200,000 people expected Sunday as Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach celebrates 50 years

Nearly 200,000 spectators are anticipated to attend the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday.

The excitement began building on Saturday, with drivers taking to the track for practice runs and qualifying rounds in preparation for the main event.

"This is a really good track for Andretti Global," said Kyle Kirkwood, an Andretti Global driver who earned his first IndyCar victory at the 2023 Long Beach Grand Prix.

"We always come out here and have a great time, and this is one of our marquee events. The Indy 500 is the biggest one for us, but this is definitely the second biggest," Kirkwood said. 

Kirkwood along with other drivers were slated to compete in Saturday's qualifying session, planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The work was just as intense behind the scenes. Along the pit lane — the high-pressure zone where teams quickly refuel, change tires, and make critical car adjustments — pit crews were busy fine-tuning their performance.

"These guys train five days a week for physical training, and pit stop training," explained Chris Snyder, a Pit Stop Coach. "Most of the teams now, they're pretty much all the same, everybody is pretty competitive. Most of the teams have a Pit Stop Coach or they're working with somebody."

Looking ahead to Sunday, gates are set to open at 7:30 a.m., kicking off a full day of racing. The action begins at 7:45 a.m. This year marks a milestone as the Grand Prix celebrates its 50th anniversary.

"I love coming here. This is the most attended race we have outside of the Indy 500," said Felix Rosenqvist, the 2024 Pole winner. "It seems to be booming every year. Every year, we come back, it's just more and more people and it's a cool course."