IMSA - Long Beach

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to the Streets of Long Beach for a sprint race through the Southern California coastal city. This event brings prototype and GT racing to the famous Long Beach street circuit as part of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. The race features a 100-minute competition across multiple classes on one of America's most celebrated temporary circuits.

The Long Beach Street Circuit

The Long Beach street circuit measures 1.968 miles and includes 11 corners. Located at 300 East Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, the track winds through the downtown area near the Pacific Ocean. The circuit provides close racing action with concrete barriers lining the course. Restaurants and shops along Shoreline Drive offer views of the track layout. The street course has hosted professional motorsports competition for five decades.

Racing Classes and Participants

The race includes four competition classes: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro), and GT Daytona (GTD). The GTP class features hybrid prototypes from five manufacturers: Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, and Aston Martin. Teams expected to compete include Porsche Penske Motorsport, Wayne Taylor Racing with Cadillac, Heart of Racing with Aston Martin, BMW M Team RLL, Team WRT, and Meyer Shank Racing with Acura.

GT competition includes entries from Vasser Sullivan Racing, Heart of Racing Team, Conquest Racing, DXDT Racing, Winward Racing, Gradient Racing, Inception Racing, DragonSpeed, Turner Motorsport, and Wright Motorsports. JDC-Miller MotorSports and other organizations field entries across the prototype classes.

Technical Specifications

GTP cars compete as hybrid prototypes, combining traditional internal combustion engines with electric motor assistance. The LMP2 class uses spec Gibson GK428 V8 engines across all entries. Michelin provides tires for the series, with new Pilot Sport Endurance tires featuring sustainable materials and a distinctive web-like pattern visible on the sidewall.

IMSA at Long Beach

IMSA first competed at Long Beach in 1990, when Dorsey Schroeder won despite losing bodywork from his car during the race. The series has returned regularly, featuring various classes through the decades including GTO, GTU, American Le Mans Series entries, and Grand-Am competition. The circuit hosted a notable overall victory by an LMP2 Penske Porsche RS Spyder in 2007. The current GTP era began at Long Beach in recent seasons.

Long Beach holds the distinction as the longest-running major street circuit event in the United States. The venue hosted Formula 1 from 1976 to 1983 and has featured Formula 5000, CART, and IndyCar competition throughout its history.

The Race Weekend Experience

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend includes multiple racing series alongside IMSA competition. The NTT IndyCar Series headlines the weekend, joined by Stadium Super Trucks, Porsche Carrera Cup, and Historic Trans Am Challenge events. Formula Drift Super Drift Challenge adds variety to the competition schedule.

The event features a Lifestyle Expo, Family Fun Zone, and Food Truck Experience for attendees. Historic IMSA GTP cars from previous decades often appear during the weekend. Concert performances complement the racing action. Cadillac has recorded six top-class prototype victories at this venue since 2017, establishing strong performance history at the circuit.

The Streets of Long Beach provides close-quarters racing action where prototype and GT cars navigate the narrow confines of a temporary street circuit. The race tests driver precision and mechanical reliability on an unforgiving surface surrounded by concrete walls. This sprint format emphasizes strategy and clean execution over the 100-minute competition window.