The 50th Anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach did not disappoint with a record crowd of over 200,000 race fans that were treated to a full slate of racing throughout the three-day “World’s Fastest Beach Party!” The headline event of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES saw a repeat winner in the form of Kyle Kirkwood of the Andretti Global team who replicated his 2023 pole position and victory. It wasn’t easy as his teammate (and former winner), Colton Herta, started alongside, with the undefeated so far this year, Alex Palou, starting third. As it turned out, Christian Lundgaard made an alternate tire strategy pay off by starting on the primary Firestone “blacks” and was the first driver to do so starting 12th. As the race unfolded and the drivers who started on the softer green guayule tires began to pit early, Lundgaard moved steadily forwards. Another driver on this strategy was last place starter, Santino Ferrucci. It was kind of convoluted with so many drivers utilizing different pit windows, but the main thing was that as Colton Herta faded back just a bit, and Alex Palou moved up to second, quick work by the Andretti pit crew put Kirkwood in front of Palou and Felix Rosenqvist. Last year’s polesitter Rosenqvist was running steadily in the lead group and only got passed by Lundgaard near the end to finish just off the podium in fourth. Remember the guy who started in 27th? Ferrucci climbed all the way up to 11th at the finish.
In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, BMW locked out the front row with Dries Vanthoor earning pole position. However it was the Porsche Penske perfection of Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy who (by way of a quicker pit stop) went on to win their third race in a row and third of the season! In the GTD category, it was the second year in a row for Parker Thompson to score the pole position in his Lexus RC-F. However in the race, it was the AO Racing Porsche, “Rexy,” that earned the win.
The SRO GT America race was an interesting affair on Saturday. Gray Newell in the Heart of Racing Aston Martin GT3 had a plan to set his qualifying lap early. That proved to be a prescient move as a red flag halted proceedings. That pole position mirrored the one he got last year in the GT4 car. Unfortunately, history repeated itself by him finishing third in the race. First it was James Sofronas who got to the front and pulled away – that is until two laps from the end when a technical glitch brought his car to a stop on the front straight just a few hundred yards from the finish line. In the meantime, Justin Rothberg and Kyle Washington led Newell home at the checkered flag. Sunday’s result was the same with the exception of Elias Sabo rounding out the podium in third place.
In the Historic Motor Sports Association race, it was a double victory by Jordan Roddy who was never headed in his Newman Haas, Sebastian Bourdais, McDonalds 2005 Lola Indy car that actually won here in 2006!
By Larry Mason
Copyright © 2025 Larry Mason
Kyle Kirkwood celebrates his victory in the winner’s circle happy to be receiving a confetti shower!
From L – R: Alex Palou earns a second place finish to strengthen his lead in the points standings. Kyle Kirkwood, after a pause in 2024, repeated his pole position and victory this year. Christian Lundgaard’s move to the ARROW McLaren team has paid dividends where he not only sits third in the championship standings, but rounded out the podium in third at Long Beach.
The only view that Alex Palou (or anyone else for that matter) got at the finish of the race was of Kirkwood’s rear wing sporting a new sponsor for the weekend.
Out front and pulling away! It was the number 7 Porsche 963 rounding out a hat trick of victories in 2025.
Laurens Vanthoor scored his third win in a row with Porsche in 2025. This time he moved from the GTP car to the GTD car and teamed with Jonny Edgar in “Rexy” to get the job done.
Jordan Roddy kept the winning streak going in his ex-Bourdais McDonalds Lola scoring a double victory in the historic races.
What started off as a gloomy, foggy Friday morning ended in brilliant sunshine and a top step of the podium for Justin Rothberg in his BMW GT3 SRO car.
Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason (unless otherwise noted)