Twenty-Eight Cars Are Entered for the Shortest Race on the 2023 Calendar
April 5, 2023
By Mark Robinson
IMSA Wire Service
Entry List (Click Here)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship makes its coast-to-coast journey next week to the world-famous temporary street course in Southern California for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.Following the opening two rounds of the 2023 season in Florida for iconic endurance races at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Raceway, the series heads west for the first of two California events. The 100-minute race at Long Beach on April 15 continues the IMSA tradition of racing at the circuit every year since 2006, with the exception of 2020 when the global pandemic forced its cancellation.A total of 28 cars are entered in the three competing classes: eight in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), five in GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 15 in GT Daytona (GTD). Practice and qualifying take place Friday, April 14. The race airs live on USA Network and IMSA Radio at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, April 15.Here’s what else you need to know heading into race week:
Fast Facts
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Long Beach Street Course – Long Beach, California
April 14-15, 2023
Race Day/Time: Saturday, April 15 – 5:05 p.m. ET
NBC Sports Coverage: USA Network and Peacock from 5-7 p.m.
IMSA.com/TVLive Live Qualifying Stream: Friday, April 14 – 8:10 p.m. ET
IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. (Sirius 217, XM 207, Web/App 992)
Circuit Type: 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course
Race Length: 100 minutes
Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD)
Track Social Media:
Twitter: Twitter.com/GPLongBeach
Instagram: Instagram.com/GPLongBeach
Facebook: Facebook.com/GrandPrixLB
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #AcuraGPLB, #AcuraGP, #LBGP, #GPLB
WeatherTech Championship Track Records
Qualifying:
GTP: New class in 2023 (DPi qualifying record: Sebastien Bourdais, Cadillac DPi-V.R, 1:09.472 / 101.980 mph, April 2022)
GTD PRO: Jordan Taylor, Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD, 1:18.048 / 90.774 mph, April 2022
GTD: Madison Snow, BMW M4 GT3, 1:18.487 / 90.276 mph, April 2022
2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Winners:
GTP: New class in 2023 (2022 DPi winners: Renger van der Zande/Sebastien Bourdais, No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R)
GTD PRO: Ross Gunn/Alex Riberas, No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3
GTD: Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3
Storylines
Spectacular GTP Season Continues: The new Grand Touring Prototype class that debuted this year, featuring hybrid-electrified entries from four manufacturers, enters Long Beach with two races under its belt. Thus far, Acura and Cadillac have each won one race with BMW and Porsche in hot pursuit. Cadillac is seeking to continue a run that has seen it win the past five Long Beach races overall and in the top prototype class.
The Long and Short of It: After opening the season with the two longest races of the year (Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring), the WeatherTech Championship shifts gears to the shortest race on the schedule – just 100 minutes at Long Beach. How will teams and drivers adapt to a true sprint race?
Sprint Cup Season Commences: The Long Beach race also serves as the first of seven events that make up the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup for the GTD class. Points earned in these non-endurance races count toward both the overall season championship and the Sprint Cup crown.
Once, Twice, Three Times a Winner? Paul Miller Racing and co-drivers Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow are seeking a rare three-peat of Long Beach victories in the GTD class. They won in 2021 driving a Lamborghini Huracán and last year in a BMW M4 GT3. The team is also fresh off a victory last month at Sebring.
Who’s Hot?
GTD PRO Mercedes and Lexus: Only two teams have finished on the podium in the first two races of 2023, and both compete in the GTD PRO class. The No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 topped the class at the Rolex 24 and finished third at Sebring. The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 placed third at Daytona and second at Sebring.
Inception Racing: Embarking on its first full-season GTD effort, the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 hasn’t won yet this season but successive finishes of third and fourth have put drivers Brendan Iribe and Frederik Schandorff in the class points lead heading into Long Beach.
Who’s Good Here?
Cadillac and Action Express: The manufacturer rides a five-race Long Beach prototype winning streak into race weekend. Three of those (2018, ’19 and ’21) came via Action Express Racing, whose No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac V-Series.R also took the GTP and overall victory last month at Sebring. Co-drivers Alexander Sims and Pipo Derani are the GTP championship leaders after two races.
Taylor Brothers: Jordan and Ricky Taylor teamed to win three consecutive Long Beach races from 2015-17 in the Prototype class when they drove for their father’s team, but neither has added a victory at this event since. Ricky co-pilots the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP with Filipe Albuquerque this year, with Jordan sharing the No. 3 Corvette C8.R GTD with Antonio Garcia in GTD PRO.
Previous Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Winners in 2023 Field (17)
Jordan Taylor (3): P – 2015, 2016, 2017
Ricky Taylor (3): P – 2015, 2016, 2017
Filipe Albuquerque (2): P – 2018; DPi – 2019
Bill Auberlen (2): GT – 2013; GTLM – 2015
Bryan Sellers (2): GTD – 2021, 2022
Madison Snow (2): GTD – 2021, 2022
Nick Tandy (2): GTLM – 2016, 2021
Jeroen Bleekemolen (1): GTC – 2011
Sebastien Bourdais (1): DPi – 2022
Colin Braun (1): PC – 2013
Pipo Derani (1): DPi – 2021
Antonio Garcia (1): GTLM – 2014
Misha Goikhberg (1): PC – 2016
Ross Gunn (1): GTD PRO – 2022
Felipe Nasr (1): DPi – 2021
Alex Riberas (1): GTD PRO – 2022
Renger van der Zande (1): DPi – 2022
Previous Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Pole Winners in 2023 Field (10)
Bill Auberlen (2): GTLM – 2015, 2016
Jeroen Bleekemolen (2): GTC – 2011, 2013
Madison Snow (2): GTD – 2021, 2022
Jordan Taylor (2): GTLM – 2021, 2022
Ricky Taylor (2): P – 2015, 2017
Sebastien Bourdais (1): DPi – 2022
Andy Lally (1): GTC – 2010
Felipe Nasr (1): DPi – 2021
Bryan Sellers (1): GTD – 2017
Nick Tandy (1): GTLM – 2019
Previous Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Winning Teams in 2023 Field (8)
Corvette Racing (8): GT1 – 2007, 2008, 2009; GT – 2012; GTLM – 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021
Action Express Racing (3): P – 2018; DPi – 2019, 2021
BMW Team RLL (3): GT – 2011, 2013; GTLM – 2015
Chip Ganassi Racing (3): DP – 2006; P – 2014; DPi – 2022
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (3): P – 2015, 2016, 2017
Paul Miller Racing (2): GTD – 2021, 2022
Heart of Racing Team (1): GTD PRO – 2022
Penske Racing (1): P2 – 2007
Previous Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Winning Manufacturers in 2023 Field (9)
Chevrolet – 10
Porsche – 9
Cadillac – 5
BMW – 4
Acura – 3
Aston Martin – 2Lamborghini – 1Lexus – 1
Mercedes-AMG – 1 |
