waterfront on a sunny day.
A view of a curved waterfront walkway lined with palm trees, with people walking and gathering in the distance near modern buildings.
A car race track curves around a pond with a fountain; large yellow inflatable balls float in the water. Spectators sit in stands, and palm trees line the area.
An outdoor hotel pool area with lounge chairs, cabanas, palm trees, and a large American flag, surrounded by a modern glass building.

… and by all indications — including the packed grandstands…

A large crowd of spectators sits in grandstand seats at an outdoor event, with colorful flags displayed above them.

… walkways…

Crowd of people walk past merchandise booths at an outdoor event with city buildings and palm trees in the background. Official merchandise signs are visible.
A large crowd of people walks through an outdoor event area lined with vendor tents, flags, and banners on a sunny day.
A crowd browses merchandise booths and vendor displays at an outdoor motorsports event, with branded flags and signs visible overhead.
Outdoor display of IndyCar official merchandise, including hats, shirts, lanyards, and keychains, set up in front of a branded white canopy tent.
People line up at a King Taco food truck with a large inflatable mascot outside an aquarium mural featuring dolphins and surrounded by palm trees.
A Formula Drift merchandise booth displays t-shirts, hats, and colorful skateboard decks with car designs, with two people seated behind the counter.

… and the bustling Lifestyle Expo exhibit hall and Family Fun Zone — the attendance likely surpassed last year’s 50th Anniversary event.

A black Acura SUV drives up a steep yellow ramp at an outdoor Acura Vertical Xperience event, with checkered flags and promotional banners in view.
A gray Acura sedan labeled "G-Force Experience" maneuvers through orange traffic cones at an outdoor event.

As aways, the race weekend kicked off with “Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets.” This is a free evening event, open to the public. It includes an NTT IndyCar Series pit stop competition on Shoreline Drive, in which four IndyCar teams compete for a $10,000 prize. The evening’s entertainment also includes a high-flying Freestyle MX motocross exhibition, a car show and live music.

Sign for "Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach" Media Luncheon with an arrow pointing up, displayed indoors on a patterned carpet near double doors.
A man speaks at a podium during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach event, holding a brochure, with event branding and sponsors visible in the background.
A smiling man wearing a black jacket with a Corvette logo sits indoors, surrounded by blurred flowers in the foreground.
A man in a black SPEED TOUR shirt smiles while being filmed and photographed at an indoor event.
A man in a black jacket stands indoors, raising his right hand in a greeting gesture while people look on.

With multiple race series competing, the Grand Prix has a wide variety of motorsports action and is a terrific value. Racing series were the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge, Historic Trans Am Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED ENERGY Super Trucks and the headline NTT IndyCar Series.

A race car lifts its front wheels off the ground while driving over a curb on a city track, with tire barriers and sponsor logos visible in the background.
A black and yellow Corvette race car leads a bright pink car on a city street circuit, with spectators and sponsor banners in the background.
Three modified race cars with colorful decals are parked indoors; two people in hats are inspecting the vehicles.
Two off-road trucks race on a street circuit; one truck is airborne above the other, both with wheels off the ground, in front of sponsor banners.
A lineup of vintage race cars indoors, with a prominent yellow #48 Camaro in front, followed by several other cars in various colors and sponsor logos.
An orange and black Arrow McLaren IndyCar races past a dolphin fountain and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant at The Pike Outlets in Long Beach, California.

The Porsche Carrera Cup North America is a one-make racing series, which produces very close racing — with an international field of drivers driving Porsche 911 racecars. These were serious competitors, mixing it up with each other for two races over the weekend. It was truly an exciting, memorable experience!

Three race cars compete on a track, with the lead car bearing "SOLARIUS" and "Apex" branding. Trackside banners include "U.S. Army" and "YAAMAVA' Resort & Casino.
Several racing cars speed on a track at the Long Beach Grand Prix, with barriers and grandstands visible in the background.
Several race cars navigate a turn on a city street circuit during a motorsports event, with barriers, sponsors, and safety personnel visible in the background.
Two Porsche race cars with Solaris branding compete on a street circuit, with spectators watching from grandstands in the background.
Two Porsche race cars with sponsor logos compete closely on a racetrack, with grandstands and fencing visible in the background.
Two sports cars with racing decals and numbers 40 and 96 compete on a race track, passing barriers and spectators in the background.
A black and orange race car numbered 78 turns on a street circuit, passing barriers with sponsorship banners and city buildings in the background.
Two race cars compete on a track, with car number 78 in the foreground and car number 53 behind it; spectators and fencing are visible in the background.
Two race cars turn a corner on a city street circuit, viewed through a chain-link fence with spectators in the background.
Several race cars lined up on a track at the starting grid of the Long Beach Grand Prix, with banners and palm trees visible in the background.
A race car driver in full racing gear adjusts their helmet near a track, with palm trees and safety fencing in the background.
Three race car drivers in racing suits stand on a podium holding trophies, celebrating their victory at a Porsche Carrera Cup North America event.
Three race car drivers spray champagne on a podium during a motorsport awards ceremony, with branded banners and a sandcastle-shaped stage.
Three race car drivers in racing suits stand on a podium holding trophies, celebrating their win at a Porsche Carrera Cup North America event.
Two brightly colored race cars, number 45 and 17, compete side by side on a city track, with spectators watching from the stands behind a chain-link fence.
A race car with the number 4 on its windshield drives over a curb on a racetrack during a motorsport event, with Acura branding visible in the background.
Rear view of blue and black race cars driving on a track, with O'Reilly Auto Parts ads visible in the background.
A group of race cars drives closely together on a city street circuit, surrounded by safety barriers and O'Reilly Auto Parts banners.
Two race cars compete on a track in front of a crowd behind a fence, with visible Acura and SOLAIRUS branding.
A black and red race car drives on a city circuit with barriers, track-side advertisements, and a grandstand filled with spectators in the background.
A blue Apex race car, number 17, drives over a curb on a racetrack during a race, with tire marks and safety fencing in the background.
Race cars speed around a track near a fenced grandstand, with a person’s hand giving a thumbs-up in the foreground.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship included two classes of cars racing on the track at the same time: the high-speed, high-tech Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, consisting of state-of-the-art prototype cars from Acura, Aston Martim, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche; and the GT Daytona (GTD) class, which included BMW, Chevrolet (Corvette), Mercedes-AMG, Lexus, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ford (Mustang). The potential speed differential of these two distinctly different classes of cars made for particularly exciting racing. Robert Wickens, who was paralyzed following a serious IndyCar crash in 2018, drove with hand controls as he led the GTD class for much of the race, before the driver change.

Two spectators watch a car race on a city track while a parachutist descends from the sky. A Ferris wheel and palm trees are visible in the background.
A skydiver with a yellow parachute labeled "ARMY" descends against a clear blue sky.
A large crowd sits in bleachers under colorful sponsor flags at an outdoor event on a sunny day.
A group of race cars compete on a paved track during a sports car race, with several cars closely packed as they navigate a turn.
Several sports cars are lined up on a race track, preparing to start, with Acura branding visible along the barriers.
Two race cars navigate a turn on a city street circuit, passing barriers and sponsor signs, with tire stacks lining the track edge.
A group of photographers with large telephoto lenses aim their cameras at an outdoor event under a clear sky.
Six prototype race cars drive in a line on a paved racetrack during a daytime motorsport event, with barriers and fencing visible alongside the track.
A large crowd of people sits in outdoor stadium bleachers on a sunny day, many wearing hats and sunglasses.
A white BMW M4 GT3 and a black prototype race car drive side by side on a racetrack, with blurred fencing and barriers in the background.
Four race cars drive on a fenced street circuit, turning right under an overhead VELO.com sign during a motorsport event.
Two Cadillac race cars drive on a city street circuit during a professional motorsport event, with barriers and advertisements lining the track.
Three race cars compete on a city street circuit during an Acura-sponsored motorsport event, with barriers and spectators in the background.
A black and yellow Lexus race car with SealMaster branding leads on a racetrack, with a pink and green car following behind.
A teal and black race car and a yellow race car navigate a turn on a racetrack bordered by barriers and AT&T branding.
Four race cars navigate a corner on a racetrack, with barriers and sponsor signage visible in the background.
Race cars navigate a turn on a fenced street circuit, with "100" and "200" distance markers visible along the track.
Four race cars drive close together on a fenced street circuit, approaching a sign marked "200" during a motorsport event.
Several prototype race cars drive closely together on a fenced street circuit, approaching a sign marked "200" under the "Shoreline Dr" street sign.

The Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge featured tire-smoking action as the drivers drifted their cars around the track in competition, under the lights on Friday and Saturday evenings.

In the Historic Trans Am Challenge, American muscle cars from the 1970s through 1991 raced twice through the streets of Long Beach. This was supposed to be an on-track exhibition of historic, expensive cars, but some drivers got pretty racy!

Two vintage race cars, one orange and one green, drive on a city racetrack during a motorsport event, with barriers and sponsor banners visible in the background.
A pink Chevrolet Camaro race car with the number 28 leads a group of race cars on a city street circuit during an auto race event.
Two vintage race cars, an Audi and a Camaro, compete on a city circuit, passing barriers with visible sponsor logos and advertisements in the background.
A red, white, and blue Nissan 240SX race car with the number 95 on the track during a race event.
Two Nissan race cars numbered 95 and 33 drive on a closed street circuit during a motorsport event, with grandstands and barriers visible in the background.
Yellow Lindley Racing car number 48 crosses a racetrack finish line, surrounded by sponsor logos and a barrier with Acura branding.
A black race car with the number 6 and various sponsor logos speeds on a racetrack, passing Acura signage in the background.
A white and orange race car with the number 35 drives on a city street circuit, with a ferris wheel and high-rise buildings in the background.
An Audi race car, number 44, with Shell and Goodyear branding, drives on a racetrack during a motorsport event.
An orange Motorcraft race car drives around a track corner near a fenced barrier, with a green car and various sponsor banners visible in the background.
Three vintage race cars drive on a city street circuit under an O'Reilly Auto Parts sign, surrounded by fencing and palm trees.
Two race cars speed around a corner on a racetrack, with visible sponsor logos such as Armour, Budweiser, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and United Site Services.
A yellow Lindley Racing car number 48 drifts and emits smoke on a racetrack near an Acura-branded barrier, with two people standing in the background.
Black race car number 6 on a city racetrack passes a yellow car number 48, which is trailing smoke near a corner, with grandstands and advertising banners in the background.
A yellow Chevrolet Camaro race car, number 48, with various sponsor logos, parked on a race track near a barrier, with Acura branding in the background.
Green and white race car number 03 is parked on a race track next to a blue and red race car; both have prominent sponsor logos and are surrounded by fences and advertising banners.
A green and white race car with the number 03 and "SKOAL BANDIT" branding is on a racetrack, with another car partially visible behind it.
Two vintage race cars, one white with Budweiser branding and one green with Skoal Bandit branding, are on a racetrack near a barrier with an Acura sign.
Two vintage race cars, one red and white #33 Nissan and one green #35 car, compete on a street circuit with Acura advertising banners in the background.

A fan favorite each year are the Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks. Ramps are added at various places on the track, from which the trucks launch high into the air as they race. The trucks have a massive amount of suspension travel which, when they turn, accelerate, brake and land after taking jumps, imparts an almost animal-like stance and behavior to the trucks. Sheldon Creed, now a NASCAR driver, used to race in this series.

A forklift moves a section of metal bleachers on a race track, with workers nearby and sponsor banners displayed on the barriers in the background.
Two off-road trucks with sponsor logos jump side by side over a ramp during a stadium truck race, with crowd and banners in the background.
Three off-road racing trucks compete on a city street circuit, with one truck airborne over a ramp during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach event.
An orange off-road race truck lifts its front wheels off the ground while driving on a paved track during a motorsport event.
Several off-road trucks race on a city street circuit, with two trucks airborne over a ramp during the Grand Prix of Long Beach event.
Two off-road racing trucks, tilted on two wheels, take a sharp turn on a street track during a motorsport event.
People stand behind a chain-link fence clapping and watching an outdoor event; one person wears a hat with an American flag pattern. Bleachers with seated spectators are visible in the background.
Several off-road trucks race closely on a city street circuit, passing barriers and taking a sharp turn, with spectators watching from behind fences.
Two off-road trucks, one orange and one pink, race on a city street circuit, both with front wheels lifted, as spectators watch from bleachers behind a safety fence.

Finally, in Sunday afternoon’s NTT IndyCar race, Alex Palou emerged to lead the field at the finish, and by a wide margin.

An orange IndyCar with VELO branding is parked as fans and photographers gather around, with palm trees and transport trucks in the background.
A blue, green, and white Acura IndyCar sits on a racetrack paddock with several people standing nearby and other race cars in the background.
A blue IndyCar with number 27 is parked as people stand nearby and take photos in a paddock area at a motorsports event.
Several IndyCar race cars navigate a corner on a city street circuit with fencing, signage, and a "Pine Ave" street sign visible.
View of a street race event with race cars on track, spectators in stands, palm trees, and tall buildings in the background. Copyright information visible at bottom.
A crowd of people stands along a waterfront railing, looking out at water features and city buildings under a sunny sky.
Three IndyCar race cars compete on a city street circuit, with two cars side by side in front and a third yellow-blue car closely behind.
Two IndyCar race cars compete closely on a street circuit, with the black car #66 ahead of the blue and yellow car #21, both taking a tight corner.
A large crowd stands on an elevated walkway outside a modern building, with palm trees and a chain-link fence in the foreground.
An orange IndyCar races on a street circuit, passing Acura-branded barriers, with spectators watching from behind a fence in the background.
A red IndyCar with number 18, labeled "Malukas," drives on a city racetrack near an Acura-branded barrier during a race.
A race car labeled "openAI" drives on a city racetrack, with construction equipment and safety fencing visible in the background.
A blue and yellow IndyCar races on a track, kicking up debris, with construction equipment visible in the background.
A rear view of an orange and blue PNC Bank-sponsored IndyCar driving on a racetrack, with debris and tire marks visible on the asphalt.
An orange and blue IndyCar races on a track during a motorsport event, with NTT DATA banners visible in the background.
Three race cars navigate a turn on a street circuit, passing by an O'Reilly Auto Parts advertisement on a red barrier.
Race cars drive on a track near a barrier displaying large O'Reilly Auto Parts advertisements.
A black IndyCar with number 77 takes a corner on a street circuit during a race, passing by spectators and advertising banners for Clarience Technologies.
A black IndyCar with "Open" branding on the side drives on a city street circuit, palm trees and O’Reilly Auto Parts signage in the background.
An orange and blue IndyCar speeds past O'Reilly Auto Parts signage on a street circuit lined with palm trees under a clear sky.
A blue and white IndyCar race car drives past palm trees, a dolphin fountain, and businesses including Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Three open-wheel race cars speed past palm trees and a water fountain during a street circuit race, with restaurants and an O'Reilly Auto Parts sign in the background.
Two open-wheel race cars navigate a tight street circuit corner, surrounded by barriers with O'Reilly Auto Parts advertisements.
Indy cars race on a palm tree-lined street circuit near O'Reilly Auto Parts signage at The Pike in Long Beach, California, under clear blue skies.
Two IndyCar race cars drive through a corner on a street circuit, with spectators and fencing in the background.

In addition to the racing was the expansive Lifestyle Expo and Family Fun Zone, vendors, free concerts and, of course, plenty of competition vehicles to see up-close-and-personal, in between their races.

Crowd of people walking outside the Long Beach Convention Center under a large red "Lifestyle Expo" banner that reads "Welcome Race Fans!.
People walking through an indoor car show with luxury cars on display and a large screen showing a racing video in the background.
A red and black Acura race car on display indoors, surrounded by people taking photos and observing, under bright lighting.
A classic Acura sedan is displayed indoors at an Acura promotional event, with people browsing nearby exhibits and merchandise.
A red Acura car with the number 40 displayed on the hood is showcased indoors; people and racing merchandise are in the background, with a racing event shown on a large screen above.
Aston Martin Formula 1 race car on display indoors, surrounded by ropes, with a Honda logo wall and a blue SUV in the background.
A red Target-branded IndyCar race car with yellow lightning accents is displayed indoors on a polished floor, surrounded by people.
A row of vintage race cars displayed indoors behind a white fence, with a large red Honda trailer and informational signs visible in the background.
A row of sports cars on display indoors at an auto show, including an orange and a red Acura NSX, with informational booths and banners in the background.
A red, white, and blue Nissan race car with Planters branding and the number 33 on the side, displayed indoors.
Three people stand and pose in front of a Mission Foods booth at an event, with product displays and a red Mission-branded tent in the background.
An open-wheel IndyCar race car with red, white, and blue livery is displayed indoors on a polished floor, surrounded by other vehicles.
Racks of racing-themed jackets, shirts, and jerseys with drivers' names and numbers on display in a retail setting.
Display shelves filled with McLaren-themed merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, tumblers, keychains, lanyards, and novelty items, in a retail store setting.
A blue sign with yellow and red accents reads “Welcome to the Family Fun Zone” in bold white letters.
Several large inflatable slides and obstacle courses are set up inside an indoor arena, with a few people standing and walking nearby.
Children in small electric cars line up at a starting line indoors, with an adult holding a checkered flag and another adult seated nearby. Orange cones mark the course.
Two children drive small electric cars around an indoor track marked with orange cones.

Sadly, earlier this year, Jim Michaelian — President & CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, and one of the founding staff members of the Grand Prix — passed away. Jim was 83 years old. The official press release tells us that “Under his leadership, the Acura Grand Prix event has grown into one of the premier street races in the world, blending top-level competition with major entertainment, civic, and business impact for the City of Long Beach.”

Illustrated portrait of Jim Michaelian above a timeline of his career achievements from 1975 to 2026, with text highlighting major milestones in motorsports.

Jim gave the event a special personality, ever smiling and very approachable. In 2017 I captured some photos of him as he stood, fearless, nearly in the path of a Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Stadium Super Truck, which was driving slowly as it balanced with only the passenger’s-side tires contacting the ground, and the driver’s-side high in the air. Jim Michaelian is, and will continue to be, be missed.

A race truck driving on two side wheels during a motorsport event, surrounded by officials and spectators.
In 2017, Robby Gordon faces off in his Speed Energy Stadium Super Truck with Jim Michaelian, President & CEO, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
A blue off-road truck drives on two wheels at an event, with a crowd watching and a man standing nearby.
Jim Michaelian, President & CEO, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach next to Robby Gordon in his Speed Energy Stadium Super Truck, in 2017.

For more information about the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, visit https://gplb.com. To explore a wide variety of content dating back to 2002, with the most photos and the latest text, visit “AutoMatters & More” at https://automatters.net. Search by title or topic in the Search Bar in the middle of the Home Page or click on the blue ‘years’ boxes and browse.

Copyright © 2026 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #925r1

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Jan Wagner

2 Comments

  1. David Sperry on May 1, 2026 at 11:54 am

    Jan, I did watch portions of the SportsCar and IndyCar races. They were exciting on such a tight track. I would love to see a race of the remaining Can-Am cars. They are too valuable to race, but a high speed demonstration parade on the track might be in order.

    In my younger days, I lived in Montreal for 12 years, and in the late ‘60s and early 70s, I was able to attend the Can-Am and F1 races that were held at the Circuit St Jovite-Mt Tremblant in the Laurentien Mountains.

    It was a fantastic track for these races…sharp curves with hills on both sides. Spectators could look down on the cars and almost read the revs on the tach. To me, Can-Am with its unlimited power and almost absence of rules, was probably the best racing series ever!

    Great photos, David

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on May 1, 2026 at 7:59 pm

      Thank you for the compliment, David, and for your comments.
      The historic car race at the LBGP did, understandably, start out pretty much as a series of careful parade laps but, as my last photos of their race showed, the red mist did indeed befall two drivers at the end of the long straightaway, as they tried unsuccessfully to make the 90-degree left hand turn. The first car suffered slight body damage. The second car harmlessly spun out and was not hit by the following cars.
      I wish that I had seen the races that you saw so many years ago, in Quebec. Do you still have clear memories of them? Do you have photos?
      I was fortunate to see CanAm racing in person at Edmonton International Speedway (a road course that ceased to exist long ago) in the early 1970s. I wish my memory of those races was better. I took a few photos but the cars look like tiny dots. If only I had my current cameras back then.
      Jan

      Reply

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