LONG BEACH, CA (News4usonline) – The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has come back to life. You could see it on the first day of the street racing gig in the heart of downtown. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is three days of nonstop street racing and plenty of fun and entertainment.
There were enough practice runs going on that you had to put some kind of protection in your ears to keep from being blown out by all the noise created by the loud engines of the cars speeding around the track. There were practice runs and qualifiers. Outside of the races, the event had more than enough entertainment and action to keep everyone engaged.
Let’s recap from behind the scenes some of the things that took place at the start of the Beach. There were super trucks flying through the air, a live concert, and a Super Drift Challenge, among the activities that took place on the first day.
One could conclude that the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach kicked off its three-day Long Beach party with a bang. There was just a smorgasbord of activities to do. The main event, however, was the races. Among the entities participating during the weekend race showcase were IMSA, Formula DRIFT, Stadium Super Trucks, Porsche, and NTT IndyCar.
Among the fun on the track were VIP ticket holders going along for a lap in the Acura NSX or a two-seater IndyCar. The first day of action has something special for race fans. The spectacle of the day had to be the Stadium Super Trucks, with high-revved vehicles flying through the air as fans crowded the fences trying to get as close to the action as possible.
Filipe Albuquerque had this to say in an interview after winning the IMSA qualifying heat.
“The last two years we were always suffering here, but statistics in the first two races this year showed we are really competitive,” Albuquerque said. “But I must say I was not expecting to be so competitive compared to the competitors- especially the Cadillac. The (Cadillac) has no turbo engine, so putting the power down is a strong point for that car. But obviously, they are struggling with something.”
Albuquerque continued, “At the end of the day, it’s about ticking all the boxes on a complex car that everybody is still learning about,” he added. “I think the communication between Honda Performance Development and the teams is going fantastic and smooth. We did the homework, and it’s paying off. I’m super happy about it.”
This is Albuquerque’s first IMSA pole of 2023. Albuquerque’s fastest lap was one minute and nine seconds (1:09: 909). The vehicle he flexes his street racing muscles with is the new Acura ARX-06 for Konica Minolta.
The nighttime showcase was a doubleheader of the first Super Drift Challenge and the free concert of DJ Boombox Cartel. In the Super Drift Challenge race, Rome Charpentier was able to edge the defending race champ, Forrest Wang. With Charpentier (Garagistic/Vitour Tire E36) winning, BMW went 1-3 in the race. Trenton Beechum, also of BMW (Nexen Tire/Clonex Racing), was the third-place finisher in the race.
Featured Image Caption. Photo by Astrud Reed for News4usonline
